University of Calgary

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Graduate Studies Legacy Theses

1998

A retreat centre for whole health

Bruneau, David Edward

Bruneau, D. E. (1998). A retreat centre for whole health (Unpublished master's thesis). University
of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/15294
http://hdl.handle.net/1880/26303
master thesis

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 A Retreat Centre for Whole Health
By

David Edward Bruneau

A Master's Degree Project submitted to the Faculty of Environmental
design in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of
Architecture.

The University of Calgary

Calgary, Alberta

June 1998

© David Edward (Ted) Bruneau 1998

Reproduction in whole or in any part requires permission of the author
The author of this thesis has granted the University of Calgary a non-exclusive
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 Acknowledgements

I wish to extend my appreciation to the members of my committee, Tang

Lee, Nancy Dudley and Terri Hillestad for their guidance and insight in the
development of my thesis.

I would like to give my deepest thanks to my family, for their enthusiasm,

caring and support throughout my time on this project.

Finally, my love and gratitude to my wife Janine for her endless patience
and support during this time.
A fytreat Centre for WfwCe !tf&alth

Abstract

A Retreat Centre for Whole Health

The proposed Retreat for Whole Health is a centre for healing, the
preservation of health and the prevention of disease. It is a centre that aids
the client in the optimization of health through education and self-awareness
of the body, mind and soul, including treatment when indicated. A pro-
active approach to health and wellness will be advocated. The Centre will
serve as a retreat, where healers in the disciplines of acupuncture, herbology,
massage therapy, reflexology, nutritional advisory, naturopathy,
homoeopathy, chiropractic, yoga, Tai Chi, counseling, art therapies and
family medicine will counsel and heal on general to specific health concerns
and prevention, offering a well-rounded and comprehensive set of holistic
therapies. Other disciplines will be practiced and offered depending on
availability of practitioners and public demand. This rural retreat will be
located in an environment away from the congestion of the city, far from its
noise, air pollution and other stresses. The Health Centre can function as a
rejuvenation centre (rebuilding health through available therapies), a clinic
and a retreat facility, as well as serving as an educational, information and
referral service. Two integral components of the Centre are education and
body/mind cleansing and revitalization, integrating the holistic approach.
Incorporating lecture, meeting spaces and treatment rooms as well as a
resource centre, retail outlet for literature, supplements and health products,

IV
A fytreat Centre for Wfiok tfeaCtfi

and a nutrition centre, is imperative to a balanced and comprehensive

facility. In addition to these services, hydrotherapy, swimming and
gardening will be offered to reinforce direct client involvement; healthcare
becomes interconnected with everyday living.

The Centre would be accessible to all people. For example, the have-nots in
our society could utilize the facility through a volunteer program, where a
shuttle service to and from the city would be provided. By contributing in
the Centre, self-worth would be reinforced while the volunteers could learn
about their own health, thus improving society as a whole.

The Centre will demonstrate that architectural design and the architectural
experience are part of the force that can maintain and promote health. Our
surroundings, which include quality of light, colour, form, texture, symbols,
sounds, thermal quality and air quality are central to the state of our well-
being and therefore can be manipulated to transform an experience from a
negative sickly one, to a positive healthy one. It is my intention to create an
environment that instils healthy feelings and attitudes and provides a clean
environment to facilitate healing, while serving the practical function of a
health centre; form and function become mutually dependent, forming a
symbiotic relationship.

V
Keywords: holistic medicine, complementary therapy, integrative therapy,
family therapy, health, preventive medicine, acupuncture, aromatherapy,
nutrition, herbology, reflexology, chiropractic, homoeopathy, naturopathy,
massage therapy, yoga, Tai Chi, visualisation, hydrotherapy, diet, whole
medicine, inclusiveness, containment

Note: See Appendix for Glossary

 Table of Contents
ABSTRACT iv
PROLOGUE 1
1.0 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 3
1.1 Health Care 3
1.2 Orthodox and Holistic Medicine United 6
1.3 The Holistic Approach 7
1.3.1 What is Health? 7
1.4 Prevention 11
1.5 Health Through Design 13
1.6 The Healing Effects of Architecture 14
1.7 Architecture as Environment 15
1.8 Healing Architecture 19
1.9 Harmony/Balance 21
1.10 Research Methods 23
2.0 DESIGN 24
2.1 Brief 24
2.1.1 Design Intent 25
2.1.2 Sense of Journey 26
2.1.3 Inclusiveness 27
2.1.4 Space and Form 28
2.1.5 Macro Site 29
2.1.6 Micro Site 31
Key Map of Views 32A
2.2 Resolution 33
2.2.1 Massing 33
2.2.2 The Hub 34
2.2.2.1 Entry 34
2.2.2.2 The Hub Proper 34
2.2.3 Sleeping Quarters 37
2.2.4 Meditation Tower 38
2.2.5 Spa 39
Building Documentation 40A
3.0 CONCLUSION 41
Appendix 42
Glossary 53
Bibliography 57
A (J(etreat Centre for Whole. Jkatth
List of Figures

Cover page [From Bradford (1996, p. 346).]

Asian couple [From Dougans (1996, p. 35).] 1
X-Ray [From Bradford (1996, p. 46).] 3
Acupuncture needles [From Dougans (1996, p. 23).] 7
Fig. 1 Human figure with Aura [From Brennan (1988, p. 44).] 9
Fig. 2 12 main meridians[From Bradford (1996, p. 15).] 11
Fig. 3 Hospital [From Muzzell (1997, p. 12).] 14
Fireplace [From Kornfield (1993, p. 36).] 15
Fig. 4 Mass housing project [From Day (1990, p. 90).] 16
Fig. 5 Stifling architecture [From Day(1990, p. 11).] 17
Fig. 6 Main grandstands on the Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg
[From Helmer, Stephen D.; Hitler's Berlin; UMI
Research Press, Michigan (1985,fig.135).] 17
Fig. 7 Figure ground drawing [Author] 18
Fisherman [From Muzzell (1997, p.10).] 19
Twins [From Bradford (1996, p. 76).] 21
Fig. 8 The human face only implies symmetry [Author] 22
Fig. 9 Tension of coexisting shapes [Author] 22
Fig. 10 Entwined snakes [From Dougans (1996, p. 75).] 24
Passage [From Day (1990, p. 24).] 26
Campfire [From Haas (1981, p. 78).] 27
Fig. 11 Contextual map of site [Author] 29
Fig. 12 The Yin Yang [Author] 30
Fig. 13 Aerial photograph of site [From MapTown] 31
Fig. 14 Northwest view of site [Photo by author] 32
Fig. 15 Parti sketch of Retreat [Author] 33
Baby sleeping [From Dougans (1996, p. 45).] 37
Fig. 16 Meditation [From Bradford (1996, p. 112).] 38
Bathers [From Hirsch (1988, p. 26).] 39
Star [From Dougans (1996, p. 38).] 41
Fig. 17 Framing system [From Allen (1990, p. 117).] 44
Fig. 18 Mechanical zoning strategy [Author] 47
A Retreat Centre for Whole Health

David Edward Bruneau

A f$etreat Centre for "Whole, tHeattfi

Prologue

This Master's Degree project explores the role of the Health Centre as
a medium for preventive medicine within today's Western society.
Through the design of the Centre, the project will examine important
issues relating to health and its relation to designing meaningful and
appropriate architecture.

Fundamental to this inquiry will be the effects of preventive medicine

and the spiritual, emotional, and physical environment that can allow
healing to occur, and in turn unearth some of our society's attitude
toward architecture. Architecture has a critical impact on human
perception and well-being, and therefore it is partly through architecture
that healing can occur.

The project involved researching forms of health and healing practices,

especially preventive health, and illustrating the importance of a
collaboration of family medicine and complementary therapies. This
will reveal the purpose of the acceptance of integrative therapies in our
rapidly evolving society, and how architecture can be a medium toward
health and wellness.

The research will also help to provide a conceptual basis to develop and

l
A Retreat Centre, for Whole tfzdth

inform my design. Architecture is a creative endeavour, and the practice of

healing and sustaining good health is and must also be a creative endeavour.
Ritual, ceremony and procedure are intrinsic in both architecture and
healing, and it is important that both are constantly re-evaluated and
reinterpreted in order to achieve and maintain a natural, progressive flow
toward a healthy society.

2
A fRetreat Centre for TA/fwCe OJeaCth

1.0 Theoretical Framework

Trust in the Power ofNature

-Anonymous-

1.1 Health Care

The Western medical tradition has become a much-debated topic of the

late 20th century. Its powerful ability to cure physical ailments through
surgery and drugs is undisputed, but it comes with some side effects.
Western medicine often addresses symptom suppression, and is under
some public scrutiny because of its lack of attention toward the
interconnectedness of the body to itself, the mind-body connection, and
illness prevention as a critical component in health care. Modern health
care must appreciate and consider health education, prevention,
nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, patient individuality and uniqueness, and
environmental pollutants, as well as focus on alleviating unwanted
symptoms. Orthodox medicine and holistic medicine must work
together to combat the plethora of illnesses in today's society. Holistic
medicine, more accurately termed integrative therapies, addresses
fundamental human conditions through practices of mind, body, and
spiritual harmony andrevitalization- essentially heightening self-
awareness. We should not merely "fix what's broken"; instead we must
focus on awareness of stress and lifestyle factors, and take a personal

3
responsibility for health.

Orthodox medicine and integrative therapies have similar objectives, to

improve health and thereby the quality of life. Orthodox medicine is
concerned with disease care, where integrative therapy is concerned
with whole health, good and bad. Both forms of therapy have their
place in health care and must be recognized in order to obtain
maximum benefit for the public. Antiquity tells us that medicine is a
blend of science, magic, myth and superstition. Today, Canadian
society has lost many of its spiritual and religious beliefs.1 Our self-
definition is based on the physics of the last few hundred years that
sees us as merely biological entities.2 Isaac Newton, the famed
physicist, held this belief in the late 17th and early 18th century. It
was Newtonian physics that described the universe in a mechanical
way to explain the movement of planets; mathematical and
experimental proof was needed to explain a set of phenomena.
Because of this, the universe was then thought to be a mechanical
machine with a very clear set of rules that govern its function. This
idea was extended to describe the body mechanically and chemically,
and as a result, modern medicine approaches the body as such, using
chemicals to suppress symptoms. Although this technological fix
proves successful in treating some diseases, fundamental ideas like
prevention, exercise, nutrition, lifestyle, the uniqueness of the patient
and environmental pollutants have been somewhat ignored.3 The
A 9{etreat Centre for "Whok MeaCtfi
human element of healing has been swept under the carpet.

The advances and successes of Western medical techniques are

astounding. The development of penicillin and surgery has cured
thousands of people, but there is always room for improvement- With
all its success at eradicating disease, modem medicine is incomplete and
can be dangerous. For example, modem drugs can produce iatrogenic
disease, that is, new ailments that are caused by the very drug that is
used to help one4 There is disillusionment with modem medicine that
is resulting in a demand for safer and more natural and effective forms
of therapy. We should always strive to find new ways to describe and
understand all phenomena.

5
X <Rgtreat Cmtrefor WhoCe 'H&altk

1.2 Orthodox and Holistic Medicine United

The rising popularity of integrative therapy suggests that our modern

Canadian society is sick and wants to be well. We live with ailments
that are unnecessary without knowing how to alleviate them. Healing an
entire society starts with the individual, and healing the individual starts
not with "fixing what's broken", but with understanding the root of the
problem and addressing it through self-awareness, education and
preventive measures. Modern drugs, for example, deal with symptoms
and not the underlying cause of the disease.5 Also, Western medicine
considers us healthy if we are not measurably ill. If, for example, an
individual is low on energy or sweats in excess, symptoms that have no
clear cause, orthodox medicine has trouble dealing with them. There is
a tendency to hand the responsibility to the doctor, who is usually not
be trained at addressing these problems. With integrative therapy,
emphasis is on taking responsibility for one's own health.6 We cannot
only treat the symptoms, as it is the whole person who needs treatment.
The interrelationship of the multiple aspects of human life should not
be ignored by medical science.

6
A fytnat Centre far 'Whole 0{&aitk

1.3 The Holistic Approach

1.3.1 What is Health?

Dr. Randolph Stone wrote,

"Health is not merely of the body. It is the natural expression of the body,
mind and soul when they are in rhythm with the One Life. True health is
the harmony of life within us, consisting of peace of mind, happiness and
well-being. It is not merely physical fitness, but is rather the result of the
soul finding free expression through the mind and body of that individual.
Such a person radiates peace and happiness and everyone in his presence
automatically feels happy and contented. "7

Wellness is not a static state. A dynamic equilibrium must be achieved to be

healthy. All components of the individual must be integrated and
maintained. Healing must be concerned with, and respond to, the
interrelationship of the mind, body and spirit. The whole must be
considered and embody personal, social, environmental, and spiritual
aspects of life. One must look beyond the body to see how our
relationships, social environment, employment, economic status, education
and socialization connect to a bigger picture and whether these are uplifting
us or depleting us. The macro level of economic productivity, commerce,
governance, community and where we call home also affects our health.
These things can seem out of reach because we feel we have no affect on
the many, the distant or the large. To achieve health, it is important that we
have some control and involvement in community and government.

7
One's state of health is in a flux, and as such, must respond to changes,
whether they are physical, mental, emotional, spiritual or environmental.
The most fundamental influences on our health are extremes in climate, our
diet, our relationships, the balance of work and rest and our sense of
meaning and purpose. Health results not only from an organism becoming
suited to the surrounding condition, it is also involves people adapting and
responding creatively to a situation. Self-awareness and self-consciousness
become paramount. When illness affects an individual, it then affects all
those s/he comes in contact with. A ripple effect occurs, illustrating the
need for an increased respect and compassion for all living things. People
cannot enjoy their pleasures if they are consumed with fear, hate, worry,
anxiety, etc. Attitude, then, is an important factor in realizing health.

If the world was consistent and did not change, coping with any situation
would be simple. But the world does change. Change means one needs to
adapt to non-equilibrium conditions. Letting change occur will lessen any
negative effects it may bring. The reflex, for example, is evidence of
nature's proactive involvement in dealing with change. Nature is active
without training, but too much change too quickly can result in excess
pressure on the individual's physical and mental adaptive mechanisms.
Viewing change as a constant, that is, accepting change, will reduce stress
and therefore aid in the process of healing.

Healing is a state of mind, or perception, as much as an activity. Therefore

A Retreat Centre for (Whote tH&aCth
Fig. 1 Human figure with Aura. The whole
person is comprised of more than
just the physical.
the healing process can begin with a conversation and the awareness of the
here and now. Equal time should be spent pondering the immediate as well
as the past and future. Recognizing the present can lead to a new realization
of life's purposes.
The individual and his or her environment form a symbiotic relationship that
plays a determinant role in health. The term holistic implies an attitude,
which is concerned with the whole person within the total environment.
"Man experiences him/herself, thoughts andfeelings, as separate from the
universe, something we are apart of In doing so, we restrict ourselves to
our personal desires and affections. We must widen the circle of
understanding and compassion to embrace all living creatures and the
whole of nature in its beauty. "8
Humankind is complex, intense and a so far unexplained interplay between
the body, the mind and the spirit. The system is only as strong as its
weakest part. The whole must rely on the strength of the parts, and the
parts rely on the strength of the whole. A component is not well unless the
whole is well. Therefore the whole is contained within each part, suggesting
a holographic model.
The holographic view of the universe can be used to understand the holistic
approach. "The hologram concept states that every piece is an exact
representation of the whole and can be used to construct the entire
9
A Estreat Cmtrefor 'Whote (Heaitk

hologram. "9 When the smallest part sends an impulse, the whole will
realize it and visa versa, as a kind of collective consciousness. Therefore the
physical state reflects the emotional mind. "The main objective of holistic
healing is to help correct the life condition that predisposes a person to
disease. ",0 Chinese medicine is based on the belief that there is a physical
and energetic relationship between our bodies' internal and external organs,
senses and functions, and in Chinese medicine, it is considered that the
relationship between life (us) and nature are in exact correspondence. We
are reflections of nature and part of nature. Being separate from nature is
detrimental to health. Chinese medicine has a spiritual goal based on
harmony and balance."

Physical, mental or spiritual imbalances seldom occur in isolation, they are

interwoven. The most expressive aspect of balance in nature is the seasons,
making their influence on health undeniable. To maintain physical and
mental health, one must cultivate the mind by balancing and regulating the
spirit, consciousness, thoughts and emotions. One must stay in touch with
one's self by facilitating a natural approach to achieve balance. Nutrition is
important as an aspect of whole health. Also, avoiding overstrain by finding
appropriate rhythms that correspond to nature, maintaining regular lifestyle
patterns like working at daylight and resting at dark, and keeping regular and
adequate sleep habits are crucial to the upkeep of optimum health. Factors
that affect health are nutrition, sleep habits, excercise, air quality,
environment, personal attitude and relationships with others.

10
A ^treat Centre for <Whok 'Hidtk
Fig.2 Diagram showing the 12 main
meridians situated thoughout
the body.
1.4 Prevention
Buddha wisdom
"One must accept that there is misery in life.
Misery has a cause.
There is a way of eliminating the cause.
There is a state that is free from all miseries; but as long as the
human mind is going through misery, it can never realize truth. "
It is the individual who creates these miseries that Buddha speaks of,
therefore it is the individual who must learn how to prevent them. Healing
is an active process and not a passive one. It begins in one's attitude. The
individual must participate in the healing process and healthcare, therapy
and research. One must develop the ability to examine him/herself, and it is
not until then that s/he will learn to be aware of his/her own capacity. The
road to health starts with having realistic expectations of one's self. In order
to do so, one must know self. The power of the individual is his/her ability
to achieve a goal.
The holistic approach is educational, where prevention is key to the
maintenance of health, empowering the individual to understand and
improve his/her physical and mental states. Instructing the healthy is as
critical as treating the ill. Living, as a process, must be understood in order
to diminish disease, and what is beneficial to the patient's health must be
11
A %$treat Centre, for "Whole, 'Xtalth

considered. It is through education and disease prevention that health

begins.

Health is a birthright that is within everybody's reach, but staying healthy

requires knowledge, wisdom and work. Attaining a state of good health
means taking personal responsibility. This is self-care. By choosing
prevention, the appropriate information and the choice to do something with
it are all that is needed. Self-care is health related decision-making. We
must understand the cues that indicate there is imbalance in our bodies and
embrace a wellness model, not an illness one. There is a power within us,
and it is a matter of cultivating desire, determination and will.

12
A %$treat Centre for Wfwk 'Hiaith

1.5 Health Through Design

The healing process can begin anytime with a positive outlook and strong
self-esteem. Healthy people contribute to society, their community, their
families and themselves. They find nourishment in food, air and sunlight, as
well as interaction with others. Problems are not problems, but challenges
that can be overcome. If one cannot respond to opportunity with flexibility
and inner resources, s/he is unhealthy.12 The ability to adapt to new
environments and situations is necessary to decrease the burden of disease.
This adaptation is accomplished by understanding our nature and how we
are interwoven with it. If we do not realize our interrelationship to the
environment, then high self-esteem, self-expressiveness, self-awareness and
a feeling of belonging is unattainable.13 To resist disease, coping skills are
crucial. For any system to function effectively, there must be balance. Self-
assertiveness requires cooperation. Determination requires flexibility.
Learning, that is, mind, body and spiritual advancement, through
cooperation and flexibility, requires the will to do so. Awareness of our
environment and our abilities to cope within that environment are
fundamental with respect to the to the realm of personal health. The
following sections outline aspects of architecture and environments as
health-giving entities.

13
.# Retreat Centre for Wlw(e tfeahfi

1.6 The Healing Effects of Architecture

Architecture is not a passive aspect of our lives. To understand architecture

completely, one must understand the context of the building and the culture
from which it was made.14 Like a culture, architecture is never complete; it
is in a perpetual motion and is a dynamic force in flux shaped by our
perception, attitude, mood and feelings. After recently visiting a hospital to
get stitches, I realized that the architecture made no attempt to aid in the
healing process. The building was designed for function only, where the
priority was focused mostly on hospital staff and not patients. I had no
control over my environment or my treatment. Hospitals are largely
institutional, that is, they are devoid of any personal qualities. (Fig. 3)
Hospitals, in general, facilitate institutional empowerment and not
personalized patient care.15 Architecture can be dangerous. Because we
accept our surroundings, not taking them into full consciousness,
architecture can influence our actions.15 A healing environment is a place
where people feel comfortable, relaxed and cared for. This section
addresses the potential of the built environment to facilitate healing.

Fig.3 Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. Building lacks 'personal qualities'.

14
A Retreat Centre for "Whole "Health

1.7 Architecture as Environment

The process of healing is enabling, not manipulating. Symptoms express the

body's condition and illnesses express the mind's state. To heal is to bring
to the patient something that is 'outer' so s/he can make an inner step.
Milieu is understood through experience, perception, mood and personality.
It is environment that creates and enhances these attributes. By becoming
aware of our self, our micro-environment and our macro environment, we
begin a process of empowerment. The basis of our experience of a place is
our level of awareness of that place. It is through awareness of our
surroundings that we understand, evaluate and observe ourselves. A healing
and health centre is a place that must reinforce who we are.

The healing process must take place from within ourselves, but can be
triggered from outside of us. Environment can be the trigger that initiates
and supports the healing process. But to be "health giving", stimuli must
meet our needs. It is the common characteristics of well-being that
architecture must recognize, not the specific. The hearth or heart of the
home exemplifies some of these characteristics and is a place that radiates
warmth. Smell, sight and sound are focused on the natural phenomenon of
fire, giving spirit to the home. It is architecture that can support and contain
qualities appropriate to different modes of existence, reinforcing a sense of
place. By understanding that home is a place to relax and recharge, we can
gain insight into healing architecture. Home is the environment that we

15
A Retreat Centre for "Whole tfealth

have the most control over, and is therefore where we feel most like
ourselves, where our true nature surfaces. We accept our own individuality
at home.

When disease develops, it is a clue that internal and external adjustments

need to be made specific to the individual. Mass suburban housing projects,
built for the storage of people, are faceless and at times ugly compared to
houses built for individuals.(Fig.4) Architecture should celebrate the
individual, as should medicine. Individualized medicine is sensitive and
caring, where a generalized medicinal approach does not recognize the
independent qualities that comprise the person. Individuality, or spirit of
place, can be sensed.

We have to go beyond mere cosmetic fixes to heal our environment and

instead create healing environments. The essence of architecture is felt and
not just seen. If all that is recognized are the parts, then there is no whole,
therefore no architecture. Architecture is not just for the eye. However,
when observation becomes paramount in architectural appreciation, "fronts"
Fig. 4 Mass housing project
are built, facades are manufactured and materials are used, not for their
inherent properties, but to cover up and mislead the observer. Our total
environment influences our perception through light and shadow, colour,
climate, textures, sound and symbols, therefore influencing our thought
mobility, conscious control and senses.

16
A Retreat Centre for 'Wfwk
Fig.6 Albert Speer's main grandstands on the Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg
Hudth
We spend most of our time in and around architecture, therefore it must
Fig. 5 Stifling architecture
affect us consciously and subconsciously. Architecture is an interrelated
part of our total surroundings, not only affecting us through sight but
through all our senses. Phenomenologists, like Merleau-Ponty, believe
direct awareness or intuition form the basis of truth.1? We are inherently
connected to and a part of our built world. We don't just look at buildings,
we live in and around them. We feel architecture, not just physically, but
emotionally and psychologically. Most people seldom think of the effects
architecture has on us. Architecture can be stifling.(Fig 5) It can overpower
or be gloomy; it can be cold and oppressive or unwelcoming and harsh.
Architecture can directly affects mood.
When mood is affected, perception changes. One just has to look at Albert
Speer's Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg in its megalomaniacal scale.(Fig.6)
Visual mood is comprised of colour, texture, scale, and the quality of
relationships between things and space. To affect mood, all the senses must
be manipulated. Mood is closely related to atmosphere, that is the
interweaving of space, shape, light, smell and colour. We often describe a
place by the quality of its atmosphere. A loud restaurant with bright lights
has a different atmosphere than a quiet, dark one. Atmosphere, and
conversely mood, can be understood and created. A certain light quality or
a texture does not overtly convey a specific mood, but instead it contains
significance unique to its own nature. It is the combination and totality of all
the environmental factors that create mood. Architecture must form a
17
A 'J^treat Centre for "Whole, 'Health

symbiotic relationship with its context to be mood-enhancing.

Our environment, of which architecture is only a part, is theframeworkthat

subtly confines, organizes and stimulates our daily lives. Buildings are not
just objects, but a dialogue of spatial relationships that create place.
Buildings are also boundaries in space where the quality of the boundary
directly influences the quality of the space. Architecture is both the built
element and the space it defines.(Fig.7) It can stimulate health and life by
grounding us to, and including us in, a nurturing, whole environment.

Fig. 7 Figure-ground drawing. Architecture

is both built element and the space
it defines.

18
A "Retreat Centre for cWhok 'Health
1.8 Healing Architecture

We build buildings for practical, physiological, biological, psychological and

spiritual needs. Buildings play the role as mediator between us and the
outside world. So the true power of architecture is its ability to exclude or
admit. Healing architecture must admit and accept a diverse range of people
in such a way as to facilitate self-expressiveness. Healing architecture is
about inclusiveness and embracing both of people and site. It should
connect with daily rhythms like light movement, connecting back to nature.
An environment that heals should reflect changes in the seasons and
changes in the people that inhabit them. We must live in conjunction with
our environment, and our built world must live in conjunction with the
earth, the seasons, plants, animals and humanity.

Healing architecture should restore wholeness by not alienating or rendering

the user powerless and separated. It must remind us of our place on earth
and not isolate us from it, while relaxing, stimulating, renewing and
reassuring us. By providing meaningful experiences like a sense ofjourney
with a balance of directed, expanded and obstructed views and a variety of
textured light and shade, architecture can enhance our lives by celebrating
the present. While views, or lack of them, can anticipate the future
destination, it should take second place to the event of the moment. The
passageway, for example, should echo the place as a whole and be an
experience itself.

19
& fytreat Centre for 'Whole Of&aCtfi

Healing architecture must be experiential. Architect Carol Venolia(1951-

present) illustrates that healing and healthy environments mean more than
eliminating toxic material usage, poor light and excessive noise. They are
places that help us connect to ourselves. In her book Healing Environments,
Your Guide to Indoor Well-Being Venolia proposes "that healing
environments:
1. stimulate positive awareness of ourselves;
2. enhance our connection with nature, culture, and people;
3. allow for privacy;
4. do us no physical harm;
5. provide meaningful, varied stimuli;
6. encourage times of relaxation;
7. allow us to interact with them productively;
8. contain a balance between familiarity and flexibility. "1S

These ideas are largely self-explanatory and expanded throughout the thesis.
Responding to each site separately and specifically is critical in the creation
of health-giving architecture.

20
A Retreat Centre for "Whole Health

1.9 Harmony and Balance

Architect Christopher Day speaks of the "conversation principle" in his book

Places of the Soul. He writes, "Conversation is the process by which two or
more individuals come together to create a whole more than the sum of
their parts... The individuals need to be able to adapt their plans according
to the needs of each other but without compromising their essential
nature".19 The "conversation principle" can be applied directly to
architecture when striving to achieve harmonious environments. The new,
therefore, is an organic development of what is already there. This notion
can be applied to all levels of architecture: building/site relationship, spatial
relationships, sequential relationships and the physical elements and their
mutual response, where harmonious and meaningful relationships should
evolve.

For example, as you pass from one space to another, a change of space and
form must occur, reflecting the change of mood and experience of the
spaces moved through. Without a reflected change, no meaningful
relationship is fostered. Architectural elements must respond and "speak" to
each other, and it is through form modification that they live together
harmoniously.

Harmony presupposes balance. Even distribution of elements with steady

positioning creates aspects of balance. Balance gives us stability and is life-

21
A Retreat Centre for 'Wfwk Health

M?%*®f&&S*X
Fig.8 Each picture is of the same woman. The left picture is the original, the middle picture is the two right
halves of the face minored and the right picture is the two left halves of the face mirrored. The human face only
implies symmetry.
filled. Balance is focus; focus implies an axis that demands balance.
Symmetry is then implied. But symmetry is rigid, and not life giving. The
human body appears symmetrical. But on closer inspection, each side is
comprised of similar features, not identical ones.(Fig. 8) Balance must give
stability without rigidity. It is the ordering principle of balance that allows
the "diverse forms and spaces of a building and site to co-exist
perceptually and conceptually within an ordered and unified whole. "20
Architecture must exist with nature and individual aspects of the built form
must co-exist with one another. If they fight each other, tension
abounds.(Fig.9) When experiencing negative symptoms like fatigue, anxiety
or depression, architecture can offer balance from outside of us. The spaces
themselves should be balanced, from large and small public spaces that
range in atmosphere, to large and small intermediate spaces, some
advocating rest, others suggesting activity. Architecture is a powerful tool
for any health practitioner and must be sensitively designed, harboring
feelings of tranquility, harmony and balance.

Fig. 9 Tension of coexisting shapes

22
A ^treat Centra for lAfook tfeattk

1.10 Research Methods

To gain an understanding into the ways the Retreat functions, it was

important to have basic knowledge of the integrated therapies it will offer.
One overriding aspect of all natural therapies is that the practitioner always
tailors the treatment to meet the individual's specific condition, needs,
medical history, diet, lifestyle and other pertinent characteristics.
Acupuncture treatment differs for every person, even if each complains of
similar symptoms. This is a major strength of integrated therapy; everybody
is treated as an individual.

It became evident through my personal experiences with some therapies,

such as acupuncture, that an understanding of the connection between the
mind and body and the body and the earth was critical to the healing
process. It then became clear that by using the notions of individuality
(understanding the uniqueness of the site) and connection (the importance
of the buildings connection with the site, the user to the building, etc.) that a
design could be developed. Specific ideas relating site and building with
individuality and connection are outlined in the following section.

23
A fytreat Centre for WHoCe Okalth

2.0 Design

2.1 Brief

By establishing a connection between healing and architecture, it was

decided that a retreat centre would best incorporate ideas of health through
architecture. Although the healing effects of architecture could be translated
to any building type such as a school or a home or an office space, a healing
centre was chosen because of its direct connection to the various modalities
of healing. Therefore, the Retreat or Centre was best suited to embody and
translate notions of health and wellness. The following section involves
evaluating and interpreting elements from the preceding investigation and
applying those concepts toward a practical design solution where site
became an integral clue for design decisions.

Fig. 10 Entwined snakes reflecting the

notion that nature can heal itself

24
A Retreat Centre for 'Whole Jkalth

2.1.1 Design Intent

The focus of the exercise is to establish an architectural experience that is

part of a force that can maintain and promote health through sense of
journey, inclusiveness, harmony and balance.

The built space will also recognize the site as a major force that influenced
and helped to describe and develop the architecture. In doing so, the
concrete realm of the architecture will begin to reflect the growth and
nurturing aspects of the landscape. This thrusts architecture and our
perceptions of the world into a continual state of flux, always changing,
always evolving in the same way that the earth and health always change
and evolve. In realizing this, we can come to a greater understanding of the
way space, form and order function, viewing events holistically. One aspect
of the whole must be studied, and then integrated with others to appreciate
the whole. The relationship between the site and the architecture is as
important to the understanding of'place' as individual elements, and acts as
a metaphor for the body/world relationship.

25
A fytreat Centre for "Wfiote !Healtfi

2.1.2 Sense of Journey

The path to health involves a sense ofjourney, a transformation of mind and

body. Architecture, by virtue of organization of solid and void, can become
a narrative in which a transformation can occur. A common implied thread
or organizational element could then act as an analogy for the journey to
health.

26
A Retreat Centre for "Whole 'H&aitk

2.1.3 Inclusiveness

Interaction with the world implies inclusiveness. The act of gaining and
maintaining health through diet, exercise, meditation and healing therapies
becomes an expression of inclusiveness where the participant becomes part
of a whole. Health can begin to inform architecture. The Centre is a
tectonic expression of the act of preserving health as well as a
phenomenological condition that exists between the body and the earth.
The Centre then acts as a metaphor for the body's engagement with the
world.

27
A Retreat Centre for Wfiok Hialth

2.1A Space and Form

The Retreat must perform a function that will support certain activities
involved in the achievement and maintenance of whole health. It must
include areas for food preparation, dining, exercise, meditation, counselling,
conferencing, administrative activities, provisions for sleeping, lounging,
reading, and healing treatments, lectures, swimming/bathing and gardening.

All public space can be integrated to form the focus of the total Centre, with
a combination of public, private and semi-private spaces. The main spaces
must have a relationship to the outside with sunlight playing a key role, as
it is essential for life. Time spent at the retreat would be in enjoying the
outdoors, socializing, reading, educating, dining, participating in programs
and undergoing treatments and therapies, and exercise. The relationship
between the residences and the main facility may be somewhat separate
while still integrated into the whole.

The quality of the spaces must be harmonious and non-imposing. Clean

curved lines, openness, awareness of environment via windows and
openings, and natural light are all characteristics to embody in the centre.
The spaces should be comfortable and non-threatening where a connection
with daily rhythms and nature must be established, living in conjunction
with the environment and not apart from it.

28
ft fitetreat Centre for "Whole 'H&alth

2.1.5 The Macro Site

The site is approximately 50-km northwest of Calgary off the Forestry

Trunk Road, and can be reached by car in 30 to 40 minutes from the city
centre. It occupies about one section of land bordered by the Ghost River
and is set into a distinctly tiered valley. The Rocky Mountains define the
west and south views. The entry into the site is from the north on a plateau
where the realization of the tiers is not quite evident. As one progresses
further into the site, the tiers reveal themselves, and become identified
progressively as a flat prairie, then a rolling hill, through to cliffs
indicative of mountainous conditions.

The extreme elements of the prairie, foothills and mountains blend together,
accentuating geographical diversity and exemplifying a landscape in flux.

I
The distinction from one condition to the next is clear while remaining fluid.
OjVrtvr ^V^A^"
The meeting of the elements became a metaphor for rejuvenation by virtue
of its dynamism. The active tectonic plates thrust against each other in a
0 /D 3-a Si *AA moment of deep rooted, eternal repose.

Fig. 11 Contextual map of site

The pure geographic conditions define each other by what Michael Benedikt
refers to as the principle of difference.21 To understand a situation or event,
one must see that situation or event totally, in its fullest extent. What is in-
between is as important as what defines the in-between. Seemingly
different elements depend on each other for their own identity and

29
A Retreat Centre for W(w(e 'Health

existence. It is impossible to draw a picture of a valley without creating two

hills.(Fig.l2)

It was important to locate the Retreat away from urban sprawl for two
reasons. One, the congestion of the city is not particularly health-giving
because city living tends to be divorced from nature. Natural elements are
transposed into a city and are seldom untouched by human hands to evolve,
grow and develop autonomously. The natural rhythms of the earth are more
clearly evident outside the urban setting.

Secondly, while speculating that most of the users of the Retreat will come
from the city, the separation of time and space from city to retreat becomes
a transformation from one realm to another, echoing a positive
transformation from congested health to clear, optimum health.

Fig. 12 The Yin Yang. The ancient Eastern

symbol representing balance. The Yin
replies on the Yang for its shape and
visa-versa.

30
A fytreat Centre for "Whoie tftdtk
2.1.6 The Micro Site

The site itself encompasses a variety of geographical conditions ranging

from open grasslands to wooded areas to cliffs. It became apparent that the
Forestry Trunk Road building site must utilize and make the most of these conditions. The
southeast corner of the large site offered this optimization of usage of
landscape while becoming a window to the south and west expanses. Also,
the existing east road allowed for easy access to this site.

When approaching the building site, the user is not overtly aware of the
entire site. Instead, a progressive unfolding of the terrain is experienced.
Placing the building in the southwest corner of the site provides a feeling of
journey, a progressionfromone 'stepping stone' to the next. A. narrative of
movement and travel emerges. One begins to engage in an experience of
involvement with the site. The site became as important to the whole
experience of healing as the specific activities offered at the retreat.

J The architecture establishes a correspondence between aspects of the site

and its relationship both to the geographic context and to the project itself.
Fig. 13 Aerial photograph of site. The building massing responded to four primary site conditions: one, the
northern surrounding tree line that helps to define and create boundaries of

2 a Jo oc
-J a contained clearing; two, the edge condition of the southern cliff that works
in conjunction with the tree line to establish containment of the open space;
three, the foothill topography of the micro-site, and four, the clearing or

31
A'-KetreatCentre for <WfwCe M&altk
Fig. 14 Northwest view of site with the trees and the hill working together to establish containment
open space itself.
One of the most captivating qualities of the site is its sense of
containment.(Fig. 14) The containment is experienced from the gradual
descent into the clearing and is defined by the conditions stated in the
previous paragraph. The direction of entry, the topography and the tree line
naturally direct the eye to the south and west.
To maintain the natural flow of the site and reflect its inclusiveness, the
building form is organized around a gentle curve that establishes a dialogue
with the southern cliff, the clearing and the southwestern expanse,
reinforcing a sense of containment while articulating multiple boundaries.
The curve emanates from the wooded area from where it pushes through
the earth, awakening the land. It continues south through to a grove of
trees. The gesture of the curve resulted in a new edge that responded to the
cliff, and established an organizational principle for the practical concerns of
the Retreat itself. In doing so, dissolution of boundaries emerges, allowing
for multiple boundaries to exist. This enhances the inclusion of the whole
area This is accommodating to the poetic dimension of the project and
allows the healing aspects of the natural habitat to emerge. The gestural
curve would act as an element that would address the expanse of the area
while creating a sense of inclusion.
32
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1. North view showing overall micro site

 "* - _!'•' .*•fc^^^^"™?* * a,'
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2. West view showing 'bowl' area of micro site

 J»

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3. South view from ridge of site

 air •Slfc

4. East view looking at the Ghost valley and the site ridge
A Rgtreat Centre for <WfwCe Health
Fig. 15 Parti sketch of Retreat
2.2 Resolution
2.2.1 Massing
The Centre is organized around the curve or arc (Fig. 15) into four distinct
identities or basic components: the hub of the Centre, the sleeping quarters,
the meditation tower, and the spa. The meditation tower and the spa,
fundamentally more private areas than the others, act as anchors on each
end of the gesture. The long, sweeping arc inscribed into the landscape is
utilized to allow for circulation. Programmatic elements extend or radiate
from of the arc, translating the gestural quality of the arc into the main
masses of the Retreat. While the building addresses specific site conditions
previously mentioned, the major spaces of the Centre have a visual
connection to some or all of the major features of the site. Retreat
employees and clients could enter and enjoy the landscape from entries and
exits that are oriented towards site destinations. In time, pathways and site
circulation would develop through day-to-day use
The following section will focus on the formal and compositional
development between, and inherent, in the Centre's major components.
13
A Retreat Centre for 'Whole Tkatth

2.2.2 The Hub

2.2.2.1 Entry

A section of the main arc, directly opposite the hub, has been flared out and
raised to create entry. The main entrance can be reached via two
approaches, one pedestrian and one vehicular. The pedestrian path allows
visitors to park the vehicles at a parking lot to the north of the Centre and
walk down through a grove of trees to the entrance. Alternatively, visitors
can enter the Retreat from a drop off and/or parking area directly adjacent
to, and level with, the entry itself. The two access routes offer choice so the
visitor is not restricted to one mode of approach only.

The entry itself descends into the common gallery via a ramp and stairs.
The roof of the entry follows the gentle curve of the arc where inclined;
ribbon windows allow sunlight to wash the arc wall. Sunlight is offered
along the northern portion of the Centre as well as accentuating the
containment nature of the arc; the arc segment cups and cradles the sunlight.
The roof segment articulated the entirety of the Retreat by extending into
and over the spine of the building.

2.2.2.2 The Hub Proper

The hub of the Centre is comprised of a common gallery, a lounge, retail

34
fr Retreat Centre for "Whote ^Health
space, meeting rooms, a dining area, a main lecture hall, offices, a library,
treatment spaces and an outdoor court. It was located in the 'nucleus' of
the Retreat by virtue of its function. It is the centre where people meet,
formally and informally, research and study, dine, socialize and receive
specific treatments. Visually in plan and elevation, the hub is an extension
of the topography of the site and the overnight facilities. By 'growing' out
of the landscape, reflecting naturalflowof the land, the hub tiers down the
site.

The formation and programmatic organization of the hub is loosely based

on a circle, where the focal point is the outdoor court. Public spaces are
oriented toward the court as a reminder of the importance of an imperative
and constant connection with nature. The court also acts as afieldof
containment within a largerfield,enhancing a feeling of enclosure and
protection and establishing a dialogue between architecture and landscape.
In winter periods, the court could be covered to provide a soothing contrast
to a completely outdoor experience.

The library, the main meeting hall and the dining area, directly address the
court. In doing so, these public spaces recognize and reflect upon each
other as aspects of the Centre that participate in the creation of the whole.
Architectural elements came together to define and delineate the significant
space of the outdoor court. The main public areas belong both to the

35
A ffytreat Centre for 'Whole tfedth
architecture and the landscape, simultaneously defining each other.

As the hub radiates from the gesture of the arc, it develops and contains
spaces and is flanked at its southwest edge by the gentle cupping of the
treatment rooms. Conceptually, treatment can be viewed as a direct
nurturing and dynamic intervention that is a fundamental aspect of
maintaining and achieving health. Allowing the treatment rooms to 'hug'
the west and south edges of the hub, while leaving the east edge open,
suggests a containment that permits freedom and extension. This is
indicative of the idea of treatment itself, to comfort and protect, while
reinforcing personal development. The treatment block emerged to help
describe and express the nature of the retreat itself.

To further the notion of containment and release, and as a compositional

element that related the Centre to the macro-level of the site, a 500 cm wall
was inserted into the ground as a kind of completion of the arc. As well as
forming an exterior relationship with the meditation tower and the spa, the
wall element extends the protection of the arc into the landscape. By siting
the wall toward the centre of the main arc, the wall began to define, dissolve
and extend multi-boundaries of the Centre. These boundaries were
containers and releasers simultaneously. While creating containment, the
Centre still relates to the expanse of the river, foothills and mountains to the
southwest.

36
A. ^Retreat Centre for Whole 'H&altfi

2.2.3 Sleeping Quarters

A reflexive, intuitive approach to the land was moderated by the rational

articulation of the sleeping quarters. While maintaining the integrity of the
curve, the sleeping quarters addressed both the convex and the concave
sides of the arc. This was due to the wooded nature of the site. The trees
became a protective element that reinforces notions of nurturing.

Divided into three sections, the lodgings step down the hill at one-meter
intervals while the centre roof element that denotes the passageway, remains
at a constant elevation. This gradual vertical expanse of space is interrupted
by two 'links' that reorient the user to the site by offering peak views and
establish entry and exit points. The arc is articulated as elements that define
outdoor decks, visually including the suites while allowing them to filter past
the arc and enter the northern part of the site.

The suites themselves range in size to accommodate both individuals and

groups, like couples and small families. The smallest suite is 12m2 and the
largest suite is 35 m2. The Centre could be scheduled in such a way as to
facilitate groups that share like characteristics. For example, there could
be a 'family month' where only mothers, fathers and children could enjoy
the facility. At other times, only adults would be permitted. How and who
would use the Centre would develop over time, so maintaining a simple
approach to the rooms was important.

37
A fytreat Centre for WhoCe 'H&atth
2.2.4 Meditation Tower

The meditation tower acts as an expression of verticality in a predominately

horizontal composition. The contrast is its singularity, reinforcing its
significance as a compositional figure. As the anchor of the west end of the
Centre, the tower symbolizes the quiet strength inherent in meditation.

The meditation tower exists on three levels. The top level is a partially
exposed deck that allows views to the expanse of the southwest as well as
the tops of the tress. The second level is partly defined by a seamless and
sound proof wall of glass and stands nestled at mid-tree height as an inner
reflection zone.

By virtue of its direct contact with the ground, the main level offers a close
connection to the outdoors. Also at ground level is a large outdoor deck,
lying at rest across the landscape, while addressing the site and the totality of
the Retreat. The deck provides visual extension into all zones encompassed
within the primary arc of the walls. Here, the visitor can reside in an area
protected by trees. The tower can also serve as a marker, establishing a
place to meet or a reference on the site.

Fig. 16 Meditation Activities in the tower could be scheduled to allow for flexibility of usage.
Group activities could be accommodated on the ground floor, leaving the
second level for personal meditation. It is important to visualize the tower
as a 'quiet' space, where the activities would reflect that notion.
38
A O&treat Centre for cWkoU tieattfi

2.2.5 Spa

Water is the most common compound on earth. It has no beginning or end.

It is coming and going simultaneously, but always present. Water is a
symbolic representation of life. When water discharges down a drain, it
reflects the motion of the planet. It reinforces a cyclical nature of life by its
ability to evaporate, accumulate, and rain, and endlessly and tirelessly repeat
the process. Water binds together earth and sky and is precious and vital to
our daily lives. Bathing is an activity that is as pleasurable as it is healthy.
Bathing helps prevent diseases by cleansing the body, but it also relaxes and
rejuvenates. It is believed immersion into warm water tends to reduce
hormones that are secreted when the body is cold or frightened.22 Another
benefit of water is that it may act on our muscular system. A warm bath
softens up collagen (the main ingredient in tendons), thereby physically
relaxing our bodies.23

A spa was incorporated as an essential part of the healing environment of

the Retreat. Like the meditation tower, the spa acts as an anchor for the
southern tip of the building. The spa accommodates changing facilities, a
hot pool that extends outdoors, a cold pool, a co-ed dry sauna and a co-ed
steam bath. The sauna and steam bath share a 'cool off space that has an
indoor and an outdoor component.

The spa was visualized as a fluctuation of the main circulation that

39
A "Retreat Centre for <Whok Hialtk

accompanies the arc. The embracing nature of the arc is not lost, while the
user is provided with a variety of spatial experiences that contract and
expand both vertically and horizontally. Walls that extend from the pool
floor, past the ceiling, directly border the pools. The walls appear to reach
past the boundaries of the roof and floor. This is a reflection of the cliff
condition of the site and an analogy for the endlessness of nature itself.

40
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1. Overall West View of Retreat

401
2. East View
40J
3. Spa
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4. Meditation Tower
40L
5. Sleeping Quarters
40M
A H^etreat Centre for "Whok tfiatth

3.0 Conclusion

The design of a Retreat Centre for Whole Health has attempted to aid the
act of healing and health maintenance by integrating these processes with an
environment that is, in and of itself, health-giving. The development of the
Centre reflects the belief that the joining of nature, environment and
architecture can result in a reconnection between the body, mind and spirit,
and their relationship to the world. At the centre of this reconnection, is the
integration of architecture into landscape, where the healing effects of
architecture can be emphasized through harmony and balance. This allows
for the inclusiveness of architecture with landscape, and the inclusiveness of
the body with architecture. Through the evaluation of health and
environment, a practical design solution was developed, where site and an
architectural experience become part of a force that can maintain and
promote health. In the art of healing, one's total environment, both mental
and physical, become key elements in the promotion and maintenance of
health. It is this phenomenon that allows us to understand and appreciate
the power of 'place' as a fundamental aspect central to the state of our well-
being.

41
A %$treat Centre for 'Wfiok 5kalth

Appendix

Architectural Responsibilities

Many responsibilities that guide the behavior of the architect are practice-
related and fall outside the scope of this project. But there are certain
responsibilities that are important to, and a part of the healing centre. A
responsible attitude is one that is non-selfish and listens to the site, the
community and the user groups to aid in the creation of a place. One must
therefore think of the building as spaces and not as objects. S/he must also
respect the micro and macro site.

The architect has a responsibility to the public in addition to the client and
the profession. Design decisions of the architect must consider the people
who will ultimately use the space, not just the immediate client or even
themselves. The designer must represent the needs of all user groups,
whether they are employees, clients, the old, and the young or physically
impaired. Building unwelcome and inappropriate architecture is self-
defeating. While visiting Australia in 1988,1 was taken to an aboriginal
settlement east of Brisbane in the Australian outback. The government built
rectangular, open plan buildings with a total disregard for the occupants,
imposing their own ideals on the aborigines. The buildings did not conform
to the natural flow of the landscape and did not suit the life of the nomadic
natives. The aborigines did not have any say in the design or construction
of the settlement, thus severing any possible spiritual or physical connection

42
A fytreat Centre for 'Wftok
tfzatth
to the buildings. As a result, the buildings were defaced and literally torn
apart. By housing the aborigines in inappropriate lodgings, they were
robbed of their spiritual relationship to the world, destroying the roots of
their culture. This is an extreme example, but nevertheless illustrates the
issue.
The architect's responsibilities extend to the environment, the place we live.
Every time we transform our environment, the entire earth is affected. The
impacts range from the benign to the extremely harmful. The architect must
not contribute to environmental deterioration. The ripple effects of using
chemically-laden materials or rare and exotic woods can be experienced
worldwide.
In order to minimize adverse effects on the planet, the architect can impose
a number of concepts. These include: maximizing heat energy using a focal
heat source and reusing waste heat by means of passive and active heat
exchangers, reusing water wherever possible and using renewable sources of
energy like wind and solar power. Also, when selecting materials, the
architect must avoid tropical woods, plastics with destructive manufacturing
methods and heavy chemical based products, whether they are paints, plys
or carpets. The negative effects are twofold. First, toxins pollute our
natural environment and second, there are adverse biological effects on the
occupants and passers-by. It is critical that design decisions are formed by
ideas in sustainability, while remaining friendly to our ecology and
environment.
43
A Retreat Centre for 'Whole 0<&alth
Structure

*s^# Heavy timber construction cannot span as far as steel construction or with
such lightness, but when coupled with masonry construction it fulfills and
reflects natures own structural systems.24 With exterior bearing masonry
walls, and an interior framework of heavy timbers, heavy timber or mill
construction can utilize indigenous materials wherever possible. Also, mill
construction is representative of ancient building practices which parallels
the notion of ancient healing practices. A frame is constructed with roof
beams anchored to girders, tied together with ' iron dogs' and the girder is
anchored to the top storey columns and to exterior walls. Long steel straps
are utilized to anchor roof girders where the anchor point is lower in the
outside wall. The weight of the wall above the anchor point is enough to
resist wind uplift on the roof. (Fig. 17)25

There is a tactile nature to heavy timber, an awakening of the senses. This

is partially from the colour of the wood, the grain figure and the warm feel
of wood, and partially from a sturdiness that emanates from large timbers.
The total environment of architecture is further understood when the
structure of a building can be realized through its framing, with, for
example, beamed ceilings or exposed laminated woodtmsses. By allowing
structure to "speak", structure and architecture become more clearly
appreciated and understood.
Fig. 17 Mill construction framing system.

44
Si %$tnat Centre for lA/fwCe 'H&aitfi

Lighting

Where the sun does not enter, the doctor does.

-Italian Proverb-

The sun is a rich source of light with an every changing quality. The
changing colours and moods of the sky and the weather are reflected by the
illumination of surfaces and forms. The sun can animate spaces by virtue of
its evolutionary nature. Natural lighting was utilized within the Retreat to
reflect and make tactile the sun's quality of light. Virtually all the spaces of
the Retreat relate to the outdoors with glazing, either directly or indirectly.
Sunlight washes surfaces making the surface itself become a light source.
Sunlight clarifies form and colour in space and serves as a reminder of the
rhythms of nature.

At night, when natural light is almost non-existent, aitificial light is required

to guide us through the world. The quality of artificial light that the Centre
must incorporate must strive to emulate natural light in so far as to avoid
systems and lamps that "feel" artificial. Lamps that have a continuous
colour spectrum close to natural light would be the preferred method of
artificial illumination. Low colour temperature lighting gives a warm
appearance and is well suited to healing environments.

Light and shade variations are critical when creating a healing environment.

45
A fXetreat Centre for Whole "Health

Varying source positions and altering light intensity, achieved naturally with
the sun, can attain ambiguity and interest in architecture and environment.
The use of artificial light allows for the redefinition of space by contrasting
daylight, giving the user a new perspective of the Retreat.

46
 A Retreat Centre far (Wfwit 'Hzaltk

Mechanical Systems

Because the Retreat is organized into components, the mechanical system

was treated as such, where the spa, greenhouse, centre proper, and the
sleeping quarters and meditation tower incorporated their own, individual,
local systems. The basic mechanical system strategy is that of zoning.
There werefivebasic zones to accommodate that will be served by local
systems. A large centralized system cannot efficiently serve the Retreat
because of the building's 'spread out' plan, and the functional differences of
the spaces require different heating and cooling needs. The dispersal of
equipment minimizes the size of the distribution tree and simplifies control
systems.26 The zonal approach to air handling allows for more air control
over areas within the building. This in turn would increase indoor air quality
levels if properly maintained.

\
Energy conservation can be more effective with local systems because
heating and cooling is produced only where needed. To help reduce
resource consumption, areas would be shut down when not in use, recycling
Fig. 18 Mechanical zoning strategy. Dark areas indicate mechanical rooms.
heat energyfromthe pool, for example, would be utilized and the roof
structure could be outfitted to incorporate solar collectors.

Spaces were allocated for mechanical systems such as air handling units and
water management and treatment systems. It should be noted that the spa

47
A %gtreat Centre for WRote 'Health

and greenhouse would have a higher humidity level than the other building
components and would benefit by having 100% fresh air intake and/or a
dehumidifier installed to control the humidity levels. In the sleeping
quarters, a variable air volume system would be installed to allow
independent air control of each suite, encouraging environmental control,
accommodating to the empowerment ideas of the project.

48
ft Retreat Centre far cWhok J&aCth

Costing

To insure the viability of the project, basic costing and potential revenue
ideas needed to be outlined.

With an approximate area of 4300 square metres, and at a cost of $1250 a

square metre27 the Centre would cost around five and one half million
dollars. Land costs are forecast at five hundred thousand to one million
dollars based on current market prices and the area that was specified.

Revenue to sustain operation would come from the following areas:

• Overnight and long term visitors
approximate revenue per year $650,000
• Short-term and drop-in visitors
$15,000
• The nutrition centre
$400,000
• The retail outlet
$150,000
• Lecture series, with the potential to market in-house produced video
programs, ranging from Yoga sessions to Tai-Chi to discussions
regarding nutrition
$100,000

49
A Retreat Centre for <WhoU 9kalth

• Membership offered to regular users

$10,000
• The accommodation of conventions with health-minded objectives
Revenue included in overnight and long term visitor
section
• Treatments, whether incorporated with a package or individually
$150,000
• The Retreat could act in an administrative capacity for group excursions.
For example, a trip to India to study Indian Philosophies and healing
techniques
$10,00028

The total revenue for one year equals approximately $1,485,000. If

overhead were around 75% of the revenue, the Retreat could be run with a
$370,000 profit per year.

The possibility and potential for satellite retreats exists, while ideas of
education could be furthered with the realization of schools for whole health
practitioners. It is only the imagination that limits debt servicing and
operating revenue practices.

50
A Retreat Centre for cWhoie, "Health
Precedents

To further substantiate the feasibility for a retreat centre for whole health, it
became important to document existing buildings of this nature. While there
are numerous hospitals and clinics worldwide, whole health centres are not
as abundant. Health and wellness centres, as they are commonly called are
in existence. The Tom Landry Sports Medicine and Research Centre that
includes a gymnasium, track, racquetball courts, a restaurant and a sports
shop, specializes in cardiovascular rehabilitation and physical therapy. The
Cooper Aerobics Centre in Texas incorporates a hotel, a one-mile cushioned
outdoor running surface, tennis courts and two swimming pools. The Santa
Monica Hospital Medical Centre in California offers cardiovascular and
weight training equipment, aerobics space and cardiac rehabilitation space
with telemetry. Closer to home is Winnipeg's Seven Oaks General Hospital.
It offers "community programs and services that promote health, prevent
illness and disability, and restore wellness. "29 The institute includes stress/
health assessment labs, health promotion education rooms with a teaching
kitchen, self-help resource library, fitness studios and a heated therapeutic
pool. On a smaller scale, and close to Calgary exists the Lochend Clinique.
They offer hydrotherapy and massage rehabilitation, more specifically
Swedish relaxation massage, ice massage therapy, deep tissue therapy,
trigger point therapy, acupressure and reflexology.

51
A Retreat Centre for 'Whole tf&alth

The Canyon Ranch health resort in Tucson, Arizona is one of the best
examples of a whole health retreat in North America. "In addition to
healthy gourmet cuisine, the finest in fitness activities, and pampering body
treatments, we offer all the elements to help you achieve a healthy lifestyle:
• Complete medical evaluations and preventive health services
• Behavioral and self-management counseling
• Nutrition education
• Spiritual growth
• Movement therapy
• Exercise physiology
• Educational lectures and workshops on health and life style issues. "30

52
A Xgtreat Centre for Wfivk Health

Glossary

Acupuncture. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese health treatment involving

the use of needles to stimulate energy points in the body. It can help
conditions including stress, back pain, menstrual problems and addictions.

Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy uses pleasant smelling essential oils with healing

properties to help relieve tension and improve general health.

Chinese herbology. Chinese herbology is an ancient traditional medicine that

uses different herbs to treat and prevent physical, mental and emotional ill
health.

Chiropractic. Chiropractic is a therapy that involves treatment on the musculo-

skeletal system with particular emphasis on the spine and nervous system. It
can help back pain and help relieve asthma, constipation and digestive
problems.

Homeopathy. Homeopathy is a holistic medicine that uses animal, vegetable

and mineral preparations to cure illness. Its philosophy is to treat 'like' with
'like' in order to heal. In practice, a substance that causes symptoms of illness
can also cure similar symptoms by allowing the body to build its own defenses
and heal itself.

53
A Retreat Centre for 'Whole OJzalth

Massage therapy. Massage therapy uses stroking, kneading and other

techniques to manipulate soft tissue of the body.

Naturopathy. Naturopathy is a health care system that uses only natural

ingredients and disciplines. Treatments might include a healthy diet, fasting,
hydrotherapy, exercise and relaxation techniques.

Reflexology. Reflexology is a therapy that involves pressure points on the

feet and sometimes the hands. It is believed massaging a particular point
stimulates energy to a related muscle or organ thereby encouraging healing.

Tai Chi. Tai Chi is a gentle martial art that involves a combination of
meditation and flowing exercises to help improve the health of the body and
mind.

Visualization. Visualization is a stress relieving technique that uses positive

and appealing images to overcome mental and emotional problems.

Western herbology. Western herbology uses the curative aspects of

numerous plants to maintain good and balanced health. It differs from
Chinese herbology in that it uses different plants.

Yoga. Yoga is an ancient exercise system that uses stretching movements

and meditation to relax the body, mind and spirit.

54
Notes
I
Barbara Ann Brennan, Hands of Light (New York, 1987),p 21
2
Ibid.p.21
3
Nikki Bradford, The Hamlyn Encyclopedia of Alternative Health
(Great Britain, 1996), p. 7
4
Inge Dougans, The Complete Guide To Reflexology
(Rockport, Massachusetts., 1996), p 15
5
Ibid, p.35
6
As per discussions with various integrated therapy practitioners.
7
Franklyn Sills The Polarity Process, p.91
8
Jack Kornfield, A Path With Heart (New York, 1993), p. 288
9
Brennan, p.25
10
Dougans, p. 18
II
Bradford, p.25
12
Marina Muzzell, Earth and Sky, The Wellness Guide
(Creston B.C., Spring/Summer 1997), p.3
13
Christopher Day, Places of the Soul (London, 1990), p. 15
14
Ibid. p. 13
15
Carol Venolia, Healing Environments, Your Guide to Indoor Well-Being
(California, 1988), p.43
16
Day, p. 10
17
Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Primacy of Perceptions (New York, 1972) p.32
18
Venolia, p. 11
19
Day, p. 5 7-58
20
Francis D.K. Ching, Architecture: Form, Space & Order (New York, 1979), p. 332
21
Michael Benedikt, Deconstructing the Kimbell (New York, 1991), p 54
22
Michel Odent, Water and Sexuality, (England, 1990), 5
23
Ibid, 6
24
Edward Allen, Fundamentals of Building Construction, Second Edition
(New York, 1990), p i 17
25
Ibid. p. 104
26
Benjamin Stein and John S.Reynolds, ed. Mechanical
Electrical Equipment for Buildings, (New York, 1992), p. 285
A fytreat Centre for "Whole, 'tfidth

27
Budget based on conversation with Graduate Architea Trevor Floer of Ken Hutchinson
Architect Limited regarding approximate square foot price of institutional
projects of similar function.
28
All approximate revenues are based on maximum occupancy
29
Nancy Boomer, "The Wellness Institute.", Award Magazine, August 1996. p 35-36
30
Canyon Ranch Tucson, The Guide, 1998. p 1

56
A %£treat Centre, for <Whok Oitaltk

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57
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A %&treat Centre for 'Whole 9kcdtfi

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59