City centre’s healthcare centre

Abstract

The diploma project’s main goal is to build a welfare centre — hyvinvointikeskus — in the city centre of Oulu. The site, size and the programme are all determined by the needs and other examples of hyvinvointikeskus designs. There are additional functions to create a more integrated building to the urban and daily life of Oulu.

In the already existing conditions, the city centre’s hyvinvointikeskus is in an office building. This creates obstacles while it is serving the residents. People who are living in the city centre need to go to another hyvinvointikeskus which is near OYS. Health clinics exist to take some load off of hospitals and serve as first step healthcare points to non-urgent cases. Thus having them in easily accessible places and integrating daily life into these buildings is vital for society.

The diploma project plot is chosen in the light of accessibility, size, easy transportation, availability and surroundings of the area. Currently, there are plans to develop the chosen plot into a housing plot. However, this diploma project is presenting a public function to the plot.

The overall architecture of the Hyvinvointikeskus is calm but powerful at the same time. User needs and the daily life of the building are some of the key leading elements in the design while considering functionality and the needs of a healthcare facility.