Innovative Psychological Therapy Center in Port Praski in Warsaw

Project idea

The innovative psychological therapy center is designed on a holistic approach to treatment, combining traditional and alternative therapeutic methods. Standard procedures, such as individual and group therapy, serve as the foundation for the development of more unconventional therapies. The center provides workshop therapies based on art and music that allow patients to express themselves and process emotions in a creative manner. Sports activities such as dancing, Pilates, yoga, and meditation are also included in the program to help patients relieve stress and enhance their physical and mental health.
Furthermore, the project prioritizes human interaction. The social rooms, cafeteria, and integration zones were meant to encourage connections and social activities. Quiet zones are also significant, as they allow for rest and reflection both in groups and individually.
Another key part of the process is diagnosis. A psychologist and a psychiatrist rooms were designed to ensure a complete grasp of the patient's problems and to recommend the best treatment option. This holistic approach offers therapy adaptability and flexibility, which is critical for efficiently meeting patients' different demands.
The sequence of areas in which patients gradually go through the several stages of therapy was carefully considered while designing the building: from social integration to sport, meditation, art, and music, to group and individual therapy. At each step, patients have access to a number of support options, allowing them to address all of their needs.

Project description

To guarantee optimal performance, the building has been split into three parts, each with two stories. The first part, nearest to the entry road, is the noisiest and intended for the greatest amount of visitors. The ground floor of this part features a café and a social room, both of which serve as important meeting and integration places. It is a space where patients may unwind, drink coffee, and talk fostering a sense of community. The first level houses workshop treatment rooms where art and music sessions are held, which are a vital therapeutic aspect for expressing emotions and enhancing creativity.
The second part, placed centrally, offers an intermediate amount of loudness, privacy, and user number. On the ground level, there are sports rooms where patients may engage in physical and dancing activities that promote both physical and mental relaxation. The first level has the group treatment rooms, where patients may discuss their experiences and solve difficulties together. This area of the building is intended to give comfort and solitude while encouraging contact and collaboration.
The third part, furthest from the street and next to the park, is the quietest and most private. The yoga and meditation rooms are located on the ground level of this part and provide a serene and soothing setting conducive to serenity and reflection. Individual treatment rooms are located on the first floor and provide patients with the full solitude and quiet required for productive therapy sessions. This split of space allows for a smooth shift from more open and loud regions to more intimate and calm ones, enabling the atmosphere to be appropriately tailored to varied therapeutic requirements.
To maintain the complex's coherence, two connections linking the parts of the building have been created. The first link, which connects the first and second parts, contains entrances to the building on both sides. The reception and waiting area are located on the ground level and serve as patients' initial point of contact. The registration desk serves as an information and administrative center, while the waiting area provides a comfortable location to wait for therapeutic sessions. On the first level of this connected space, a quiet zone has been established to provide a tranquil spot to unwind before or after treatment sessions. Connections with toilets are also available on both levels, which adds to the building's comfort.
The second link, positioned between the second and third segments on the ground level, houses emergency exits and a two-story sports integration zone. This room is intended to accommodate a wide range of sports and leisure activities that encourage patient integration and shared physical activity. On the first level, along the exterior walls, there are zones of individual calm that provide opportunities for peaceful relaxation and thought. With this architecture, the connecting areas enable seamless transitions between the different parts of the building while also serving a number of tasks to aid the healing process.
The center’s architecture is based on biophilic design concepts, which seek to integrate the building as closely as possible with nature. Each treatment room includes windows on two sides that face out into greenery, ensuring regular touch with nature and contributing favorably to patients' well-being. To accomplish this appearance, three courtyards were created, one for every part of the building. These courtyards are green oasis that bring natural light into the building while also providing quiet spots for outdoor enjoyment.
Rooms without a double view of the greenery have been designated for support services such as changing rooms, cloakrooms, restrooms, staircases, back rooms, offices, and staff areas. In this way, the most significant therapeutic rooms are brought into contact with nature, which promotes healing and improves patients' well-being. The use of biophilic design in the psychological therapy center attempts to create an atmosphere that promotes health and well-being through harmonious interaction with the natural surroundings.

Technical information

Plot area: 8400 m2
Built-up area: 1392 m2
Biologically active area: 6623 m2
Hardened area: 385 m2
Usable area: 2390 m2

Building structure
The building consists of two overground floors. The structure of the building is a reinforced concrete skeleton with prefabricated elements. Reinforced concrete columns with a section of 50x50 cm are spaced on a grid from 5,4 m to 11,5 m. The exterior reinforced concrete walls are 25 cm thick. Additional reinforcement of the building structure is provided by reinforced concrete vertical communication shafts 25 cm thick around the stairs and 20 cm thick around the elevators. On axes 2 and 3 there are inverted T-shaped beams 70 cm high and 50 cm wide, while on axes 1 and 4 there are L-shaped beams 60 cm high and 25 cm wide. Both types of beams are longitudinal beams with spans from 5,4 m to 10,1 m. Cross-beams were also designed as additional reinforcement of the building structure. The slabs are made of prefabricated hollow core (HC) slabs 265 mm high and 1.2 m wide, supported on axes 1-4. The highest element of the building part is located at the level of 9,95 m. The building is classified as a low building.

Foundations
The building was placed on a foundation slab 50 cm thick, thickened locally on the axes by 50 cm. The top of the foundation slab is at a level of -0.12 m. W8 waterproof concrete of grade C30/37. Due to the location of the building on uncontrolled urban embankments, CFE concrete foundation piles with a diameter of 40 cm and a depth of 4.5 to 6 m were used, placed under the intersections of the building axes.

Green roof
A green roof has been designed. The arrangement of layers according to the principle of an inverted roof. Roof pitches are 1.5%.

External walls
The external walls were designed as 25 cm thick reinforced concrete walls and insulated with a 15 cm thick layer of graphite polystyrene and finished with wooden planks on a wooden substructure. In areas of glazing, curtain walls of glass on a steel substructure were designed, with fibre cement panels at ceiling height. The main entrances to the building and emergency exits are in a glass curtain wall with a steel structure. The courtyard walls are made as steel-framed curtain walls with a combination of glass, fibre cement panels and wooden planks. The windows in the technical rooms are made of reflective glass to hide the view of the interior. All glazing in the building has been covered with a UV-reflective coating to prevent birds and other animals from flying into it and to protect the local fauna.

Internal walls
Interior partition walls are masonry, made of 18 cm thick blocks. The exceptions are the walls of the stairwells and elevator shafts, which were enclosed with 25 cm and 20 cm thick reinforced concrete walls.

Vertical communication
The building has two escape staircases enclosed by 25 cm thick reinforced concrete walls that also serve as the main staircases. These stairs connect the two floors of the building. Slab stairs with a structural thickness of 18 cm. The usable width of the run is 120 cm, the usable width of the landing is 150 cm, the height of the steps is 16 cm. The designed elevators provide transportation for people with disabilities.

Health and safety requirements
The requirements for the building are primarily governed by the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure on the technical conditions to be met by buildings and their location. The building is located outside the range of harmful radiation and electromagnetic fields.
The building contains a thorough technical infrastructure, ventilation in all rooms meant for human occupancy, and sufficient lighting. The building provides lifts for the disabled. Each room's windows have openings that allow for ventilation. The usable run width in the stairwells is 1.2 m, with a step height of 16 cm. The staircases have balustrades that measure 1.1m to the top of the handrail. Temporary stay rooms and service activities are designed to meet minimal room height requirements. Clearance distances in stairwells have been constructed to exceed the minimum clearance distance of 220 cm. The window area to floor area ratio in the rooms exceeds the minimum of 1:8. The exits and evacuation routes have been indicated. Smoke detectors and hydrants are designed at standard distances. All rooms were designed using natural materials that are odorless and safe for users' health.
The amount of sanitary facilities has been planned based on the number of customers. All restrooms are taller than the minimum of 2.5 meters. Ceramic tiles on the toilet walls and floor provide a smooth, moisture-resistant, and safe surface for use. The sanitary facilities for the disabled have a maneuvering space of 150 cm in diameter. Toilet facilities and handrails have been created. To make it easier for the visually handicapped to access the bathrooms, the routes have been designated with reflective signs and numbers.

Accessibility for the disabled
People with disabilities can get to the first floor of the building thanks to large lifts located by the stairwells. The staircase complies with the requirements for public buildings and has a clear width of 120 cm, a landing width of 150 cm and a step height of 16 cm. The number of steps in one flight is 14. All doors have a clear width of at least 90 cm. The height of the thresholds in the building does not exceed 2 cm.
There is a separate toilet for the disabled on both floors, and in the toilets that are part of the changing facilities in the sports area, the toilet with shower is designed for use by people with disabilities. All disabled-accessible toilets have a manoeuvring surface with a minimum diameter of 150 cm.

Installation solutions
The utilities will be supplied from the existing and designed conduits of the municipal networks running in the vicinity of the selected plot, in accordance with the draft local development plan. Ventilation, heat, water and sewerage, electrical and teletechnical installations as well as a fire protection installation are foreseen.

Ventilation
The ventilation system in the building design ensures optimal environmental conditions in all parts of the building. The system consists of a central ventilation unit located on the roof of the building, which distributes fresh air to the individual zones. Each therapy zone and public areas are equipped with individual diffusers and extractors to ensure continuous air circulation and temperature and humidity control. Ventilation system components, such as diffusers and extractors, are located in suspended ceilings, providing an aesthetically pleasing and functional solution for integration into the interior architecture. The ventilation system, which is a mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation mechanism, is also equipped with advanced filters that remove pollutants and allergens from the air, creating a healthy and comfortable environment for the building's occupants.

Thermal installations
The building design includes a modern heating system with a heat center on the ground floor, providing a direct connection to the municipal heat network and servicing the hot water system. The central heating is distributed through ductwork and branches in the suspended ceilings, guaranteeing efficient space heating with minimal heat loss. The system is also equipped with advanced control systems to ensure optimum thermal conditions and economical energy consumption.

Hydraulic installations
The project provides for a comprehensive water and sewage system, which includes the discharge of sanitary sewage and rainwater from the roof into the municipal sewage system. The design includes the use of an advanced vacuum system for the drainage of rainwater from the roof. The water supply to the building will be via the water mains located near the plot. Pipes will be introduced into the water connection room on the ground floor, where a water meter and main valve will be installed to ensure control and security of water supply. In addition, the water required to supply the fire hydrant system will be sourced from the water mains.

Electric installations
On the ground floor of the building, in a storage area by the stairs, there is a connection with a low-voltage power installation to provide a safe electrical supply to the entire building. The installation has been designed in accordance with current standards and regulations, incorporating appropriate switchgear and security systems. Emergency lighting and automatic circuit breakers increase the safety of users in an emergency.