Archiprix International 2001
University of Melbourne, Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning - Melbourne, Australia
Evelyn Sze Yee Chin
Tutors: Paolo Tombesi
In the aftermath of the East Timor Independence conflict, one of the many agenda in the regional planning and restructuring schemes implemented by United Nations and the East Timor government is to reduce mother and child mortality. Studies show a 10% infant mortality, partially due to inadequate and badly maintained public services and facilities. The project aims to accommodate a mother/child clinic, providing mother/child medical facilities to the local population, and also educational services to increase the general awareness in issues such as diet, infant care and health. The site is one amongst the ravaged landscape of Desa Bairo Sentral, Dili. The existing structure is the remains of a torched shop/residence. The proposed facilities include daytime pediatric, obstetric and counseling clinics, patient wards, operation theatres, workshop/seminar and staff living quarters. Issues such as climate, construction/technology and privacy were crucial in this project. Clean-air and climate control would be ideal in the patient wards but not feasible in the light of local economy and capabilities. The zoning between daytime clinics and operational theatres/wards needs to be addressed without limiting the overall accessibility of the building in case of emergency. The availability of building materials and local skills also need to be considered. Based on these thoughts, the project explores the idea that movement and light can be used as compositional devices even in programs and situations where the simplicity of the available technologies would not seem to allow for it. It aims to develop an architecture that creates dynamic movements at a user-scale while responding to its locality, and at the same time remaining simple in its constructions. Ramps are introduced as a dynamic device to experience the project. Leading visitors from the main entrance, the main ramp creates a spatial demarcation between the clinics and the workshop/canteen area. Its projection allows for visual transparency to the end of the site, yet directing the public away from the operation theatres with its linearity. The second ramp leads to the patient wards on the upper level. It follows the walls of the existing structure, passing besides the arches and balustrades which survive the fire ravages, and landing on a terrace of which inside and outside is defined by columns and archways, part of the facade of the torched residence. To maintain the density and open-spaces, public spaces and walkways are defined using overhangs and brise-soleils (breeze blocks), maximizing permeability and visual connections. Non-parallel planes regulate movements within the site, to and from different areas of the program. The resulting architecture is one in which movement occurs simultaneously with light and air.