Senior Design team member reflection

Abstract

The City of Pawnee is looking to renovate the Pawnee Municipal Hospital, which has been closed since 2007. The structure has visible signs of deterioration and the site itself has not been kept up. The structure's capacity and site conditions needed to be assessed to provide alternatives for redesign to the client. The goal of this project was to develop an improved, repurposed structure that can be utilized by the surrounding community.

My team intended to convert the Pawnee Municipal Hospital into a community center, with community historical preservation kept in mind throughout the design process. The center's main purpose was to act as a combination youth and assisted living center, as the town does not have a large enough young or old population for the entire structure to be converted into a youth or assisted living center. The site surrounding the hospital will be converted into a walking track and park, as the city needs more parks and places for the elderly to walk safely. The community center will be paid for by grants that the City of Pawnee was already getting ready to apply for. A portion of the hospital was to be converted into a local memorial, and much of the original railings, signage, and other elements were to be preserved, per community request.