The focus of buildings should ultimately be the well-being of the people using them. When we think of our experiences in hospitals, clinics, the dentist's office, and other medical facilities, the feeling is rarely pleasant. Perhaps it's the smells, the dull, monotone colors, or the sound of medical gadgets working away on some unlucky patient.
All of these add to the cold, lackluster environment so prevalent in medical facilities; however, there is another, much greater factor, that adds to their lack of user-friendliness —there is rarely any architectural thought put into their design and layout.
Needless to say, not all health centers lack attention to user comfort and friendliness. Here at ArchDaily, we have an online library of projects from around the world that prove to be the exception to the rule. In this article, we've compiled just some of the health-related projects hailing from Latin America where brick is the star material.
Argentina
SMF-TU. Social Medical Facility / BAarqs
Location: Las Toscas, Santafé
Year: 2015
Villa el Libertador Príncipe de Asturias Municipal Hospital / Santiago Viale + Ian Dutari + Alejandro Paz
Location: Córdoba
Year: 2007
Area: 6,281 m²
Colombia
Santa Fe de Bogotá Foundation / El Equipo de Mazzanti
Location: Bogota
Year: 2016
Area: 32,000 m²
Ecuador
San Lázaro Outpatient Mental Health Center / Jorge Andrade Benítez + Daniel Moreno Flores
Location: Quito
Year: 2014
Area: 1,891 m²
Mexico
Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired / Taller de Arquitectura - Mauricio Rocha
Location: Mexico City
Year: 2000
Area: 8,500 m²
Paraguay
Memoir Medical Clinic / Estudio ELGUE
Year: 2016
Area: 350 m²
Teletón Children's Rehabilitation Center/ Gabinete de Arquitectura
Location: Lambare
Year: 2010
Area: 3200 m²
Take a look at more health-related projects from around the world.