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Located in the heart of Shadwell, next to the historic Cable Street, this project proposes a Community Land Trust to support healthcare workers on zero-hour contracts at the Royal London Hospital. These workers are often subject to abuse of power and lack basic facilities in their workplaces. The space aims to provide essential staff facilities, including safe sleeping accommodations at night, while also creating a space for socialising and breaking the isolation that comes with their work. Bathing spaces contribute to their mental well-being. By prioritising the nurses' mental health, the project promotes the overall well-being of zero-hour contract workers and preserves the area's rural character, which is under threat. The communal aspect embraces nostalgia and raises questions about the political agenda of gentrification and its impact on these workers' lives.
The scheme aims to address the needs of local hospital workers, particularly those on zero-hour contracts like nurses who often face neglect within the power hierarchy of the workplace.
The various needs outlined in the programme require privacy. By utilising layered arrangements to create a gradient of transmission and circulation, the enclosures are strategically positioned to complement the restorative aspect of the garden.
The enclosures serve different purposes, and a series of moments showcase their inhabitation. Within eight frames, it depicts registration, mediation, laundry, bathing, occupation, landscape, releasing and resting.
The interior bathing walls are clad to create a textural haven, breaking the monotony of the clinical hospital. They also function as anechoic tiling, mitigating the sound reverberation from the railway and establishing an intimate space.
With up to 8 people per nest, the interior fosters a welcoming co-living environment, benefiting workers' mental wellbeing.