Rock Cast: Establishing Traditional Healthcare Practices

American University of Sharjah, College of Architecture, art and Design, Sharjah

Project idea

Through initial research done on Marrakech, Morocco, a public health crisis was discovered where the existing doctor to patient ratio is 7.2: 10,000 with the ideal doctor to patient ratio is 35: 10,000. This allows for a shift to traditional methods of healing such as herbal medicine. Culturally, Morocco has strong ties with the field of herbal medicine, to the extent that there is a certain demographic of herbal practitioners that are mainly women. These women usually hail from the rural areas of Marrakech and thus lead to statistics of 6 of 10 women being uneducated and 6 out of 10 women working in the agricultural sector in rural areas. This project, situated on the outskirts of Marrakech, aims to be the initializing vocational and educational center for herbal practitioners that can carry their practice forward to their respective hometowns.

Project description

The project provides an educational and agricultural center that positively impacts the production of oil seeds and the reliance on medicinal herbs through the cultivation of sunflower and herbal plants.
It explores a rock and concrete cast method of construction that utilizes rubble and sand as formwork that will influence the produced structure. The material study develops a distinct relation between the base form and the overhead structure while maintaining the connectivity of the 2 systems. Through this study, a set of elements and combinations are used to define the spaces.
Furthermore, the language of the masterplan uses the material study as a foundation to create the different zones that occupy the site, namely: housing, the healing center, the educational center, storage and processing facilities and the herbal plant and oil seed agricultural fields. These zones are placed based on their level of interaction with one another as well as the level of accessibility to the visitors and residents of the program.
The housing modules, placed at the front edge of the site, uses a stepped down approach to allow for sufficient light and cross ventilation. Each module shares a concrete cast wall with its neighbouring unit to allow for efficient construction. Additionally, each unit is equipped with a private courtyard overlooking the river.
The public zones, namely, the healing center, educational center and processing units are placed closer to the agricultural fields for easy access to the cultivated crop. These combinations of units allow for varying degree of public and private spaces within the facilities. The healing spaces are situated under the hospital zone and uses skylights to further integrate these spaces into each other.

Technical information

Construction Methodology and Material Study
The project utilizes low cost material found in the site such as sand rubble and concrete. Sand is used to form the barrier that will hold the rubble and concrete pour. Rubble is then added into the sand cavity. The rubble further defines the resulting form by binding to the concrete cast on top. Different variables are adjusted to modify the final result such as adding a scaffold formwork to achieve a flat vertical surface or manipulating the concrete cast viscosity to alternate between porous and solid surfaces. For the overhead structures, an impermeable barrier is added prior to the concrete pour to allow for the cast to pick up the rubble texture without binding to it. The construction system allows for multiple layers to be poured before excavating the sand and disconnected rubble. The forms produced can range from volumetric shells to massive base structures to thin vertical and horizontal surfaces. 

Co-authors

Saagarika Dias, Rana Salah