No Harm

Stuart Webber and Llewellyn Vardon McLeod

The Hippocratic oath is the precept of 'first, do no harm'. An oath traditionally taken by physicians, it states a conscious awareness that intervention may not be as beneficial as doing little or nothing.

No Harm is a studio exploring an Australian interpretation of a Maggie's Centre. The site will be in the small coastal town of Harmer's Haven. The semester will focus initially on site investigation and the cancer centre typology. Together, we will apply a regenerative lens to enhance the patient-centred experience and connection with nature.

Purpose:

Maggie’s Centres take their name from Maggie Keswick Jones, who believed that people should not “lose the joy of living in the fear of dying”. Cancer treatment can be exhausting, repetitive and depleting, and traditional cancer treatment focuses on clinical care. Maggie’s Centres provide people with cancer and their families with a place of respite where they can access practical, emotional and social support. The Maggie’s Centre has become an architectural institution with Frank Gehry, Snohetta and Thomas Heatherwick amongst the designers of the 17 existing Maggie’s Centres.

Practice:

Through a rigorous investigation of the site students will collaboratively establish guidelines using regenerative design principles. These guidelines will be used throughout the semester to inform design outcomes. Each project is an opportunity to understand and further integrate land use and management practices, project procurement and life-of-building with the local ecology.

Place:

Harmers Haven is located 140km South East of Melbourne on the rugged Bass Coast. The town is situated on the traditional land of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. After the success of coal mining in the district, the town became a ‘haven’ for miners and their families seeking respite from the harsh mining and economic conditions.

Studio Leaders:

STUART WEBBER and LLEWELLYN VARDON MCLEOD (or Llew & Stu) both work at Billard Leece Partnership where they have had the opportunity to work on a wide range of health projects. Their interest lies in the reciprocal health of people and place. Through this studio they hope to engage students with the restorative possibilities of an architecture that embeds community with landscape.

Field Trip

There will be a site visit to Harmers Haven in the first week of semester.

ST1/33 Monday 6pm - 9pm, Billard Leece Partnership
ST2/33 Wednesday 6:15pm - 9:15pm, MSD Room 138