THE PATIENT ENVIRONMENT


Positive impact of colour and cues from nature


Lisa Ward, Product Line manager (UK & France) at Jeld-Wen – a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of high-performance interior and exterior doors, windows, and related building products, explores ‘the evolution of hospital design’, with the incorporation of colour and cues from nature contributing to more effective treatment, increased staff wellbeing, and a better bottom line.


The emerging shift in hospital design is revolutionising patient care. As evidence increasingly links well thought- out interiors to improved standards and faster recovery, healthcare facilities are transitioning from stark, clinical environments to spaces that promote healing and comfort. At Jeld-Wen, we have seen new design trends emerging across Europe, with just as much attention paid to the look and feel, as to the functionality, of healthcare environments. Here, we explore the evolution of hospital design, with the incorporation of colour and cues from nature contributing to more effective treatment, increased staff wellbeing, and a better bottom line. Historically, hospitals were designed with a singular focus on function, often with little consideration to the wellbeing of the people within them. This approach resulted in the creation of sterile, uninviting spaces that detached patients from the natural world, with an abundance of stark white walls, windowless waiting rooms, and long, artificially-lit corridors. For many patients, these clinical settings serve as a reminder that they are far from the comforts of home. Equally, such environments do little to inspire enthusiasm and motivation in staff, instead underscoring the gravity of their responsibilities, and the high stakes of their daily tasks. However, the focus of modern healthcare design is


evolving, driven by a growing body of evidence that demonstrates the profound impact of the built environment on patient outcomes and staff performance. This shift in approach is reimagining hospitals as healing environments that support the wellbeing of those who inhabit them.


Evidence-based design In recent years, studies have explored and evidenced the benefits of well-designed healthcare environments, identifying the positive impact of thoughtfully conceived spaces. Links between architecture, physical health, and mental wellness continue to emerge, and as a result, evidence-based trends are informing decisions about all aspects of interior design. Professor Roger Ulrich, a pioneer in healthcare design,


laid the groundwork for this movement with his seminal 1984 study. Published in Science, his paper, ‘View Through A Window May Influence Recovery From Surgery’, compared the recovery outcomes of patients in rooms with tree views to those facing a brick wall.1 The results proved ground-breaking; patients with views of a tree had shorter hospital stays, lower pain medication use, and fewer negative evaluations. This study was the beginning of a growing body of evidence suggesting that poorly thought-out hospital design may


January 2025 Health Estate Journal 71


hinder patient recovery. A more recent review,


by Haoyue Li at UCL,2 highlighted how natural light regulated hormone secretion, improved circadian rhythms, and reduced perceived stress, pain and – in turn – the use of pain medication. Patients that benefited from more daylight exposure also had hospital stays that were up to 41% shorter than those with less exposure. While changing the overall structure of existing buildings to account for this is unrealistic, the internal design can be retrofitted in a way that boosts the level of natural light throughout the space. For example, doorsets can be configured with glazed panels, and opaque glass can ensure there is still a level of privacy, while allowing daylight to enter a room. With less reliance on artificial sources of light reducing energy usage, this can also offer a financial benefit in the long term. Today, many hospitals are also placing focus on creating quieter environments. Noisy wards are more


Above and below: Each of the Swedoors supplied to Kolding Hospital in Denmark carries a laminate finish ‘to offer exceptional durability, ease of maintenance, and hygiene’. The doors were supplied in three custom shades ‘to align with the architects’ wider vision’.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88