REVIVING COMMUNITY WELLNES FOR LONG-TERM HEALTH

Abstract

The Philippine healthcare system faces challenges in providing equitable access to care, driven by disparities in infrastructure, inefficiencies in referral systems, unequal insurance coverage, and high out-of-pocket healthcare costs. While institutional hospitals remain the primary providers of medical treatment, there is limited support for preventive care, post-hospital recovery, and community-based wellness. This thesis explores how architecture can respond to these gaps through the design of a community-centered Health and Wellness Center that complements existing institutional healthcare. Rather than replacing hospitals, the proposed facility extends care beyond clinical settings by supporting preventive health practices, post-hospital recovery, and everyday well-being. The project integrates biophilic and culturally rooted healing strategies in Carig, Tuguegarao, in Northern Luzon, Philippines, adjacent to the Cagayan Valley Medical Center, and is informed by vernacular Filipino architecture and local climate.