Ethics in Architecture: The Application of an Ethic of Care in the Design of a Cancer Treatment Center

The project chosen for this thesis is a healthcare facility, specifically a Cancer Treatment Center, as it is a paradigmatic project for application of an ethic of care. Moreover, healthcare facilities are not given due attention in architectural discourse and education despite the importance of their role in society. While healthcare specific organizations have begun to recognize and research the effects of built environment on health, this newfound concern seems to be generally limited to those organizations. Broader discourse involving other related professions, i.e. architecture, philosophy, psychology, sociology, etc., could benefit research as healthcare entails not only the treatment of illness, but the promotion of health.

The aim of this thesis concerns the application of an ethic of care in the design of healthcare facilities, specifically, a cancer treatment center, with the intent of creating a place that emphasizes patient experience and an atmosphere or environment that is conducive to healing.

It is my contention that an ethic of care may be employed as a directive in the development of design concepts, as a means to organize and create spaces in way that is better suited to the circumstance and experience of the building's users.