Hamilton General Hospital, 1991. above: detail of south elevation of three-storey sec - tion; recessed masonry infill where windows are not required. right: south elevation of eight-storey nursing wing.
end of an eight-storey nursing wing, right at the property line, for a total length along the sidewalk of 120m. Such a placement was commonplace for industrial buildings, of course, so the decision to recall the characteristics of those buildings was logical, since their common design elements are particularly appropriate for elevations which are normally observed from an acute angle. For this project, the masonry panels between brick piers are recessed, in the same manner as in the early industrial buildings; the top of
the foundation wall is chamfered inwards to meet the face of the recessed panels; evenly- spaced window openings are fitted with windows, or infilled with masonry where they are not needed (this was particularly useful when designing elevations to floors with different plans having widely divergent window requirements); the top of the wall is chamfered out again, creating a positive termination at the parapet and framing the recessed masonry panels. The resulting elevations have not met with uniform approval from the community (who were
probably unaware of the siting constraints we faced). The elevations have a strong presence along the street, however, with a subtlety of detail which the alert observer can learn to appreciate, particularly when the family resemblance with the sturdy local masonry tradition of the 150 year-old buildings around the site is recognized.
on |site 12
local architecture | in a global world
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