DESIGN FOR WELLBEING


and this idea of creating a range of spaces – some for quiet, others with bustle and energy – should be a bare minimum in hospitals. Too often we have seen a ‘quiet room’ on a busy hospital ‘street’, deep in the plan, with no windows, and inadequate ventilation – those days must be put behind us as we embrace the new wave of hospitals. Building on


Designed by Sheppard Robson, the Deloitte headquarters in London is the first project of its kind to achieve both BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and WELL Gold.


eating, which have a major part to play in shaping holistic wellness strategies, and celebrating a commitment to, and investment in, wellbeing. Furthermore, hospital staff will also be more conscious of how intangible qualities and invisible hazards, such as viruses, can shape their experience and wellbeing.


Acoustics’ importance Another vital way of boosting wellness is acoustics, which is linked to giving people choice of working or relaxing in quiet spaces. In the world of offices, a quiet spot to have a cup of tea is a minimum,


the focus on the wellness agenda, my colleagues in our interior design group, ID:SR, have also been looking at designing for neurodiversity, and


increasing inclusivity in the workplace. We have started working with neuro-diversity experts from the onset of projects, which shape how we approach space design. My colleagues started by putting


ourselves in others’ shoes, using ‘virtual reality’ headsets to replicate how people with different neurological conditions, such as autism and Asperger’s, experience space. This bewildering and uncomfortable experience showed how disruptive specific design features are to some, informing our design decisions. This heightened sensitivity is as relevant


to internal spaces in hospitals as it is in offices. For some time in hospital design we have thought about what ranges of colours to use in different patient spaces, such as how babies and young children respond to colour differently to teenagers. However, this has rarely being considered for non-clinical or departmental spaces. We need to consider how all people using hospitals, from staff to visitors, see the world, and carefully consider how colours are used – and particularly contrasting tones that affect some people’s concentration. This feeds into a project’s graphics and wayfinding strategy, and challenges us to think more creatively not just about colour, but equally about how maps and symbols are used.


Alex Solk says: “In the world of offices, a quiet spot to have a cup of tea is a minimum, and this idea of creating a range of spaces – some for quiet, others with bustle and energy – should be a bare minimum in hospitals.”


66 Health Estate Journal March 2022


Judicious lighting selection When creating a variety of spaces, use of non-flickering LED lamps, and a drop in lighting levels, can evoke a more comfortable, domestic feel, while dimmable lights within the quiet booths can cater for personal preferences and disabilities. It is by taking into account


wellness design principles alongside neurodiverse design implications that we can start to broaden out the definition of wellbeing, creating a comprehensive understanding of what factors can be used to create optimum experiences and spaces for people. Wellness strategies have often been


viewed as a ‘nice to have’ by some in the built environment. Now, the feedback I am getting from our clients is that wellbeing is essential to most of the projects I am working on. Without a clear plan to keep people safe – and in the longer term make them healthier – organisations will find it difficult to attract talent back into the workplace. I fear that hospitals that don’t express a genuine commitment to wellbeing will struggle to attract staff and retain them. A heightened understanding and application of wellness as regards hospital staff will have a massive impact on the culture and productivity of a hospital, and with clever design solutions, doesn’t need to come with a cost premium.


Alex Solk


Alex Solk leads a broad range of public sector projects from the practice’s Manchester office, with a responsibility for leading Sheppard Robson’s Health + Care projects. He is also involved in the practice’s Sustainability Group, which promotes responsible design practices and thinking across all offices. His user-centric, sustainable approach has been woven into numerous recent high-profile projects, which ‘reinvent building typologies for the 21st century’. He is currently working on a transformative project at North Manchester General Hospital, creating a community focal point with integrated health and social care facilities, new homes, and access to better education and training, plus new public open spaces.


He is actively involved in knowledge transfer within the design and construction sector, and is Membership Secretary for Architects for Health.


© BBC Cymru Wales Credit Jack Hobhouse


Photo used courtesy of Philip Vile


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