A Sense of Relief - A PROPOSAL FOR THE NEW PRIMARY CARE CENTER IN VADSTENA, SWEDEN

Abstract

Currently situated in an older building, not suited to modern standards, the Primary Care Center of Vadstena will move into a new development in the near future. The proposed site is currently occupied by an older building, internally connected to a neighbouring structure beyond the plot limits. Thereby, the task has been to design a proposal for the new Primary Care Center on site and the two existing buildings, on-site and just outside. The brief of about 3000 m2 gross area includes a primary care unit, specialist outpatient clinics, dental care and a child and family health centre. The task has also included presenting a space for a possible extension of an inpatient care unit. The inpatient care unit will be outlined in the site plan but not detailed further. Today, the Primary Care Centre has almost 160 patient visits per day and about 37 daily staff, including nurses, doctors, and dentists. The project will contribute to developing the healthcare system towards “good quality, local health care”, which means modern, equitable, accessible, and effective healthcare, focusing on primary care. Additionally, the project has very high sustainability ambitions, and the design focuses on circularity, reuse, and resource efficiency.