Aboriginal Ear Clinic
Australia, 2010
Australia has one of the highest qualities of life in the world, but Aboriginal health conditions are worse than some third world countries. One contributing factor to the poor state of Aboriginal health is that in healthcare facilities there is a clear lack of culturally appropriate services for Aboriginal Australians.
Diving deeper into the health of Aboriginal Australians, particularly Aboriginal children, the statistics show that the incidence of ear infections among Aboriginal children is the worst in the world. These ear infections, when left untreated, result in hearing loss, deafness, and learning and development problems.
The Aboriginal Ear Clinic is creates an appropriate healthcare facility for remote Aboriginal communities. The facility is sited in a remote Australian forest, utilizing an existing creek into the design of the ear clinic. The facility rises off the ground on stilts, touching the earth as lightly as possibly. The clinic’s butterfly roofs collect and channel rainwater to the cisterns that also collect the creek water for the facility’s use. The creek continues to flow through the clinic and provides evaporative cooling to the facility. Operable walls and windows allow the facility to blend the natural environment with the built environment.
Australia, 2010
Australia has one of the highest qualities of life in the world, but Aboriginal health conditions are worse than some third world countries. One contributing factor to the poor state of Aboriginal health is that in healthcare facilities there is a clear lack of culturally appropriate services for Aboriginal Australians.
Diving deeper into the health of Aboriginal Australians, particularly Aboriginal children, the statistics show that the incidence of ear infections among Aboriginal children is the worst in the world. These ear infections, when left untreated, result in hearing loss, deafness, and learning and development problems.
The Aboriginal Ear Clinic is creates an appropriate healthcare facility for remote Aboriginal communities. The facility is sited in a remote Australian forest, utilizing an existing creek into the design of the ear clinic. The facility rises off the ground on stilts, touching the earth as lightly as possibly. The clinic’s butterfly roofs collect and channel rainwater to the cisterns that also collect the creek water for the facility’s use. The creek continues to flow through the clinic and provides evaporative cooling to the facility. Operable walls and windows allow the facility to blend the natural environment with the built environment.