There was a time when the life of the Celtic villages circled around a formidable tree, the tree which gave life. The druids believed that this tree connected life and death and it was represented by its branches connected to the roots. They attributed the healing properties to the most valuable trees and used nature within its reach to carry out medicines and poisons. I do not believe in coincidences, but if one is attentive … they appear to be the connecting points: Galicia – Celtas – Tree – Druids – Doctors – Hospital. When we started designing this building, we decided to start over. How would a patient like their experience in a hospital? What would be the ideal spaces for the workers? How could we take advantage of the potential of the location and sun movements? The location is privileged; elevated and dominant with views. The contact with nature is healing and it improves the mood and quality of life of the patient, which was not understood by the druids. Our project opens to nature, searching for its benefits in a rational and organic way by the best orientations and spaces of the site.

Another challenge posed by the project is its integration with the pre-existing building. Our intention is to complete it, adapt it, grow from it and integrate it with the new building to form a whole. The dendroid plant form is the result of the analysis of the needs of the building and to open it to nature, the exterior part of the building and its gestures, it is an element that has grown with the same principles as the roots and trunk of the tree looking for light, thus grew the magic Celtic tree that connects life and death.

It is in our hands to change what seems unchangeable. It is in our hands to orient our work and effort in building a hospital of the future, a hospital that is not a dark impersonal box, that allows us to recover, a trip to nature in search of health and encouragement, a place which facilitates people to work in contact with the environment that comforts us.

We are sure that with teamwork, listening to the proposals of the citizens and the health team, with humility, we will achieve an exceptional hospital building. We can build our own “Arbore da vida”.