technology case studies

Hospital Sarah Kubitschek

Joao Pedro de Lacerda Campos
2015

Hospital Sarah Kubitschek

Architect
Joao FIlgueiras Lima (Lele)

Locotion
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Year
2002 - 2009

Builted Area
54 . 376 m2
Joao Pedro de Lacerda Campos
2015

index
Introduction
Enviromental Strategy
Structure
Skyn
Services
Summary

The architecture is its own

purpose
- Joao Filgueiras Lima

Finished in 2009, the Hospital Sarah Kubitscheck in Rio de Janeiro was

the last from the hospital network that consagreted Joao Filgueiras Lima (Lele) as
an Architecture Master. Followig his previous work, the Hospital was desingned
as an human enviroment, according to the concept of Progresseve Care, an idea
that was discussed with the clients since the first hospital, in Salvador (BA, Brazil).
Being so, the hospital is full of green and open spaces, where the pacients can
spent time and make exercises, and it also has a huge consideration concernig the
enviromental confort and the weel being of the pacients in their roms.

The project should attend not only the complex program of an hospital

assigned to locomotor diseases, but also should suply the demands for new
technologies and maintenance without depend of big industries. Besides the
technical premises, there is a clear intention to provide a differential enviroment.
It can be seen in his assosiation with the artist Athoss Bulcao, making the colours
and the artistic components not only decorative, but elements integrated with the
Progressive Care concept.

Introduction

The building has a linear shape, with the bigger facades oriented in

the east-weast direction. This seems paradoxal cosidering the insolation, and
the fact that Brazil has a hot weather, requiring the buildings to be protected
from the sun. Althoug this orientation is the one that more receive solar load,
in the specific site this is also the one that is more favorable to wind, an
impotant element to remove heat out of the building. To bypass the solar issue
the building takes advantage of a series of complex protection systems that
involves brises-solei and double layer covers with a huge air space between
them. It also maximizes the venilation with a sophisticated shed roof, that
covers the entire building and allows the air flux through suction (negative
pressure) and chiminey effect. That, combined with the humidity provided by
the lake and vegetation, and also an air-conditionig system, guarantees a
cofortable enviroment inside the building.

from almost any point in the hospital,

the building allows pleasant views
of Rio de Janeiro.

The hospital is made from fou buildings interconected: General Services Block, Techinical Services

Block, Hospitalization and Auditorium. The land, partially flooded, had to be landfilled to reach a secure
level, 1,8 meters above the lake level. As an additional precaution against flooding, was designd an
artificial lake surrounding the buildig. This lake receives all the rain water from the building and lead them
to the big lake.

Site Plan
scale: 1/1250

1 - gate house
2 - hospital access
3 - service yard
4 - parking lot
5 - garden
6 - water mirror
7 - helipad
8 - solarium
9 - auditorium
10 - ambulatory
11 - hospitalization
12 - service block

Ground Floor
scale: 1/1250

1 - main entrance

13 - multipurpose room

2 - hall

criativity centre/cafe

3 - waiting room

14 - library

4 - ambulatorium

15 - auditorium

5 - physiotherapy

16 - parking lot

6 - orthopedics

17 - service yard

7 - radiology

18 - hydroterapy

8 - hospitalization

19 - water mirror

9 - first stage

20 -garden

10 - cirurgic centre

21 - solarium

11 - changing room

22 - cafe

12 - lab

23 - hospitalization

Technical Floor
scale: 1/1250

1 - technical floor
2 - lifts
3 - cafe
4 - study center/auditorium access

The unit Rio de Janeiro, like the others in Sarah network, is all build from pre-fabricated

In the construcion of Sarah Kubitschek in Rio de Janeiro it was used pre-fabricated

and padronizated components, due to the economy and better quality in the finishing, despite the

components in concret, steel and reinforced grout. The least one is a very versatile element,

reduction on the execution time. The mass industry logic, aplyed to the architecture also allows

with a small thickness - wich allows it to adapt into several shapes. The architect stablished that

more investment in the project and in the detailing process, because the costs are diluted in the

by using reinforced grout he could get a reduction in weigh equal a four time the traditional

production serie. Besides, ampliations and reforms can be made using pieces and components

construction, in concret and bricks. Steel was largely used to replace elemets before made of

fabricated with the same characteristics as the original ones.

concrete, like the structure and zenital openings.

You can not restric the

use to the air conditioning,
and not propose a more
efficient system.
- Joao Filgueiras Lima

Rio de Janeiro is located in southeast of Brazil, at 22,5 degrees of latitude.

The weather is hot and humid, with temperatures between 15 and 40 degrees
celcius. In a tropical weather like this, the main enviromental strategys are to protect
from direct sunlight, insulate the building to avoid beeing heat by the sun, and also
allows ventilation and air circulation. The predominant wind direction in summer is
north and souheast - in summer the wind speed is higher, about four meters per
second. The severe weather coditions in Rio were determinants in the architectural
aproache.

Lele has aways been known by his concerns about he enviromental

strategy and how to make buidings in a confortable and sustentable way.The two
most significant guidelines for the project defined by the architect in response to
the weather were, first, the adoption of an horizontal strategy with green areas
integrated to treatment and hospitalization spaces. Second, the proposal of
alternative natural and artificial ventilation sistems giving priority to the first one
whenever it was possible. However, the higlihgt detail in the project is the roofing
system, which is basicaly a serie of huge skylighs that allows not only the natural
ilumination, but also the natural ventilation of the iternal spaces.

Environmental
Strategy

Although the air conditioning system is used in all the internal area of the

building, all the spaces also have a natural ventilation strategy. This is made manly
by the skylight system. The hole building has a roof that is completely disconected
of the internal layout, with variable heights that can reach eight meters. This roof
has a serie of openings to allow the light to come in, and also the hot air from the
internal spaces to get out. This happens because the air in internal spaces of the

Brise Solei
Glazing

building gets hot by the presence of people inside, the hot air has less density then
the cold air, therefore it tends to go up. Since the building has openings o the roof,
the hot air goes up and out through this openigs, which makes room for air from the
outside to come in. This ventilation strategy is called chimney effect.

Under this roof there is a plain ceeiling in the internal enviroments. The space
Ducts

between the ceeiling and the roof has an air layer that works as an insulation. Both
Air

natural ilumination and ventilation can be controled by frames on the ceeiling, which
works like windows, but horizontal. This way the user can regulates the conditions
on his own room, without intefering in other spaces, even if the huge roof is the
same for the entire building.

Besides that, on the base floor the building has a technical floor, used to

house machines and specialy the air conditioning system. This system is a fan coil

Return

Air

kind, and in the hospital it is capable to capturate natural air that circulates in the
technical floor and breath it to the rooms using its own ducts. On extremely hot
days, the ceeiling frames are closed and the fan coil system is turned on. This way
it breaths cold air inside the building. The return for the fan coil unites is made by
other ducts, located in a raised floor. Lele used to say that in extremely hot cities,
like Rio, it is inevitable to use air condioning. But his strategy was to use it only in
really hot days, providing natural ventilation for the mild days, since he belived that
air conditioning was an expesive and unhealthy solution that have beeing used
indiscriminately.

Fan Coil

Technical Floor
air flow inside the building

air flow inside the building

The ventilation in the building can be made by three diferent ways:

- natural ventilation only by the ceeiling frames and roof openings
- forced natural ventilation, made by natural air from the technical floor injected in the rooms by the
air conditionig ducts. The air is extracted by the roof openings.
- refrigerated air, injected by the same ducts of tre previous case. The fan coil unites are turned on,
and the openings are closed. the air is extracted by another ducts.

air gets in from the technical floor

hot air gets out through the roof

in very hot days the openings are closed and the air conditioning turned on

the roof shape, the brises solei and the ceeiling protec the rooms from direct sun

The buildings structure is

raised to poetry, as part
of the aesthetics. There is
no diference.
- Lina Bo Bardi

One of the biggest concerns in Leles architectural practice has always

been to make the construction more efficient, cheaper, and faster. This thought is
reflected in every decision he takes, and specially in the structural system. Like the
other buildings from the Sarah network, the hospital in Rio was designed following
a modular system. Modular constructions are knwon to be more efficient and more
rational, particularly in the production of the compoents and in the assembly in the
location.

All the hospitals from Sarah network are cases of well-heeled use of

modular systems. According to the architect, the main point is to decide the basic
module, since it will determinates the entire project. In this case the basic unit is
1,25 meters, and all the dimensions are multiples from this one. The choice for
this particular number was made considering the dimensions of other pre cast
components, making easier to use elements already avaible in the industry. This
way the construction is more economic, and the material waste is minimized.

structure

on section is easy to se the modulation

The hospital was build using metallic structure, with columns and beans in variable sections,

Because of the weak ground, the foundations are direct on the grond. Although, they do not

and also metallic lattices, which made easier to give form to the roofs. The opition for metallic structure

need to be very deep, due to the horizontal plan of the building. Most of the foundation block are

was made considering the advanteges of pre fabrication and assembly. The floor structre is also

isolated, and the columns are set direct on the concrete.

made from metallic frame, with gaps that vary from 2,5m; 3,75m or 5m. This frame transfer the loads
from the floor to the columsn. The floor slab is made of pre cast reiforced grout.

the main structure are modulated porticos

the roof is structured by metallic latticework

the frames on the ceeiling are suported by a metal structure

the buiding structure

Aluminium Sheets

Top Ring

The auditorium structure is made of radial metallic frame,

enchased on the top mettalic ring, and also o the reinforced

concrete ring on the bottom. The top ring is covered by a semisphere in stainless steel. This structure is segmented in a way that is
possible to completely open the circular gap.

Base Ring
Raft

opening system

auditorium sstructure

The mass production,

today seen as base for
architecture, always existed
in nature
- Lina Bo Bardi

All the walls on the building are made from pre cast reinforced grout panels.

This makes easier the assembly and execution. All the components are made on the
Centro de Tecnologia da Rede Sarah - CTRS (Sarahs Network Technology Centre).
Lele experimented a lot with reinforced grout panels on his buildings. He claimed
that building made by this system could be even four times lighter than traditional
construction - with reinforced concrete structure and mansonry walls. Furthermore,
the panels are light and can easily be carried by two or trhee people, which
reduces the use of heavy machines on the construction.

The walls are made by two panels, with an empty space between them.

This gap generates an air layer that works as an insulation to the building, avoinding
the building from beeing heated by the sun. The base has an aluminium sheet that
helps the fixation on the ground. The conection between the two panels is made to
avoid them to have contact with each other, which could create a way from heat
transmitance.

skin

Fixation
Reinforced Grout Panel

Air Layer

Aluminium Base

reinforced grout panels

fixations system

Metalic Frame and Polycarbonate

Primary Beams

Secondary Beams - Ceeiling

Column

Maintenca Walkway

Reinforced Grout Slab

Floor Ripping

The roof is made of aluminium sheets painted in white to help reflecting the sunlight. The

ceeiling is made from transparent polycarbonate panels. All the panels are dumpers, to allow the air
flux. The opening system is automated, which makes easier it`s use.

In very hot cities, you

can not waive the air
conditioning, or you wont
reach an internal confort
- Joao Filgueiras Lima

Acording to the architect, in very hot cities, like in Rio de Janeiro, you can

not waive the air conditionig, otherwise you will not reach an internal confort
suitable for work or living. Thus all internal spaces in the hospital are served by air
conditioning. The system used is known as fan coil. This system is generaly used in
environmets that need huge power, and it uses cold water, releasing the direct use
of refrigerant fluids.The buildig has a huge central machine, located on the techinical
floor, and the cold air is insufflated on the room by a series of ducts on the raised
floor.

One of the most important ideas on the Sarahs design is the flexibility. The

architect aims to allow the entire building to be easily rearrenged without many
losts. This way all the services are completely separeted from the walls. Most of the
times the are instaled toghether with the structure, or inside small gaps between
two beams or two columns. With the services running outside the axis of walls
and partitions, the lamps are instaled beweent the envelope and the roof. All the
structural sections were designed by the architect, and the beams have functions
like gutters, eletric pipes and base to fix other elements.

services

Green Area
Natural Ventilation Only
Served by Air Conditioning

Solarium
Water Mirror

1 - Aluminium Roof
termoacoustic insulation
2 - Gutter for Rain Water
3 - Phone and Internet Cables
4 - Termoacoustic Insulation
5 - Fan
6 - Eletric Cables
7 - Column
conducts rain water
8 - Lamp
9 - Concrete
10 - Pre Cast Slab
11 - Raft
12 - Pipe for Rain Water

Lele is the architect who

makes art and technology
meet each other, he is the
builder
- Lucio Costa

The hospital Sarah Kubitschek in Rio de Janeiro can be considered as

the masterpiece of Joo Filgueiras Lima. All the technical solutions are complitely
integrated, and work toghether to make the building extremely functional and
confortable. The roof, definitely the most important element in the design, takes
its most perfect shape, maximizing the ventilation and the ilumination inside the
building. All the other services only complement the roof: the lighs and the air
coditioning systems are not needed all the time, but caan perfectly meet the needs
when it is necessary.

But the most important is that all these technical solutions are not made

only for economy and efficience. They all answer to the architects believe that a
hospital should be a more human environment. Thats way he filled the rooms with
natural light and fresh air - instead of making perfect airtight spaces. The hospital
becomes a pleasant place, full of energy, life and light, to help the pacients get
throught this difficult time in the best environment possible.

summary