Gardens of the University Hospital of Luanda

Camama, Angola 2014 (Competition 1st prize)

The gardens of the University Hospital of Luanda are formed by the functional zones – parking areas, cars and people circulations – and by the remaining area of the lot, where there’s the need of solving the level differences between the platform of the building and its surroundings.

The drawing of this garden turned the need of connecting different levels into wandering slopes which spread over the whole intervention area, creating a network of green areas, each with its characteristics and functions – a water element, a healing garden with paths and areas of stay, open air gym zones, a playground, a sports’ field, shaded by trees or built structures.

A more built and inert area is connected to the building, protected from the outside by planted slopes, while on the side of the lot with lower levels a more naturalized area is kept, which should continue to function as an infiltration and drainage area in situations of torrential rain.

The University Hospital of Luanda shall be involved by vegetation, mainly trees of autochthones species or well adapted to the local climate, contributing to the buildings’ bioclimatic comfort.

The plants to be used shall have special characteristic, such as sacred meanings or medicinal uses, as well as functioning as a reference points.