Unbroken - Rehabilitation Centre

The building consists of two parts. The seven-storey section includes an entrance hall with a waiting area, a small café for visitors adjoining the patient service area, a rehabilitation pool, a mental health center, rehabilitation rooms, and an occupational therapy kitchen located in the common area where patients can work with rehabilitation specialists and have a snack. Additionally, there is a small conference room for meetings and presentations on the seventh floor. The five-storey section houses the polyclinic department and a new CLT-built extension that accommodates the inpatient (wards) department.

The main criteria we considered during the design process were creating a comfortable environment for patients and ensuring full accessibility of all spaces. The Soviet-era interior — long overdue for renovation — along with outdated elevators, uneven floors, and unattractive facades of the polyclinic were only part of the problem. During the redevelopment of the existing building, we as architects were primarily constrained by its structural framework, existing floor levels and stairwells, and the typical parcellation of the facades. Our main strategy was to maximize the functionality of the existing structure, provide comfortable conditions for patients’ treatment and rest, and create a healthy indoor microclimate through modern ventilation, air conditioning, and passive solar protection systems. We also preserved valuable decorative mosaic panels within the original building and created comfortable facilities for the staff.

The transformation of the existing building involved adding two new floors to the original three-storey structure. Two key parameters were particularly important for our project — weight and time. Taking these factors into account, we chose CLT panels as the primary load-bearing system. In the interior, we decided to leave the CLT wooden surfaces exposed, without additional finishes. This decision helped create a sense of homely comfort and tranquility within the patient wards. On the seven-storey section of the building, we designed a private terrace for patients and staff to relax — an important element of the rehabilitation process. Access to the terrace is provided via a panoramic elevator attached to the exterior wall, as the existing structural scheme did not allow for a full-scale elevator for patient beds within the building. Sun-shading elements on the southwest façade not only protect the interiors from excessive sunlight but also give the former Soviet polyclinic façade a distinctly modern and dynamic appearance.