Concepts of "manutente" architecture and "voltária" architecture

Abstract

To situate, with property, the nosocomial architecture, so that we can differ it from the other architectures, we use the concepts of “manutente” (unalterable, immutable) and “voltária” (mutable, fi ckle) architectures, developed by the authors. Whereas “manutente” refers to a finished, enduring architecture, which stands stable over the years, basically like in its original project, “voltária” refers to an unfinished, provisory, dynamic, mutable architecture. Each one of this concepts congregates characteristics which are peculiar and inherent to them; with regard to the medical care establishments, so that they survive and endure efficaciously, they must be provided, beforehand, since their creation, of provisory means and resources which assure the flexibility and the necessary resources to keep them up-to-dated and in conditions to contrapose the physical and functional obsolescence omnipresent in health institutions. The nosocomial architecture disposes of basic requirements that confers to the draftsman the necessary tools to provide the required functionality and competitiveness to the health institutions. Flexibility is one of them. The text focuses some of its aspects and illustrates some of the practical applications.