CANCER CARING HOME: A CANCER CARE CENTER FOR PATIENTS & LOVED ONES

Abstract

Cancer is a word that has the potential to scare anyone and everyone, an ailment that is believed to be commonly life-threatening has a lot more to it other than the prescribed medicinal care. The unavailability of support, palliative care and counselling for cancer patients and their loved ones is a major source of secondary illnesses in the patients as well as hopelessness. This led to development of "Cancer Caring Home". The purpose is to use the hybrid aesthetics of architectural spaces and nature to support and counsel the users, give them relaxation spaces and activities that become imperative in their recovery. The research was carried out to articulate the idea into design by research questionnaire that facilitated to achieve the statistics and needs of the users. Reading palliative care books for cancer e.g. Architecture ofHope by Charles Jencks, and A viewfrom thefront line by Maggie Jencks helped strengthen data on the essentials of the care center and its programs. Precedent studies on Maggie's Cancer Care Center assisted in analyzing existing care centers, their influence and the do's and don'ts. The research and personal experience brought some findings that were used later in the design phase i.e. the value of healthy food in cancer, the importance of green healing spaces and how elements like light, shadow and natural sounds can have an everlasting effect on mind. These phenomena can be merged and used to bring hope and health to the patients and users that direly need it. It is important to release some pain and stress of the people on their journey to cancer.