The birthplace of the future

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NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS RISING STARS : concepts or ideas submitted by young talents (aged 30 or less)

Project title

The birthplace of the future

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Description

The birthplace of the future reflects the values of the EU: sustainable, inclusive and beautiful. It’s a community center where we welcome new life to our society and empower woman through community. Woman can meet during and after pregnancy to share knowledge and to give birth in a self-determined and medically secured way. The concept is revolutionizing childbirth by putting the needs of women first. The future begins where new life is born.

Where is your concept/idea being developed or intended to be implemented in the EU?

Please provide a summary of your concept/ idea

98% of the children in the EU are born in the hospital. There is a professional medical care during birth, but at the same time the rate of cesarean sections and medical interventions are increasing without creating medical value. Every third woman has experienced abusive, if not violent, moments during childbirth. 75% of women give birth in the supine position, although this is the worst position for childbirth. In most regions women have no protection of dignity and privacy during birth. Dealing with woman at this sensitive moment reflects the position of woman in society. The birthplace of the future is reinventing the way we see birth in our society. The woman is no patient and the surrounding no steril, mechanical anymore. It’s a powerful place where we value and support woman through community. By combining pregnancy, birth and postpartum care a sustainable collaboration and knowledge-sharing of midwives, obstetricians and parents is created. It’s a community-based health concept for birth. Woman can meet during and after pregnancy to share knowledge and to give birth in a self-determined and medically secured way. The birthplace of the future is a new typology in architecture. In the exemplary draft the ring-shaped building encloses a green community garden which is the place for the woman to meet and share. It’s a protected inner world. On this level all the community functions are located and can extend to the community garden. In the first floor the rooms for medical care are located. In the second and last floor the birthing rooms are located. Every room has a specific outdoor space and is connected to the nature. The patient room becomes a cosy family room. The delivery room an intimate birthing room. The examination room a dignified meeting room. The concept is revolutionizing childbirth by putting the needs of women first. The birthplace of the future will be the birthplace of the future.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept/idea in terms of sustainability and how these would be met

Birth is a small moment in life for mother and child, but the impact on life is immense. A positive birth experience affects the health of woman and baby in a positive way. Her self-esteem will be improved and will empower her in the role as a new mother. A negative birth experience can cause postpartum depression, increased fear of childbirth and other lifelong symptoms which affects the health of woman and baby in a negative way. Too high cesarean section rates and too many medical interventions during birth causes also high costs for our health system. The birthplace of the future creates sustainability through a human-based design. The needs of the woman and the newborn are put first to enable a positive birth experience. The design with sustainable materials represents the positive birth experience and it’s natural dealing. The construction is made of prefabricated wood which is also visible in the interior. Wood will be an important material to reach climate neutrality and a healthy environment in the future. The warm appearance of the natural material creates a safe and dignified atmosphere. Each room is connected to an outdoor space with greenery. The nature becomes visible and tangible for the users of the building.  The users will recognize that a sustainable environment creates a benefit for their well-being and support their needs. It will be noticeable in one of their most important moments in life: birth. Through this they will value and protect our environment with high motivation. By putting the needs of the humans first the birthplace of the future creates a circulation of positive effects with sustainable benefits for the whole society. 

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept/idea in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience beyond functionality and how these would be met

Birth is one of the most aesthetic moments in life. A woman during birth is sensual, unleashed, wild and powerful. At the same time she can be sensitiv, vulnerable and unsettled. The birthplace of the future creates a safe, self-determined and dignified atmosphere for birth. The woman is not controlled and restricted. The woman can move intuitive and free to find the individual right position for birth. She’s not forced into the supine position. She can choose between different atmospheres like dark or bright, hot or cold, soft or hard. She is surrounded by natural materials which give her a warm and safe feeling. She is connected to the nature through a private courtyard, but always protected from strangers. Her privacy and dignity is protected at all time. In this environment she can give birth like a woman.  During pregnancy she is welcomed in the birthplace of the future in a home-like atmosphere. There are no sterile waiting rooms for medical examinations. There are living room-like entrances where she is welcomed and supported by a community. Through this she feels not like a patient in the hospital. She feels like a beautiful and valued woman.  The architectural represents the aesthetic of woman during birth. The aesthetic of new life. The aesthetic of our future. 

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept/idea in terms of inclusion and how these would be been met

It’s a privilege for a few woman to give birth in a self-determined and dignified manner. It depends on income, education, religion etc. The birthplace of the future creates a self-determined surrounding for birth where every woman has the right to decide where and how she gives birth to her baby - regardless of their skin color, religion or income.There are no first class and economy class rooms. There are family rooms for all kinds of families. It’s a place to give birth, but it’s also a community center with an entrance for everyone. By combining pregnancy, birth and postpartum care a low-threshold contact point is created. It’s a reliable place for every issue during this special process in life. There are no sterile waiting rooms for medical examinations but living room-like areas where woman can meet. The community garden is a protected inner world for intimate meetings to share knowledge. This knowledge is a valuable resource which woman can benefit from. It’s a community-based health concept for birth. The birthplace of the future is a new typology in architecture and makes the experience of birth visible to our society. It’s not hidden in the hospitals anymore where every third woman has experienced abusive, if not violent, moments during childbirth. Through the social inclusion and the knowledge-sharing the birth experience can be evaluated to improve the process in the future. It's a physical space to talk about traumatic experiences. It will be no taboo anymore.  The birthplace of the future creates inclusion through respecting and adapting the individuality of woman. It creates inclusion through community. 

Please explain the innovative character of your concept/ idea

98% of the children in the EU are born in the hospital. It’s a system which provides high medical standards but causes also a lot of problems for the woman during birth. There are only a few alternatives to the childbirth in hospital.  The birthplace is not seen as a specific architectural task. There is no research on the needs of the woman during birth. There is no architectural statement. There is no specialist literature. Till now the design of the delivery rooms is implemented in the common hospital planning. In this primarily medical context it’s not possible to create a self-determined and dignified atmosphere for birth.  It’s innovative to see the birthplace as a sustainable community center, where the woman is no patient anymore. It’s revolutionary to put the needs of the woman in the design of the birthing rooms first. It’s innovative to raise awareness to see the birthplace as a new typology in architecture. It’s innovative to see the birthplace of the future as the birthplace of the future. Sadly it’s innovative to deal with the architecture of birthplaces at all. Till now It’s a forgotten place.  It is long overdue for architects to deal with a sustainable, inclusive and beautiful place of birth. 

Please detail the plans you have for the further development, promotion and/or implementation of your concept/idea, with a particular attention to the initiatives to be taken before May 2022

Let’s built the birthplace of the future!  Till now the birthplace is a forgotten place in architecture. More research and awareness on the topic of birth is needed.  The exhibition ‚The birthplace of the future‘ is the first research program on the topic of birth, architecture & sustainability that travels through the EU. The interactive exhibition shares and collect knowledge from different stakeholders. Woman can share their birth experiences. Midwives and obstetricians can share their professional knowledge. The exhibition is combined with events to create a sustainable network of stakeholders within the EU. Everyone can contribute to a sustainable and healthy future.  At the same time the birthplaces of the EU countries is investigated and displayed. They become visible for the society. Through this they can be analyzed, evaluated and improved. Architects are invited to discuss new concepts for the birthplace of the future especially in the context of sustainability and social responsibility. The exhibition is accompanied by a homepage and a social media account. Through this the exhibition and the research program is documented and accessible for everyone. The exhibition values the people by involving them. It’s a place where they can express their feelings and opinion. It offers a space to break taboos and to empower woman to fight for their rights. The exhibition collects knowledge and leaves knowledge behind. Through this knowledge-sharing the birthplace of the future is created. 

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that the proposed concept/idea has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Rising Stars Awards more than once in the same category.