Medical facilities as an integrated space in a town: Case of the Geriatric Care Centre in Wieliczka

The quality of the housing environment is equally reflected in the availability of non-residential buildings and public spaces. Today's developing cities include not only residential development, but also public institutions that are designed to enhance the value of the residential environment and integrate the area. Healthcare facilities are particularly noteworthy here as they play a crucial role for the community. Contemporary urban trends and experience indicate that these facilities should not be enclosed and cut off from the functioning of the town, and special attention should be paid to their social and ecological character. In this respect, health care buildings should be integrated into the life of cities and represent a design challenge for architects, urban planners and local authorities. The primary purpose of the article is to show the potential of introducing modern healthcare facilities into the housing environment, thereby integrating the area and allowing the public easy access to an attractive social space. The research was carried out at the Faculty of Architecture of Cracow University of Technology and in cooperation with the Town and Municipality of Wieliczka, on the basis of students' studies on the architectural proposal of the “Geriatric Care Centre” at the site of the health centre indicated by the municipal authority. The goal was to obtain and compare specific layouts of solid spatial organization, with their characteristic parameters, strengths and weaknesses in terms of creating attractive, urbanizing spaces with a wide field of influence.