San Carlos Hospital of Maullín
“If you want to know the divine, feel the wind on your face and the warmth of the sun on your hands.”
Buddha
San Carlos Hospital in Maullín is the only hospital in the municipality. It has a staff of 89 and serves the entire local population through its outpatient, emergency, and inpatient services, with a special focus on the elderly and patients with mental and neurological conditions.
As is common in many healthcare facilities, the hospital lacked suitable outdoor spaces for therapeutic activities in nature. In response to this need, the hospital team partnered with the Cosmos Foundation and, thanks to the support of the Amancay Foundation , began a collaborative effort to design and implement the first therapeutic gardens in the municipality and in southern Chile.
Participatory design for health and well-being
The project seeks to recover four disused green areas, located between the different pavilions of the site, to transform them into healing gardens for the service of the hospital community.
Following the Cosmos Foundation’s methodology, the process included various stages of active participation from users and healthcare teams. To this end, an alliance was established with the Social Urbanism Foundation , which led the territorial and social assessment of the hospital, gathering key information to guide the design.
During the 2020 pandemic, this process was adapted to digital formats, with the development of online participatory mapping sessions that allowed the hospital community to be involved in decision-making. This collaborative work ensured that the design responded to the real needs of the site, integrating the different ways of inhabiting and caring for the space.
Therapeutic infrastructure and connection with nature
On March 17, 2021, the first stage of the Healing Garden of the Maullín Hospital was inaugurated, named “Chilco” , a word in Mapudungun that means “the one who is born near the water”, in reference to the territorial identity of the commune, located on the banks of the Maullín River.
This first phase includes two gardens of 270 m² each, connected by a universally accessible pathway. The design incorporates an area for rest, relaxation, and passive therapy—focused on mental health—along with a space for active physical rehabilitation therapies. The latter features a covered structure, adapted to the local climate, allowing for year-round access to nature.
The hospital is also understood as a space open to the community , which is reflected in a design that favors meeting and carrying out activities such as traditional fairs and intercultural events with native peoples of the territory.