Wood is a material that resists binary thinking. It is not merely an “element” of nature, nor is it a man-made artifact. Wood is a boundary matter, existing in an intermediate state – where nature turns into culture, and culture continues to preserve the memory of nature. In this sense, wood is an ontological transition. It moves between what arises and what is shaped.
Touching the surface of wood means entering this very place of transition – the intersection of life and meaning. Unlike plastic or metal, wood does not isolate; it emits warmth, scent, and texture that speak to our body and memory. It appeals through presence rather than design. When incorporated into architecture or interior spaces, nature is not subdued or conquered. On the contrary – it returns to cultural space as a companion of encounter, carrying within itself the story of its life: the annual rings, the warmth, the structure, and the scent. Each of these features becomes a way for nature to speak within the human world.
Thus, wood is a dialogue-creating material – a way for nature to express itself through culture. This encounter is especially meaningful in spaces where a person seeks balance and recovery. Through matter, through contact with wood, we can once again rediscover our connection to life.
We are accustomed to perceiving health and healing as biological processes, yet philosophically – they are forms of relationship. Illness is a rupture between a human being and their world, whereas healing is an attempt to bridge that gap, to restore the connection between existence and environment.
In this context, wood is not merely a decorative element. It is a mediator, embodying the bond between what is organic and what is created within culture.
When wood enters the space of a hospital, it also brings a desire for a whole world – one where a person does not recover in isolation, apart from nature, but together with it. Such a space becomes a complete ecological organism, where the human being and the material begin to function as a single whole. By transforming wood into a structure, a piece of furniture, or a surface, we do not interrupt the cycle of life – we simply turn it in another direction: from biological existence toward cultural form.
Thus, every wooden object becomes a keeper of life, continuing to breathe and to remember. This memory is not symbolic but physical, revealing the rhythm of an era where nature and humanity meet. In healthcare architecture, wood carries within its very structure a logic of healing – a transformation of life that remains organic. From this perspective, the presence of wood in healing environments is an ethical act – reminding humans of their bodies and their belonging to what is alive.
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