ESTATE DEVELOPMENT
The design of the new entrance at Birmingham Children’s Hospital will include play areas for children, green spaces to reduce anxiety, and clear wayfinding to improve navigation.
welcoming environment that feels safe and engaging, we can make a real difference. Studies show that when children feel less anxious, they are more likely to engage positively with their treatment. This, in turn, leads to better outcomes – including reduced missed appointments and smoother-running clinics. By creating a space that inspires families and helps alleviate their worries, we hope to make repeat visits calmer and more relaxed for everyone.
Natural lighting, spacious seating, and relaxation spaces Our hospital’s interior redesign aims to create a welcoming, functional space based on the needs of patients, families, and staff. Key features include natural light, spacious seating areas, and non-clinical spaces for relaxation and transitions. The design will also provide play areas for children, green spaces to reduce anxiety, and clear wayfinding to improve navigation. Additional resources will offer health education and clinical trial information. By incorporating community input, the redesign focuses on reducing stress, enhancing wellbeing, and creating an inspiring environment that supports healing and learning. The redesign of the entrance isn’t just about aesthetics;
it’s about creating a hub for community engagement within the hospital. A key feature of the new space will be a dedicated sustainability trail, designed to educate children and families in a fun and interactive way. This trail will include a touchscreen display and a video wall showcasing the hospital’s efforts to promote sustainability. From explaining how our ground source heat pump works, to highlighting the importance of water refill stations, the trail will offer a child-friendly journey through our sustainability initiatives. Our Youth Patient Advisory Group (YPAG) has been
central to the design process, ensuring that the new entrance reflects the voices and needs of our young patients. YPAG members have provided valuable insights
32 Health Estate Journal April 2025
and ideas on how to make the space more welcoming and engaging for children and teenagers. Their input has shaped everything from the colour schemes to the interactive elements, ensuring that the entrance feels like a space created for them, by them. Beyond its functional role as a point of entry, the new
front entrance will also become a vibrant community space. It will be a place where families can come together to celebrate important events, such as Christmas, Eid, and other cultural milestones. The spacious atrium will be able to host travelling art exhibitions, bringing creativity and colour into the hospital environment. These exhibitions will not only brighten the space, but also offer moments of distraction and joy for families during what can be a challenging time.
A source of information The entrance will also serve as a valuable resource for families. It will be a space where they can access information on clinical research trials, health education, and even cost-of-living support. By providing access to these resources in a central, welcoming location, we aim to support families beyond their immediate healthcare needs, helping them navigate some of the broader challenges they may face. One of the most striking features of the new entrance will be its spacious glass atrium, which has been designed to uncover and highlight the original Victorian architecture of the building. This blend of modern and historic elements will create a visually stunning space that respects the hospital’s heritage, while embracing its future. Sustainability is at the heart of the redesign. The
entrance will be heated and cooled using a ground source heat pump, reducing the hospital’s reliance on traditional energy sources. Solar reflective glass will help regulate the temperature inside the atrium, ensuring that the space remains comfortable year-round. Wherever possible, materials used in the construction will be locally
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