Hospitals have long been places of containment—walls enclosing illness, corridors lined with quiet apprehension. But what if a hospital did the opposite? What if, instead of closing in, it opened up? Instead of isolating, it connected? Instead of defining people by their illness, it reaffirmed their connection to life?

That was our ambition for the Ubonrak Cancer & Wellness Center. Cancer is an unrelenting force, but so is life. This building had to embody resilience, not resignation. It had to be a space that shifts the patient experience from inward suffering to outward strength.

At five stories tall, the center houses two key functions: the lower floors dedicated to cancer treatment—where radiation and chemotherapy take place—and the upper floors devoted to wellness and preventive care. But beyond its medical purpose, the architecture itself plays a crucial role in healing. We designed this building to resist the typical clinical sterility of hospitals. Rather than enclosing patients within walls of clinical detachment, we shaped a space that nudges them outward—toward the sky, the trees, the shifting light of day.

Anchoring the site is a 25-meter-tall ebony tree, an old giant that once stood unnoticed in a sea of concrete. We saw it not as an obstacle but as the foundation of the design. Alongside two other local trees, it defines the character of the building, reinforcing the idea that nature is not just a backdrop but an active participant in the healing process.