Waste Management Building, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital

Generally, “waste” conjures up negative connotations and is thought undesirable. Even more so with regard to "hospital waste". Thus, it's essential to raise public awareness about proper waste management processes and the importance of segregating and disposing of waste correctly. Increasing knowledge of waste management practices in daily life benefits society and the environment. King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital generates a substantial 16 tons of waste per day. They have around 600 waste bins rotating daily for cleaning, drying, and export to various areas. Operating 24/7 with limited space, there was a need to allocate room and construct a new building designed for efficient waste management. This facility has dedicated areas for general, infectious, hazardous, and recyclable waste. It also includes offices, staff rest areas, storage for the various hospital departments, and serves as a model for waste management contributing to environmental conservation and energy efficiency. The "Waste Management Building" concept involves creating an organized space to segregate work areas while supporting seamless operation. Operators can easily access the waste management areas, and the size of equipment required for each waste type dictates the dimensions of the different spaces, manifesting in the architectural form. The building's red, yellow, and blue color tones match universal garbage bin colors for waste separation. This aims to promote understanding and deviate from the feeling of a traditional disposal facility. Ventilation and odor management ensure it doesn't affect the surroundings. The design includes showcasing the hospital's exemplary waste prototype to generate public understanding. Part of the operations involves washing and drying many garbage bins traditionally exposed to UV light outdoors without efficient drying space. However, studies show excessive UV exposure detrimentally affects the bin material. Therefore, a cleaning and drying area is designed to utilize exhaust hot air from the building's air conditioning condensing units, particularly from the offices. Located in a ventilated area on the 3rd floor, the bins receive appropriate UV light, allowing a large number of bins to be dried quickly for prompt redistribution throughout the hospital within a limited timeframe. The environmentally focused design enhances green spaces and provides views through integrated green walls as sunshades, balconies, edible rooftop gardens, and designated solar panel areas on rooftops.