Following an architecture competition, Stefano Boeri Architetti has been commissioned to design a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities. Located in Shenzhen, China, the project will be covered in plants and trees, and will feature therapeutic gardens for folks receiving care.
Rehabilitation Center Shenzhen will be located in the city's Longhua district and will be arranged around a large open courtyard. Its rooftop areas will host different plants and trees, including some local species found in an adjacent park. It will also be the largest such center in China, according to Stefano Boeri Architetti, though we have no word on its actual size at this early stage.
The building's interior will be home to a pilot project supporting people with different types of disabilities aged from 16 to 60. It will offer a range of activities, such as rehabilitation, training, recreational and artistic events, education, and a museum. A sports center is planned and a therapeutic roof garden with native plant species will also be available. Accessibility is naturally an important focus with this one too.
"Our project opens up a new perspective on the architecture of large rehabilitation centers," says the firm's founder, Stefano Boeri. "This is firstly because it perceives the concept of motor and/or cognitive disability not as an example of fragility suffered by a minority of people but as a condition that is common to us all, even if only during one phase of our life. Secondly, it offers an idea of total accessibility to spaces and rehabilitation services and thirdly because in recognizing the extraordinary therapeutic quality of greenery and nature, it offers an astonishing amount of accessible green and open spaces dedicated to all different styles of rehabilitation."
Rehabilitation Center Shenzhen will feature some sustainable additions too. Rainwater will be collected and used for watering the plants and trees and the building will be partially cooled with natural ventilation. Additionally, the firm does also make mention of "advanced renewable energy production systems" and we can expect more details on this as the project progresses.
The project is expected to be completed in 2023.
Source: Stefano Boeri Architetti