2022
MCHAP
Primary Healthcare Center - UBS Parque do Riacho
Saboia+Ruiz Arquitetos
Brasília, Brazil
June 2021
AUTOR PRINCIPAL
Architects: Alexandre Ruiz da Rosa, André Bihuna D’Oliveira, Haraldo Hauer Freudenberg, Rodrigo Vinci Philippi, Thais Saboia Martins.
AUTOR CONTRIBUYENTE
Student Collaborators: Lucas De Oliveira Freitas, Luca Fischer, Michela Neri
CLIENTE
Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal (representative architect: Luiz Otávio Alves Rodrigues)
FOTÓGRAFO
Leonardo Finotti
OBJETIVO
The project relied on two main aspects: the exterior (urban spaces) and the interior (functional humanization). The exterior is marked by an urban fabric in need of a connection between the long corridor of social housing, the agricultural surroundings, and the previously established agro-urban complexes. To achieve this, the project features three separate rectangular blocks which demarcate and shape the external area while also creating more private inner courtyards. This strategy enlarged the volume of the building, allowing the project to benefit from the large plot of land and thus making it more visible and easily recognized as a community public facility that is welcoming and open to transformations in the neighborhood.
Dividing the building into blocks made it easier to adapt to the varying levels of the terrain, and connecting the blocks through ramps ensured universal design and accessibility. A relatively large area was left available for future projects, either for a rational modular extension or to be used as an open space for other activities. The creation of a community garden has recently been considered.
Meanwhile, the inner courtyards provide a quiet and reserved atmosphere, humanizing the hospital's built environment by creating a microcosm of protection and tranquility. The courtyards are designed on a human scale, encapsulating the outdoors and bringing natural light into the environments through a carefully planned landscape design. These spaces are protected from heavy wind, also providing shade and isolation from outside noises, and are connected to nature.
CONTEXTO
The plot of land that was selected for the UBS Parque do Riacho had a complex relationship with the surrounding urban areas because of the high voltage power lines and highways, and also because of its size - the land was almost five times the size of the building. Adapting the small project to the plot was challenging due to its large proportions, especially in length.
So the project relied on two main aspects: the exterior (urban spaces) and the interior (functional humanization). The exterior is marked by an urban fabric in need of a connection between the long corridor of social housing, the agricultural surroundings, and the previously established agro-urban complexes.
ACTUACIÓN
The functional program of the building is divided into sectors within the three blocks, each with its own courtyard. The main entrance is through the central block, which connects to the end of the pedestrian access square. This block serves as a core, distributing the different functions and guiding the public to the other blocks.
The block at the far end of the lot is where most of the medical care is located: triage, doctors' offices, and women's health assistance. Because it receives a large number of people, access to this sector is made directly, and the waiting rooms are divided into two areas. This arrangement around courtyards helps with sectorization, minimizing functional conflicts between sectors, and ensuring a welcoming atmosphere to all spaces.
The front block, closest to the parking lot and the passenger pick-up & drop-off area, contains the technical sector and service entrance. This block also includes part of the medical care, a dental office with all its associated departments.
The project looks simple, but it contains a complex and effective environmental protection system. The inner courtyards collect rainwater to be used for watering the gardens, also providing fresh air. The exterior double-skin facade functions as a screen and a protective layer.
The construction of the building had many execution problems that still need to be fixed, and the furniture is still improvised. Despite this, both the health professionals and the population have felt valued and respectfully welcomed by the new equipment.
