Our proposal explores how architecture has the ability to assist with the process of rehabilitation, by design giving agency to those who seek treatment. Hidden in plain sight, disguised but not disconnected, rehabilitation and reintegration are driven by the patient.
The site is divided into three built components, each with varying levels of transparency, the needs of both medication-assisted treatment patients and the general public considered. The clinic is located on the Western border of the site, with a multipurpose space to the East, sunken garden to the North, and a canopy uniting all the spaces.
Architectural referencing is employed mimicking the existing built form of both the immediate and greater surrounding environment. With familiarity comes comfort for both users of the space and those passing by. Like the unsightly oil derricks still operating across LA, the clinic is disguised as an extension of its surroundings. Nonclinical and covert, those entering for treatment can do so unnoticed.
A continuous yellow bench connects the cafe to the clinic, fostering familiarity for the patient regardless of the entrance they choose. The bench tracks a pathway from isolation to integration, giving agency through privacy and space to process distress and shame. But its strength lies in disguise, picking up methadone indistinguishable from a latte. Prevailing stigma is inevitably undermined, and trust is nurtured throughout the community.
By night comes empowerment with a space to gather, seek support, and foster community. As ever, discretion remains with the patients, the operable Californian redwood façade permitting privacy or exposure. By day comes unity, no line drawn between patients and the public and no reason to notice the covert function of this vibrant public space.
With Alice Fowler & Bella Chow.
(2020)
