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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


Livsrum Herlev: A Cancer Counseling Centre for Herlev Hospital

Authors

;

Term

4. term

Publication year

2015

Submitted on

Pages

131

Abstract

Denne afhandling udspringer af Kræftens Bekæmpelses ønske om at opføre et Livsrum-center ved Herlev Hospital. Projektet undersøger, hvordan evidensbaseret design, atmosfære og indeklima – med særligt fokus på dagslys og integration af natur – kan forme et sted for mennesker berørt af kræft. Bygningstypen og grunden er analyseret for at identificere centrale parametre. Som led i arbejdet blev Maggie’s Centres i Skotland og Livsrum-centre i Danmark besøgt for at lære af eksisterende erfaringer. På den baggrund foreslås en bygning, hvor kræftramte kan få rådgivning og deltage i sociale fællesskaber, og som samtidig er en attraktiv arbejdsplads for medarbejdere og frivillige. Bygningens form fortolker strukturen i de omkringstående træer – rod, stamme og krone – og skaber en tæt relation til parken som en human kontrast til hospitalets miljø: her er man et menneske, ikke et nummer. Udtrykket vækker nysgerrighed og gør livet i huset synligt, mens grænsen mellem ude og inde udviskes ved at invitere naturen ind. Projektet er udviklet gennem en integreret designproces, hvor tekniske forhold som indeluftkvalitet indarbejdes samtidig med principper for evidensbaseret design (design baseret på dokumenteret viden om, hvad der virker for sundhed og trivsel).

This thesis responds to the Danish Cancer Society’s wish to establish a Livsrum centre at Herlev Hospital. It explores how evidence-based design, atmosphere, and the indoor environment—with a special emphasis on daylight and integrating nature—can shape a supportive place for people affected by cancer. The building type and site were analysed to define key parameters. As part of the work, visits were made to Maggie’s Centres in Scotland and to Livsrum centres in Denmark to learn from existing practice. Based on these insights, the proposal offers spaces for counselling and social gatherings, while also being an attractive workplace for employees and volunteers. The building’s form interprets the structure of the surrounding trees—root, trunk, and crown—to connect with the park and provide a humane contrast to the hospital setting: here you are seen as a person, not a number. Its expression invites curiosity and makes activity inside visible, while blurring the boundary between interior and exterior by inviting nature into the house. The project was developed through an integrated design process in which technical aspects such as indoor air quality are addressed alongside evidence-based design principles (design guided by research on what supports health and well-being).

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]