DRUG REHABILITATION CENTRE

Abstract

"All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts or stimulates the person in that space" - Philip Johnson According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Pakistan have 6.7-8.9 million drug users. More than 4 million of these are addicts, amongst the highest number for any country in the world. Drug abuse comes with the concept of stigma, which describes the powerful, negative perceptions commonly associated with substance abuse and addiction. Stigmatization brings upon a more negative impact, it has the potential to negatively affect a person's self-esteem, damage relationships, and prevent those suffering from addiction from accessing treatment. These people who are mostly considered "less than" or "bad" by these "other people" in our society should instead be helped; their condition should be considered as a health concern which requires immediate attention. Through this thesis I aim on removing this stigma through architecture by building a space with the integration of nature that redefines the opposite of addiction from sobriety to connectivity. Creating connection between people themselves and between people and their natural and constructed environment. Addiction is a state of mind, I will term this as 'mental isolation', in which a person slowly starts to space themselves from their surroundings and from other people; depending on the person it can vary from physical distance to emotional distance. According to research, the best and the most basic way to get an individual out of this state of mind, is to provide means to reconnect with other people and to their environment. Architecture can become that medium. Building and space design can dictate a person's behaviour. The human mind is set to function in a way that a long period of time spent in a certain environment can make a person's mind start to subconsciously adapt to that specific environment. Therefore a positive design would bring about a positive impact and vice versa. Unfortunately due to prevailed stigma, most of the drug rehabilitation centres in Pakistan are designed in a way that they completely isolate the patients from the outside on the basis of security and safety of patients. Even though this security is a very important aspect, there are precedents that prove buildings can be made permeable enough for the patients so they don't feel isolated and yet are in a secure and safe environment. To achieve this I decided to explore the links between two spaces and the ease of flow between them. This link can be studied through the concept of permeability in architecture. Permeability is the ability of a substance to allow another medium to pass through it. Translating this in an architectural context, in terms of physical, visual and mental connectivity between spaces. The site chosen for this drug rehabilitation centre is in a small village (Angoori) near Murree. This place had an already existing rehab centre, serving the same purpose but closed down for renovation, I took this as an opportunity. The secluded natural context makes it easier for the user to connect with the environment and themselves to get rid of the mental isolation.