The Unspoken Burden - Maternal Wellbeing of Women from Low-Socio Economic Groups.

Idea projektu

The Unspoken Burden – Maternal Wellbeing for Women from Low Socioeconomic Backgrounds, addresses the often-ignored mental, emotional, and physical health challenges faced by mothers during the perinatal period in informal settlements of Karachi. It aims to explore how architecture can respond to the complex realities of women living with environmental, economic, and social stressors.

Popis projektu

Through a healing-centered and culturally sensitive design approach, the project envisions a supportive facility that provides safe, dignified, and empowering spaces for pregnant and postpartum women. The goal is to create an architectural solution that not only offers care and comfort but also fosters awareness, reduces stigma, and promotes holistic maternal wellbeing, regardless of a woman’s socioeconomic status.

Technické informace

The project is a community-based maternal wellbeing center designed for women from low socioeconomic backgrounds, located in an informal settlement in Karachi. The facility includes antenatal and postnatal consultation rooms, labor and recovery spaces, psychological counseling rooms, group therapy areas, breastfeeding and childcare zones, multipurpose courtyards, and community gathering spaces. The built-up area ranges between 8,000–10,000 square feet, planned over a single level to ensure ease of access. The design prioritizes natural ventilation, daylight, and thermal comfort using passive strategies, while incorporating locally sourced materials to ensure affordability and contextual relevance. Strategies to utilize ground water has also been used. The layout emphasizes user privacy, sensory comfort, and healing through green spaces, shaded courtyards, and calm interiors. Accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and spatial dignity are central to the architectural language, enabling a safe and empowering environment for mothers during the perinatal phase.

Dokumentace

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