01 / Selected work
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Selected work05

A place for Parkinson's

Location
Oxford, UK
Type
Therapy centre, BSc study, University of Bath
Year
2023
Structure
Exposed Douglas fir timber frame
Role
Concept, general arrangement, detailing, technical resolution
Visualisation of the hydrotherapy pool in a timber-lined room with tall windows to the trees
Fig. 01 - Hydrotherapy pool, visualisation

The brief

A centre for Parkinson’s in Oxford, bringing complementary therapies under one roof, reducing the isolation and stigma often felt by people with the condition, and giving the community a home of its own. There are purpose-built centres in the UK for conditions such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, but none for Parkinson’s.

The design starts from the day-to-day experience of living with Parkinson’s. Wide, legible routes and clear sightlines reduce anxiety and the risk of falls. Warm timber makes it feel welcoming rather than clinical. The building looks inward to a courtyard garden for shelter and calm, while picture windows frame the park around it.

Details you didn't ask for

  1. Visualisation of a glazed timber corridor beside the courtyard garden, with a woman reading on a built-in bench
    Fig. 02 - Library corridor, visualisation
    01

    A corridor you can stop in

    The library corridor wraps the courtyard and is wide enough for people with mobility issues to move easily. A rhythm of benches, seats, side tables and bookshelves runs along it, with seats facing north for a bright view without glare. Every other glass panel swings open on warmer days.

  2. Visualisation of the timber exercise studio with tall windows, a person exercising on a mat and a bench beyond the columns
    Fig. 03 - Exercise studio and rest area, visualisation
    02

    Resting without leaving the class

    In the exercise studio, a long timber bench runs along the north-facing windows, set apart by the timber columns. Anyone resting still feels part of the class, without any pressure to join in.

  3. A hand fitting together a model of a timber column built from smaller pieces
    Fig. 04 - Column components, model
    03

    Columns made of smaller pieces

    Instead of large solid columns, each is built up from smaller timber pieces. It lightens the structure and echoes the slim trunks of the trees around the site.

Drawings

Ground floor plan of the centre around a courtyard garden, set among trees, with a numbered room key
Fig. 05 - Ground floor plan: three wings around the courtyard, with the pool in its own block to the west

Materials

M01

Douglas fir

Exposed structural frame and joinery
M02

Charred timber

External cladding, 65/150 mm, with curved pieces
M03

Standing-seam zinc

Roof, 4 mm

Specification

  1. 01StructureDouglas fir timber frame, exposed; columns built up from smaller sections, sized to char safely in a fire
  2. 02CladdingCharred timber on battens, with curved cladding pieces 65/150 mm
  3. 03WallsWood fibre insulation between timber I-joists, birch plywood lining 200 mm insulation
  4. 04RoofZinc standing seam, cellulose fibre insulation 4 mm zinc, 240 mm insulation
  5. 05FloorsWood flooring with underfloor heating 14 mm
  6. 06FoundationsConcrete ground-bearing slab and strip foundations