Exploring Possible Medical Service Network in Totonto Neighborhoods
This project investigated the intricate dynamics of Toronto's Yellow Belt, a landscape dominated by single-attached homes within a 2km x 2km area east of Yorkdale. Focused on the existing medical service epicenter, Baycrest Hospital at the site's top left corner, the study aims to conceptualize a transformative medical network intertwined with community growth.
Instructor: Phat LeTime: January - April, 2022
The study area of this projectIn the first phase of this project, basic information of the site was investigated. The site is comprised of Englemount-Lawrence and Bedford Park-Nortown neighborhoods and is bordered by Bathurst Street, Lawrence Avenue, Avenue Road, and Highway 401.
Medical service centers on the site, including the Baycrest Hospital, were highlighted in red. Single-attached homes in the Yellow Belt were classified based on their accessibility to the hospital. Houses within a 5-minute walk, a 10-minute walk, and more than a 10-minute walk from a medical service center were colored in different shades of grey.
Additionally, the visibility of single detached homes to the hospital played a pivotal role in typological classification, resulting in four distinct categories: facing the hospital's parking lot, facing the hospital, capturing part of the hospital, and those not visually connected to the hospital. These typologies were displayed in the following collages and isometric drawings.
The second phase explored innovative design strategies, particularly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, to disperse a medical hub seamlessly into the neighborhood. This site is distinguished by specific demographic characteristics, notably a significant 35% of seniors living independently and an overwhelming 95% comprising one-family and one-person households. Recognizing the vulnerability of those living alone, particularly seniors, the design focused on ensuring their convenient and efficient access to essential medical services.
Four design variations were proposed across different scales: the adaptive Pop-up Emergency Tent, the Mutual Aid Machine, the Mutual Aid Pavilion, and the holistic Communal Medical Caring Hub. As a dynamic network, these structures function as microcosmic extensions emanating from the central hospital, evolving organically to meet the evolving needs and challenges of the community. This approach ensures a responsive and interconnected medical ecosystem, providing solutions for the diverse demographics residing within the neighborhood.
Site Model
Pop-up Emergency Center
Mutual Aid Machine
Mutual Aid Pavilion
Communal Medical Caring Hub
