A 72 sqm former residential flat underwent an overhaul for an adaptive reuse as a counselling clinic at a bustling area of Tainan City in Taiwan. The clinic is located close to both college and high school where counseling service is in great demand for mental health support among the young community.

This is not a typical healthcare clinic but an interior architecture intervention for a healing environment in which counselling therapists and patients can better work on their therapies.

We believe that space can impact on both our physical and emotional well-being. To respond to our client’s requirement for a bright, open, and heartwarming environment, we curated the clinic space to bring in quality natural light in a meticulous fashion for a soothing atmosphere and flourishment of greeneries in which privacy, street noise and interior climate are addressed and improved along with a memorable identity.

Three individual clinic rooms were required, with a reception and a waiting area in which the material change was introduced to imply the different use of space and privacy. Wood cladding seems very ideal here to give an additional warmth to the space. A multi-function classroom adjacent to a common room was also fit in to welcome community members for seminars or group therapy.

We embraced the rich sunlight in southern Taiwan to which we responded with a setback balcony screened by our custom breeze blocks to create a passive climate control layer between rooms and the street. The design of the facade provides privacy without the sense of confinement. It also improves air ventilation as well as proper shading. The pattern of the façade casts fascinating visual effects according to sun angles which also works as an eye-catching branding from the street point of view!

A series of custom plexiglass shelves extending through different rooms allow all the plant pots and display items to float around the space. We love the stunning effect when the sun rays travel through these crystal shelves to vividly render the indoors. This design resonates with every other design detail to bring a fresh and enjoyable spatial experience as a lively and resplendent clinic.

This project is our humble mission to enpower a clinic space be the remedy to cure.

Design: Phoebe Says Wow Architects
Design Team: Phoebe Wen, Shihhwa Hung, Ting-Ju Chen, Yi-Xian Dung
Photography: Studio Millspace