Therapy Centre

Rural Healing Centre, County Kilkenny.

Rudolf Steiner placed nature at the centre of life and his inspiring theories on edcuation, agriculture, architecture and the value of people combine to create an inspring set of values and practices. Solearth have designed many buildings for Steiner based communities and schools initiatives in Ireland.

The design approach here at the therapy centre is that the expericne of the building should be part of the emotional preparation for the therapies themselves – the walk through the existing orchard from the communal buildings of Ballytobin’s Camphill (Rudolf Steiner based) community is considered then to be an integral part of the design. The orchard itself is left intact and there is only partial removal of the relatively recently planted hedgerow to accommodate the building.

The architecture is designed around the principal internal spaces of the Eurthymy and physiotherapy rooms for which the experience of the individual space and light is of particular importance; hence the uniqueness of window arrangement, occuli, as well as  the circular form and height. These spaces are of timber frame construction and clad in western red cedar, the roof finished in plain tiles with the occuli clad in copper. The remaining cellular therapy spaces are built-in masonry construction and lime rendered except for the north stonewall which extends west to define the garden space for the art room. Their roof is clad in sedum and allows for a clerestory window to naturally light the foyer area.

PROJECT DETAILS

Contract Value:
€900,000
Completion:
2012
Location:
Camphill Community, Ballytobin, Co Kilkenny