H.E.A.L CENTER (Health Education Active Living)
Manchester is currently experiencing an exciting contemporary boom that promotes the rise of modernist designs. However, this development’s acceleration has been categorically limited to repetitive geometric typologies, which has resulted in extreme linearity and disconnected social networks. The existing framework of “negative heuristic” is particularly concerning as it generates a hardcore boundary between urban territories resulting in hermetic objects and less adaptive spaces. Importantly, this calls for a new urban approach at a micro and macro-scale that promotes spatial dynamism, social integration and enhanced environmental performance, hence the design narrative of the project - Positive Heuristic Design in Parametric Urbanism.
With the project intending to propose a new MMU building for the Faculty of Health & Education, specifically the Physiotherapy Department, it intends to challenge existing design strategies for university and rehabilitation programmed buildings including extreme sub-division of internal rooms, hermetic design and minimal social integration. Therefore, the design thesis is primarily driven by "how can design strategies integrate notions of human movements to become a therapeutic tool, thus actively encouraging & assisting the recovery process of patients with physical and mobility issues". Collectively, the design will act as a new arrival point in the city that metaphorically stitches the neglected neighbourhoods together, while transforming Manchester into a more vibrant, energetic and connected cityscape.
