Presidio ospedaliero Giovanni Paolo II

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY: GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The design of the new “Giovanni Paolo II” Hospital in Ragusa is inspired by the principles of the circular economy, recognizing that the impact of a building is not limited to its operational phase but also to its embodied carbon. The aim of the project is to overcome the NZEB and CAM requirements by proposing a building that stands out in the panorama of sustainable architecture. With the same technical performances, certified materials will be preferred, with a high renewable or recycled content, with very low VOC emissions, disassembled and recyclable at the end of their life and of local origin.

THE 4 OBJECTIVES DEFINED BY THE CLIENT:
1_building new structure with 138 beds;
2_widening and spatial-functional remodeling of the operating unit:
3_building of the complete neurology department of the stroke unit;
4_building of the departments of ophthalmology (n. 6 p.l.) and otolaryngology (n.16 p.l.)

STRUCTURE AND LOCATION
The new “Giovanni Paolo II” hospital is located on the south-west edge of the city of Ragusa. It’s a borderline area between agricultural and urban territory of the city, in a strategic position thanks to the connection with the main road infrastructures. The existing structure, recently built and activated (2018), has a planimetric shape with a prevalent longitudinal development along the north-west-south east axis, characterized by a type of plant with linear buildings in correspondence with the two octagonal towers that perform the function of vertical connection. The building is part of a larger project (currently half built) with a central courtyard and originally with four octagonal towers with vertical distribution.

FRAME OF REFERENCE :
– The hybrid landscape within which the new architectural artefact is inserted;
– the necessary physical and functional integration of the new units of the “hospital machine” with the existing monobloc building.
– the comparison/dialogue with the strong typological and figurative matrix of the original project.

IDEATIONAL PROPOSAL (PROJECT CONCEPT)
The project starts from these premises, integrated with an approach that considers the criteria of environmental sustainability and bioclimatic design as an added value for the entire territory. The idea is to start from the design of the vacuum. The existing courtyard becomes the fulcrum around which the project unfolds. The central distribution axis is designed as a green surface, which accompanies the visitor to the two public levels of the hospital complex:
1) square, on the ground floor; Public space, meeting and rest space
2) roof garden on the first floor usable by visitors and patients. Green is an element of aggregation and generator of health (therapeutic gardens).

The settlement solution is that of a building arranged parallel to the existing building with an optimal orientation from a bioclimatic point of view. The two main elevations are designed by a scan of blades covered with Comiso stone that guarantees the control of the direct sunshine of the rooms.

The new building has a small covered area (about 3000 square meters) to minimize land consumption and to incorporate the distribution structure of the multi-storey hospital. The east front of the hospital remains the main entrance front, with the entire existing car park dedicated only to visitors and patients. On the west front is identified a lawn/parking area for staff. The access to the emergency remains unchanged as well as the main entrance on the ground floor of the existing body. Some car parks on the north-east front of the extension are reserved to Dialysis and S.I.M.

MODULARITY AND FLEXIBILITY
The hospital is a system in continuous and remarkable transformation, this means that the structures and systems become obsolete and inadequate in a very short time. It’s essential that the structures are easily modifiable and can be used in a very elastic way, to adapt, gradually over time, with ease and as little hard interventions as possible.
In the design phase, the objectives to be pursued are the following:
• Flexibility: ability of the building organism to adapt to the evolution of diagnosis and treatment protocols
• Convertibility: ability of the building organism to adapt to context conditions, even unpredictable, such as the management of major emergencies
• Expandability: ability of the building organism to expand its structures and infrastructures in an organic way, consistent with the predefined functional structure, with the flows and routes;
• Digital Rediness : ability of the building organism to relate and incorporate the profound transformations generated and which will be generated by the digitization of processes.

Particular attention has been paid to the centrality of the person, providing for a humanization of spaces. In particular, the approach takes into account the social and health environments not only in operation of the treatment of diseases, but the inclusion of aspects of livability and socialization (square and therapeutic garden).

It must keep in mind that people in hospital are in a situation of fragility and often dependence, so it is very important to find a welcoming, reassuring, friendly atmosphere that take into account active and passive acoustics, light and color (double skin system) of sound and smell.

CREDITS

• Architectural Design: Giovanni Vaccarini Architetti

• Engineering and Project Management: Proger S.p.A.

• Project Team:
  Giovanni Vaccarini
  Herman Cabonetti
  Andrea Di Pompeo
  Elena Di Giuseppe
  Marco Cosacco
  Chiara Carcagni

• Client: ASP Ragusa

• Location: Pescara, Italy – Via Vittorio Tiralongo