Parkinson's Disease Respite and Treatment Centre

The bee population is decreasing at an unprecedented scale and the number of Parkinson’s Disease patients rising. Located in the Black Forest, Germany, the Parkinson’s Respite and Treatment Centre analyses the centrality of bees to our agriculture, visual culture and medicine. The centre uses bee venom, extracted through the harmless process of ‘milking the bees’ to alleviate and treat the symptoms of the disease.

The physical afflictions of the disease are addressed in the building’s design. Having studied the patients’ behaviour and conducted interviews to ascertain their needs, the sounds of the bees and the smells of their environments will be part of the treatment. The rocky, steep site is usually an inaccessible landscape for people with Parkinson’s Disease. Architectural design, as such, strives to make an experience possible that would otherwise be impossible.