Alexandria Cardiac Center ACC Part 2 Project 2009 Ahmed Fakharany Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport - Alexandria Campus | Egypt A hospital is an institution for health care providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment, But what we ignore is that the psychological state of mind of the patient could be affected positively or negatively by the environment he is being treated in, and by putting this in consideration a green spine was introduced breaking through the entire building, which acts as a symbol of hope for the patients, also the building’s masses were designed to support the feeling of urban intimacy away from the huge scale buildings. Dealing with the departments of the building as masses different in form and size, each mass has its own character was the challenge, also having staggered slabs in the hospital helped providing open green spaces on the building’s roofs which helps heart disease patients to rehabilitate in a healthy fresh environment. The main concept of the project is the green spine Which is considered a reflection for the surrounding context (agricultural lands) around the site penetrating the building’s 2 main masses without physically entering the building so as to preserve the indoor hygienic environment that any hospital should be in. This spine is considered as one of the most important features in the building as it has many advantages like: 1- Creating an inner landscape view throughout the whole building which plays a very important role in the psychological state of mind that the patient should be in by providing a pleasant view and a symbol of hope. 2- Seeking maximum daylight through orienting this court to receive daylight without direct sunlight because hospitals are known as one of the most energy consuming buildings world wide. 3- Creating an integrative medium between the indoor and the outdoor. 4- Visual separation between the main entrance zone which includes the cafeteria, reception and the administration and the other zone which could be regarded as the diagnostic zone which includes the outpatient clinics, radiology and laboratory departments. A major obstacle that faced the student early in the design process was to find an innovative way to provide a pleasant environment for patients following the stress of their ailments and surgeries. After extensive reading and guided research, the student reached the conclusion that it is impossible to neglect the impact of the environment in which a patient is treated on his/her psychological state of mind. To tackle the problem of the ever growing threat of urbanization on agricultural lands in Egypt and by putting this in consideration a green spine, the student decided to integrate a green spine that divided the building masses in two as a form of integration with the surrounding context and for the simple fact that incorporating landscape into a healthcare building made its patients feel more at ease and aided their recovery process.Another essential aspect to the student’s design was his attention to environmental treatments in the facades. Hospitals are known for their high consumption of energy, and to overcome this, the student used reflective materials and light diffusing louvers to reduce the energy that would otherwise we used up to cool the warm Mediterranean climate. There was always a debate surrounding the facades of the hospital, whether it was advisable to take an entirely contemporary approach, or stay within formal lines. I think the student came up with the perfect blend of contemporary, yet formal exteriors such that the hospital still looked like a serious and reliable place for treatment and at the same time, a place that is pleasant to be in. Tutor(s)Prof Mohamed Gomma