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Drew
Road Medical Centre
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Click link on thumbnail. More images...! . |
Location
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Chisipite, Harare | |
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Designers
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The Stone Beattie Studio | ||
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Date
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late 1990s | ||
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Original
Client
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Lynken Investments , Medical Consultancy | ||
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Style
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- | ||
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Discussion
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This
design with its Frank Llyd Wrightian overtones was born from the requirements
of a dentist and his psychiatrist wife to create a medical consultancy
centre. The triangular shaped site was originally occupied by a 1940's
bungalow but after an initial proposal to modify this, the decision was
taken to demolish and construct a purpose built centre.
The site falls steeply to the north and building lines of 10 and 20 meters along the two road frontages severely limited the available developable area. Client requirements that all of the consultancy rooms be on one level, that none of these should face west and a planning department stipulation on site access controlled the location of the development and vehicle flow patterns. The composition needed to accommodate six dental suites comprising surgeries with adjoining offices in addition to separate doctors consulting rooms, staff and patient facilities. The centre is in fact two buildings built around a courtyard reflection pond and unified under a single roof. At the public entrance, a reception and public waiting space lead directly into the doctors consulting rooms. Dental suites are reached by hardwood bridges over the reflection pond giving access to open verandah walkways. The lower ground floor beneath the north wing houses the medical store rooms, laundry and back up generator equipment. Construction materials were generally sourced locally. A pitched random rubble granite wall, pierced with vents and openings, conceals the lower level service rooms and forms a solid base for the ground floor. Plastered brick columns support a steel and glass eaves beam over which the roof appears to hover. Large overhanging eaves, controlling direct sun penetration into the surgeries, are supported by exposed teak hardwood posts. Aluminum framed windows are full height from floor to eaves level providing maximum natural light. The site is extensively landscaped and incorporates a wetlands drainage system from which the gardens are irrigated. The design team consisted of Structural engineers, Ove Arup & Partners and Quantity Surveyors, Charles Phillips. Ref. . |
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Web
Resources
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Credits
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Richard Beattie for images and information |
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