The SK Yee Healthy Life Centre is an innovative, modest and meaningful project taken on by Ronald Lu & Partners (RLP). The firm completed the architectural design and interior fit-out for this rooftop addition at the Tuen Mun Hospital Complex, involving the construction of a lightweight 250 sq. m. structure designed to function primarily as a counselling centre.
The Centre is an exceptional example of the integration of sustainable design into healthcare architecture, creating a healing environment but also a home, garden and even a playground for patients. The Centre provides a calm, serene atmosphere, immersing patients in nature and daylight while making the counselling experience as stress-free as possible.
The Centre prioritises both sustainability and well-being. The primary design concept is “lean and green”, integrating a lightweight structure with vibrant surrounding gardens, producing a constant interplay between interior and exterior environments. Renewable natural rubber and recycled timber were used for floor finishes, while low-VOC materials were specified for the interiors. The design also utilised the existing rooftop and structural supports to reduce excavation-related construction waste.
Each space in the Centre was designed with cross-ventilated windows that give patients control and create a place of respect, comfort and dignity. Natural light intensifies its domestic qualities, further reducing patient anxiety.
The Centre’s extensive green roofs and walls – greenery coverage is 57% – minimise air conditioning loading and regulate indoor temperatures, thus reducing energy consumption; while offering a green landscape for the enjoyment of patients and the surrounding community.
The design innovatively turned an empty rooftop space into a place filled with meaning for the hospital and the community. By integrating sustainable design with healing healthcare architecture, the Centre has opened the door for other projects that use nature to improve human well-being.
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