Birth_Place
Site: Pier 26, Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA
Design: My architecture thesis project challenged the modern medicalized model
of childbirth and arrived at a more humane and respectful spatial alternative to support the experiential nature of the birthing process. The organic forms are anthropomorghic; they are rooted in comfort, mirroring the human female form, creating a relationship between the subject and object. The architecture
focuses on individuality through uniqueness of spaces and volumes connected to form a series of spatial experiences. The proposed exterior skin of the birthing center is a transparent hexagonal ETFE panel structure, allowing the outdoors in with spectacular views of the bay, the Oakland skyline, and the urban landscape of San Francisco’s Embarcadero neighborhood adjacent to the site.
Materials: concrete, wax, self-hardening clay, balsa wood, piano wire, aluminum tubing, plexiglass.
Final model: 18”x11”x20”, 2004
