Ciarán O’Neill from Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka Unitec School of Architecture is a finalist for his project 'A Home For Your Worst Days, The Architecture of Substance Rehabilitation'.
Project description
Drug and alcohol addiction can destroy the lives of those addicted, and of those closest to them. A Home for Your Worst Days proposes an inner-city rehabilitation centre that provides healing spaces where addicts can stay among their peers. It examines the idea of healing architecture by understanding what is needed for a successful recovery. The layout has been designed with a salutogenic approach, which considers how every aspect of a person’s experience can be holistically improved and how stress can be reduced.
Facilities include accommodation, recreation, therapy and medical treatment rooms. Care has been taken to arrange the procession of spaces within the building – stairways and circulation routes have views outside, making it easy for people to comprehend where they are located. Large planting areas have been incorporated to allow mature trees and vegetable gardens within the passive temperature-controlled atrium.
By utilising the philosophy of phenomenology, the architecture aims to form a connection with the occupants by interacting with their physical and emotional senses, helping them to feel more at home. Spatial design and the use of raw, hand-crafted materials invite residents to form this connection through their sense of touch, vision and hearing.
Jury citation
The antithesis of the clinical environment typically associated with treatment centres, this project brings humanity to a very human problem. It envisages architecture as part of the healing process for people in addiction-rehabilitation care.
Determinedly located in the inner-city, the building presents a welcoming façade to the public, as well as occupants and visitors. The walk-through render was outstandingly executed and delivered. The building expression is clear in its design and the materiality shows layers of consideration in the spaces created. Internal layout has been finessed to take a holistic approach to recovery, engaging occupants with their own healing and cultivating a sense of community and connection.
In its approach to deinstitutionalisation, a high degree of architectural control has been applied to create spaces and connection for occupants.
