IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017 - 48

BALER, PHILIPPINES

When Carlos Arnaiz was approached to
THE
design a combined general hospital and
trauma care center in Baler, a remote
FACTOR
town in the Philippines, he saw it as an
opportunity to stretch his design skills to
Zone one, which will house waiting rooms
Establishes
an archetype
meet the needs of at-risk communities
and outpatient care, uses treated wood, fabric
of healthcare
around the world. "The vision is to create
doors, and insets that are reminiscent of a
center
design
a series of these centers, using Baler as
traditional Japanese home. The second and third
across the
the prototype," says Arnaiz, principal,
zones, which will house medical equipment,
globe
CAZA, New York, New York, USA.
labs, and surgery rooms, feature sterile plastic
But building a state-of-the-art
walls in muted natural tones, to create a calming
healthcare facility at the base of the Sierra Madre
backdrop with an easy-to-care-for material. The
Mountains wouldn't be easy. The hospital, which
final zone, which is a central integrated spine to
will open early next year, had to be scaled to the
circulate staff, food, and medical supplies, will
bare minimum to reduce cost but still provide
feature highly polished concrete walls that are
a quality experience for patients, he says. The
durable and easy to clean.
6,120-square-meter (65,875-square-foot), $8 million
"Throughout the building, nature will be
facility had to include operating rooms, imaging
woven into the design to inspire tranquility
rooms, maternity wards, a chapel, and a café, along
and to draw from the surrounding landscape,"
The hospital and trauma center in Baler,
Philippines, will serve as a prototype for
with waiting areas and outpatient facilities.
Arnaiz says. The public area, for example, will
other combined facilities in rural areas.
"The first question we asked ourselves about
feature river stone and coconut shells-from the
the interior was what should it look like and feel like for visitors," he says. surrounding coconut groves-to give the walls a cool natural patina as
Many locals have never been to a hospital, so the designers set out to
patients enter the facility.
devise an interior that feels welcoming and familiar.
The space will also be designed with flexibility and adaptability to
The precast concrete structure was designed around a 9-by-9-meter accommodate its changing needs and to make it easy to translate the
(30-by-30-foot) grid, broken into four zones and a public area. Arnaiz's
design to future projects. "Our goal is to use this facility as a model
team assigned each zone a unique color palette and style to serve as a
for healthcare centers that will change lives in remote regions around
visual cue to help visitors find their way.
the world."

Louisiana Children's Museum

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, USA

Photo by: © Mithun

The Louisiana Children's
Museum, New Orleans,
Louisiana, USA, designed by
Mithun, focuses on the
resiliency of the state and
its people.

perspective

iida.org/perspective

THE

In response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the
FACTOR
Louisiana Children's Museum adapted its mission to focus
on the resiliency of the state and its people. A key component
Changes
of the $45.5 million project, which is scheduled to be complete
perspectives
in late 2018, is to integrate the local lagoons and water-focused
after
activities into the design to help repair children's relationship
trauma
to water after hurricanes like Katrina and to "improve water
literacy, and learn to consider this abundant natural resource as
an asset in the museum's design-and in urban planning," says
Annie Rummelhoff, interior designer, Mithun, Seattle, Washington, USA.
The Mithun team chose natural materials and colors to reflect the local landscape,
including a reed green structure that mimics the plants in the lagoon, and floor-to-ceiling
murals of local nature and wildlife. An interactive Mighty Mississippi water exhibit,
designed by Gyroscope, tells the story of the river.
"It was critical to the success of this project that the indoors felt strongly connected to
the outdoors," Rummelhoff says. "This connection will be a highlight that differentiates it
from other museums." n

Photos provided by: Caza Architects

Baler Hospital

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2017