VIRTUAL Barcelona Livable Cities

Abstract

In architectural education, studio-based learning plays a vital role in equipping students to confront real-world design challenges. This paper examines a fourth-year capstone studio in which 15 architecture students, working in pairs, designed a Maggie’s Center for Cancer Care tailored to the Middle Eastern context. Traditionally situated in Western settings, Maggie’s Centers are known for their supportive environments, offering spaces for healing, reflection, and community for cancer patients and their families. Originally conceived by architectural theorist Charles Jencks and his wife Maggie Keswick Jencks, the centers reflect a belief in architecture’s power to uplift and provide dignity through design. The absence of a Maggie’s Center in the Middle East presents a distinctive opportunity to explore cultural, architectural, and spiritual considerations specific to the region. Focusing on three student projects, the paper highlights how cultural specificity informs architectural expression through attention to privacy, materiality, and form. Drawing inspiration from Islamic architectural traditions, the students embedded culturally resonant and spiritually meaningful elements into their designs. While Maggie’s Centers globally tend to reflect Western interpretations of wellness and spirituality, these projects respond directly to Middle Eastern values—emphasizing spatial transitions for privacy, the use of local materials, and the creation of emotionally and spiritually grounded environments. The studio prompted students to navigate the intersection of building technology, cultural context, and user-centered design. Their process included urban site analysis, programmatic development, and client/user needs assessment.