Max Kuo

Although millions of people are diagnosed with cancer each year, undergoing treatment is an isolating and lonely process. This is especially true for millennials; for whom it is rare to be diagnosed.
This project for a cancer “club” inserts itself into the existing cancer treatment infrastructure as a healthcare facility that not only battles the disease and treats member’s symptoms, but also cares for the member’s social well-being.

Although the project centers around communal spaces, the treatment and housing of the members is the primary concern for the club. Thus, the architecture is based around the individual private nodes, the guest rooms and treatment rooms, designed on a rotated 13’x13’ grid to enable full handicap accessibility while preserving privacy. The aggregation and integration of public and private spaces creates a fluid experience for members, in which they are able to socialize with fellow members constantly while still being able to find moments of quiet and private refuge. By distributing public and private spaces throughout the project around a central atrium, the architecture is an enjoyable and flexible social experience on each floor and throughout the building. The facade treatment reflects this sifting of public and private spaces; the material treatment and orientation represents the difference in use of the space, while the geometry breaks down the barriers between intimate and community spaces. The facade also reflects the clubs position within Brutalist Boston.

Instagram, similarly blurs these lines, allowing for the merging of public and private spaces through the exposure of private spaces to a general social media platform while private users can interpret and experience public spaces on their own.

Above: Site model in context