Brick in Latin American Architecture: Hospitals and Health Centers

The focus of buildings should ultimately be the well-being of the people using them. When we think of our experiences in hospitals, clinics, the dentist’s office, and other medical facilities, the feeling is rarely pleasant. Perhaps it’s the smells, the dull, monotone colors, or the sound of medical gadgets working away on some unlucky patient. 

All of these add to the cold, lackluster environment so prevalent in medical facilities; however, there is another, much greater factor, that adds to their lack of user-friendliness —there is rarely any architectural thought put into their design and layout. 

Needless to say, not all health centers lack attention to user comfort and friendliness. Here at ArchDaily, we have an online library of projects from around the world that prove to be the exception to the rule. In this article, we’ve compiled just some of the health-related projects hailing from Latin America where brick is the star material.

Argentina

SMF-TU. Social Medical Facility / BAarqs

Location: Las Toscas, Santafé
Year: 2015

Villa el Libertador Príncipe de Asturias Municipal Hospital / Santiago Viale + Ian Dutari + Alejandro Paz

Location: Córdoba
Year: 2007
Area: 6,281 m²

Colombia

Santa Fe de Bogotá Foundation / El Equipo de Mazzanti

Location: Bogota
Year: 2016
Area: 32,000 m²

Ecuador

San Lázaro Outpatient Mental Health Center / Jorge Andrade Benítez + Daniel Moreno Flores

Location: Quito
Year: 2014
Area: 1,891 m²

Mexico

Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired / Taller de Arquitectura – Mauricio Rocha

Location: Mexico City
Year: 2000
Area: 8,500 m²

Paraguay

Memoir Medical Clinic / Estudio ELGUE

Year: 2016
Area: 350 m²

Teletón Children’s Rehabilitation Center/ Gabinete de Arquitectura

Location: Lambare
Year: 2010
Area: 3200 m²

Take a look at more health-related projects from around the world.