Herbal healing center - graduation project
Herbal medicine has a history that goes back as far as 60,000 years ago. In the last few decades, orthodox medicine has replaced herbal medicine use claiming to provide more effective and guaranteed results. This decade, however, witnesses the drawback of this intruder and hope in natural medicine has gained a spot in the hearts and minds of the new generation of Jordan (where this project is situated) and worldwide alike. The project and its site will provide anticipated success because Jordan only awaits such an opportunity: all its conditions have ever been ready: only now has architecture to carve itself through the therapeutic mountain hills. the project aims to de-institutionalize healing and provide a new healing process where the concept of the building will lead the health-seeker through series of experiences and events only to tranquilize and balance physical and mental imbalances. Healing by landscape is no new concept but it can be implemented in many ways; here the healing gardens are made directly accessible from site entrance to those who seek relief from any tension, tranquilizing and depression and garden workshops are made available for user gardening to work in the gardens, plant their own herbs to use later for self-therapy. The project’s tectonic plates split through the mountain as to reveal the herbal bounties within, open up for healing spaces and activities and provide panoramic platforms for the spectacular views to Jordan’s most green city. The project integrates with the site’s contour and context, the building’s needs and functions and provides a strong image for the re-birth of herbal medicine in its ancient context. The theme of carving surfaces within the mountain’s slope to create a direct relationship with nature – a biophilic approach to bond people with their origin, love nature for what it provides and ensure that all traditional and natural experiences will be repeated so that the people find themselves healing themselves indirectly and happily
