Vieques Cancer Treatment Center: Applying evidence-based design strategies

Abstract

After enduring decades of mistreatment and abuse, the people of Vieques, Puerto Rico were freed from the U.S. Navy's testing through 2/3 of their land in the early 2000's. Unfortunately, after years of contamination, the Viequenses started suffering the consequences. In response to their current living conditions, my thesis studies the possibility of designing a cancer center for the Viequenses. This cancer center's design is geared towards creating medicinal architecture through evidence-based design by applying a series of factors like natural lighting, ventilation, performance, efficiency, and comfort, all being complimented by stunning tropical views. All this while taking advantage of an impacted site from a previous building to preserve any dense vegetation that surrounds the area and working with the existing topographical conditions to limit any further impacts. Essentially, this proposal compliments any current conditions found in the site which in turn becomes a facility that does not imitate a typical clinic; its focus is to make the user feel at home. Benefitting the patient's health through a healthy building.