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Diploma 10

The integration of Crossrail into the transport network of London will see the current catchment areas of regional hospitals expanded, as patients use the new high speed link to reach medical treatment. The world leading facilities of the Royal London and Bart’s hospital will attract patients from further a field, displacing then from there own cognitive territories, and relocating them into a foreign community. 

Highstreet NHS, provides a framework for hospital programme to be expanded into the surrounding community of Whitechapel. Previously internalised activities will be externalised and existing facilities in close proximity to the hospital utilised to re-integrate the hospital within its context; allowing patients, visitors and employees to use the rich resources of Whitechapel.

Through architectural insertion, strategy and the hi-jacking of existing systems, Highstreet NHS will see the overlap of two previously separated communities and the breakdown of the enclosed institution.

Crossrail will provide a new high-speed link across London, providing a new means for hospital patients to reach treatment in any six of the regional hospitals along its route. It is estimated that the number of households that will be within 30 minutes' travel time of a regional hospitals will increase by 10 per cent through the arrival of Crossrail.Injury severity determines the means of transfer to hospital. However, in London, patients with minor injuries utilise public transport far more than in other UK cities, due to congestion charges, expensive parking tariffs and a lack of parking facilities at hospitals.Patients seeking treatment are dislocated from their cognitive territories (home or workplace) through the need for medical treatment. They are inserted into a 'forced community', through the necessity of treatment, within a foreign context. This image illustrates the locations patients travelled from in order to receive treatment at the Royal London HospitalWithin Whitechapel three distinct institutions operate: the station, the market and the hospital. The drawing analyses the territories control and engaged within a 500-metre radius of the centre of each institution identified. Overlaps of rules and/or program were highlighted as points of possible interaction and integration.On direct scale, I aimed to test whether the two communities of the hospital and the market could be bridged. Through the use of the ‘Whitechapel Community Menu’, I was able to blur the clear territories of the institutions, by utilising the market to provide for immobile patients within the hospital. Patient orders were taken and items were collected from the market and bought back on to the ward.Architectural insertion and strategy will provide a network to connect the hospital to existing facilities in close proximity (chapels, mosques, shops) as well as patient points of interests (such as open spaces, parks etc) and intertwine the three institutions and their communities. Elevated walkways In Whitechapel Market, connecting the hospital to the north of the high street, will incorporate strategic drop-down points providing remote checkin for consultations, sanitisation points and community information, whilst creating clearly defined territories for existing unorganised market programme.Strategically, Highstreet NHS will provide a system of nodal points (similar to the Legible London scheme) which will guide patients/visitors around their new community. The points will provide navigation and location information, and will correlate closely to the existing Tower Hamlets CCTV network. This will provide support and monitoring of patients and hospital personnel whilst within Whitechapel community. Sanitation points will also be incorporated, to externalise hospital protocol and retain cleanliness. Through an overlapping of regulations and control mechanisms, both physical and strategic, Highstreet NHS will see the overlap of two previously separated communities and the breakdown of the enclosed institution. The hospital will no operate as an enclosed entity, but will bleed into the surrounding community to utilise local facilities and points of interest.