Markunda - Public Health Care Unit

Markunda PHC : A Circular Community-Centered Health Hub

This proposal for a Primary Health Centre in Markunda, Bidar is rooted in the ethos of circular design, community well-being, and contextual responsiveness. The design leverages local materials, vernacular techniques, and bioclimatic strategies to create a healthcare space that is both economically accessible and environmentally regenerative.

Circularity & Sustainable Strategies
Material Circularity: Use of rat-trap brick masonry reduced brick usage by 25% while enhancing thermal insulation.
Rainwater Harvesting & Greywater Reuse: Systems proposed for self-sufficiency in water usage.
Bamboo Trusses and Mud Walls: Minimizes embodied energy and utilizes rapidly renewable resources.
Composting and Waste Segregation: Designed waste systems help return nutrients to soil and prevent landfill overflow.

Key Numerical Highlights
Estimated Cost: ₹5,97,796 (~€6,600), made possible by vernacular construction and use of local labor.
Energy Reduction: Passive ventilation, light optimization, and solar energy reduce dependence on non-renewables.
81% of the population relies on home births, the PHC directly addresses this with accessible maternal care.
62% literacy rate and high infant mortality rates guided a human-centric zoning strategy that encourages community gathering, awareness, and traditional healing.

Design Features
Courtyard Typology: Central Anganwadi space doubles as a community gathering and workshop zone.
Multipurpose Ward: Functions as an isolation space during pandemics or as a labor room.
AYUSH Facility: Promotes integration of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy.
Adaptive Design: Allows future expansion and responds to climate extremes (heat, floods, droughts).

Impact
This PHC design goes beyond infrastructure, it proposes a circular ecosystem embedded in social fabric, ecological cycles, and vernacular resilience. It is an affordable, replicable, and regenerative model for rural healthcare architecture in India.