MSA Stage 5 School of Architecture
Hayley Peel

The body of work I have completed throughout Stage 5 has allowed me to explore the healing potential of architecture – reflecting my design ethos towards a comprehensive model of healthcare seeking to provide equity to otherwise ‘forgotten about’ groups of people. In dialogue with the adjacent maternity hospital, my proposed Final Design Thesis is harnessed by themes of contraction and release through the definition of light, materiality, programme and construction. Led with compassion, The Womb To World Fertility Hub recognises that “it takes a village to conceive a child”.
Works

It Takes A Village
The Womb To World Fertility Hub is an architectural representation of the child birthing process. The plan is comprised of four primary areas – the womb, the birth canal, the umbilical cord, and the earth – each defined by their quality of light, materiality, and occupancy. In recognising that it takes a village to conceive a child, a mixed-use programme supports a vast range of care for a vast range of challenges. This thesis explores the comprehensive potential of architecture to heal the mind, body, and soul – hence a departure from traditional healthcare facilities. The proposal is harnessed by it’s contextual relationship to the existing Maternidade Júlio Dinis, completing the story of life from womb to world.