ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
Adding plants, lighting, and furniture, to this cancer centre lobby created a more ‘residential’ feel.
‘digital canopy’ that fully encompasses the patient bed provides an atmosphere of choice from morning to night based on patients’ needs and wants, from checking their vitals to FaceTiming family and friends, or simply watching their favourite show. A built-in sleeper sofa for overnight visitors that can transform into a workdesk or a dining table can be used by both patient and visitors. Lastly, if possible, patient room balconies that function like a residential porch allow able patients and visitors to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
Incorporating residential touches Furniture, lighting, and finishes, have a significant impact on how people experience a space, but many healthcare environments have specific requirements when it comes to safety and functionality. Mixing in residential and hospitality-like furniture pieces where possible creates an inviting, cosy environment. A good testing ground for this type of design intervention is in patient waiting rooms and hospital cafés. A mix of seating types to cater for different ages and physical abilities is important, and a combination of natural and ambient light, and floor and table lamps, can be incorporated into these spaces more easily. For example, coordinated blankets and throw pillows, ambient lighting, and wood and rattan chairs for visitors, help counterbalance the clinical nature of the patient bed. The use of warm, natural materials like timber is also common in residences. By using antimicrobial coatings on timber or timber-effect materials like high-pressure laminate (HPL), timber can be specified in healthcare settings while adhering to regulations. In patient bedrooms, headwalls or built-in joinery such as wardrobes and sleeper sofas are good opportunities to utilise timber, while designing a timber ceiling in waiting zones, instead of a traditional white lay-in tile, dramatically transforms the space into a more welcoming environment. In addition to wood, utilising natural finishes such as stone or clay, and integrating greenery, can help to create a cosy, residential feel.
54 Health Estate Journal October 2022
Timber finishes create comfort and warmth.
Build a sense of identity and wonder through artwork Art strategies in healthcare environments provide a sense of identity for departments, and add an element of delight to public spaces and circulation routes. Further, art strategies developed with community involvement that incorporate local artists’ work can give healthcare facilities an added layer of meaning and context. For a recent children’s hospital project, our design team incorporated branded environments with whimsical graphics throughout to add a sense of wonder. The artwork is inspired by common themes in children’s bedroom posters and art – from sea creatures to space cadets. In addition to imaginative aesthetics, the graphics assist in wayfinding, and provide positive distractions along the patient’s journey. Similarly, a curated play area that mimics nature and the children’s own backyards creates an amusing, explorative environment that eases anxieties while waiting.
Another recent project included an arts strategy focused on creating a caring, sympathetic, and relaxing atmosphere for patients through the inclusion of local artists, as well as involvement from stakeholders and the community. Harnessing the skills, creativity, and expertise of art consultants and environmental branding specialists at the onset of design allows for a meaningful, curated look and feel that is integrated into the wider architecture and interior design strategy.
Engage the senses The reassurance and comfort of home is not just about the space a person occupies, but also how that space makes them feel, and how it engages the senses. Hospitals can be noisy and busy places, causing anxiety and nervousness for patients undergoing treatment, trying to rest, or receiving diagnoses. Noise reduction, by contrast, can lead to a calmer and more healing environment.2
For a
children’s hospital, where a proportion of visitors have sensory needs, a discrete entrance away from the busy atrium, or a choice of smaller spaces within the waiting area, can lead to lower noise levels and less stimulation. To compensate for machinery noises, design exploration is under way to incorporate calming sounds – for example providing patients undergoing treatment such as chemotherapy with personal sound systems within their chair area for a more soothing experience. Views and daylight can also
A variety of scale can allow for privacy when desired. The image shows the Columbus Metropolitan Library in Columbus, Ohio.
tremendously impact on how we experience a space; therefore hospitals should be designed with ample windows where possible. This can be achieved through shallow planning, circulation with glazing at ends of corridors, and staff spaces that are located on external walls. Rooms such as Linac rooms – which cannot be open to the outside due to health risk – can be designed to allow patients to project images onto the ceiling. Allowing patients to choose a range of predetermined images – for example, tree canopy, sunset, or night sky – also offers a sense of control.
NBBJ / Brick Visual
Sean Airhart
NBBJ / Brick Visual
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