Biophilic design for the John Morden Center in London
in ARCHITETTURA | architecture
© Jim Stephenson I John Morden Centre.
The John Morden Center in London has won the RIBA Stirling Prize 2023. The complex, designed by London-based firm Mæ, is a day care centre with medical facilities and social spaces serving the residents of Morden College, a retirement community located in Blackheath south-east of the Thames not far from Greenwich Park. The new center is adjacent to a building which houses a hospice and a chapel attributed to the well-known architect Sir Christopher Wren. The structure is composed of a series of red brick “pavilions” articulated along a “cloister”, which acts as an external distribution path, whose line is generated by the morphology of the land. Adjacent to the cloister runs internally a glass corridor, essential for promoting active participation in the community life of the centre, of which the reception is the organizational heart of the functions: an area for the medical service, an internal courtyard, administrative offices, a shop, a cafeteria with kitchen, an art studio and a large theater room used for various types of events.
© Jim Stephenson I John Morden Centre.
The “cloister” is essentially the facade of this architecture. This porch, which guarantees protection and shade throughout the year, is made up of 21 small columns covered in wood resting on metal feet, a solution that helps to lighten the structure giving the impression of making it walks on the garden. The roof is clad in zinc and the design uses tall chimneys to pay homage to the 17th century architectural style. Internally the project incorporates technical choices that meet the different needs, abilities and disabilities of the users. These features include level thresholds, minimally invasive wooden handrails, high-contrast patterns on the edges of the floor to facilitate the orientation of guests suffering from dementia.
© Mæ I John Morden Centre. Ground floor plan.
The center is integrated into the natural environment using biophilic design principles. According to this theory, people have an intrinsic affinity, even emotional, for nature which facilitates the vital component for the health in this case of its hosts. This includes a prominent cedar tree that serves as the focal point of the center’s garden. In this area residents and visitors can use the surrounding garden composed of diverse spaces and enjoy the light and changing views. Additionally, the facility uses efficient low-carbon construction methods. The amount of operational energy required for heating and cooling is reduced through passive ventilation, which uses the building’s chimneys.
© Jim Stephenson I John Morden Centre.
The award, organized by the Royal Institute of British Architects since 1996, is a world-renowned annual recognition which aims to celebrate the UK’s best architectural achievements, helping to provide an insight into the country’s architecture and social trends. This year’s winning project was selected from a pool of 6 projects. The award criteria concern design vision, innovation, originality and the level of user and visitor involvement in relation to the respective project. The jury of this edition was chaired by Ellen van Loon (OMA) together with Niall McLaughlin (Niall McLaughlin Architects), Armstrong Yakubu (Foster + Partners), Mona Chalabi (journalist and writer), Marek Suchocki (Autodesk, sponsor of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2023) and Rachael Owens (Buckley Gray Yeoman) as the jury’s sustainability expert.
© Jim Stephenson I John Morden Centre.