Mir is an architectural designer currently based in London. His previous work at the RCA in ADS1 entailed the adaptive re-use of the Chicksand Estate in Whitechapel. He holds a B.A in Architecture from the Glasgow School of Art. Following his undergraduate studies, he worked for Kohn Pedersen Fox in London on various mixed-use projects across Europe & Asia. His major interests lie in healthcare and architecture as well as urban housing and how it supports various social goals.He has also worked with United Nations Habitat and been involved with the Hong Kong Government’s consultation process for “Hong Kong 2030”+, a plan that provides a framework to plan and guide development in Hong Kong. The focus of his work in ADS5 revolves around the theme of healthcare and architecture, more specifically tackling the role architecture can play in redefining cancer care within a UK context.
Mir Jetha
Since March 2020, when the number of Covid-19 cases rose exponentially around the globe, discussion surrounding healthcare architecture has become increasingly charged and complex. In a way, the virus has become a form of catalyst. For many, hospitals are associated with this sort of antiseptic architecture, one of disinfectant and sterilisation. Charles Jencks has previously referred to hospitals as “huge, impersonal factories for manufacturing health.” Even the term “health”, Heathcote argues has been commodified, commercialised, personalised and politicised.
Improving the provision of care has become a key priority for the government since the beginning of the pandemic and this is illustrated with the ambitious New Hospital Programme (NHP), a £3.7 billion investment in renewing and upgrading NHS hospitals, claimed to be the biggest “hospital building programme in a generation.” In October 2020, the Prime Minister announced the details of the 40 hospitals to be built by 2030, with a further 8 new schemes invited to bid for future funding. Within the most recent Long Term Plan, there is an entire section dedicated towards “Health and the Environment” and how the NHP aims to unveil a “healthier built environment”, despite using the most toxic building materials. The NHP also coincides with various construction initiatives being promoted as part of wider government strategy. The 2020 Construction Playbook outlines the strategic vision, which includes utilising more modern methods of construction, the achievement of net zero carbon targets and embedding digital technology in the UK, which for the NHP means using BIM to create a series of blueprints for new hospitals, implementing standardised parts wherever possible. The NHP provides immense potential for radical experimentation, rethinking what the hospital is as a space of care. Although the proposals so far somewhat support the NHS trusts in meeting various targets, what they lack in my view is the creation of an environment that is uplifting and comforting for patients and an inspiring place to work for staff. How can we introduce architecture into the medical process? Why can’t timber and stone be used as the predominant building materials in healthcare projects part of the NHP?
The proposal utilises an existing NHP site, the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (within Addenbrooke's Hospital) and attempts to rethink the program of a cancer centre, providing consolidated services within a smaller and much more convivial facility that is also better integrated with civic life than the conventional large campus hospital. The end goal of the scheme is to illustrate that it can be delivered, following the current NHS procurement system, within a budget of £10,000 per square metre and meet carbon targets set out by the trust.
