29/06/2023
Every pursuit of an academic degree winds up with a project, and mine wasn’t an exception. The academic expedition wound up with a design proposal for an energy-efficient MEDICAL RESEARCH CENTRE, in Eko Atlantic City, through passive cooling techniques: courtyard, building orientation, shading, big/wide aperture, light colour coating/painting, insulation, double glassing, natural ventilation, etc.
The design concept is DERRING-DO, valiant deeds. The concept draws a parallel between principles of Deconstructivism, the design philosophy, and the valiant deeds of medical researchers to contend with ailments, viruses, etc. that aim to obliterate humans from the face of the earth to arrive at the final form of the proposal. Derring-Do isn’t only captured by the bold and somewhat deconstructed form of the building, but also by the bold decision taken in addressing the annual flooding menace that was the experience of people who lived around or close to the site through land reclamation and the Great Wall of Lagos.
The design proposal makes provision for critical spaces required in a medical research centre. The different functions or spatial needs are grouped and zoned into three sections - laboratory, support facility and office. A few of the spaces include but are not limited to reception, main auditorium, laboratories, E-library, restaurant, cryogenic freezer store, trial room, offices, etc.
The prominent feature of the deconstructed form is the sinuous, climate-responsive/kinetic shading device on the building façade. Also, the building’s side and back elevations were adequately shaded to avoid direct pe*******on of solar radiation into the interior spaces.
