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PROJECT REPORT: HEALTHCARE BUILDINGS
The building’s generous proportions and robust structure provided a solid foundation for reuse as a health centre with excellent spatial character
managed in a wheelchair as on foot, and the welcoming reception desk has different heights. Those with hearing diffi culties benefi t from the latest technological assistance, and contrasts of colour and texture assist those with a range of visual and neurological challenges. Consultation was key to achieving
this, and “Clinical stakeholders were very engaged,” says lead architect Malin Lindell, “We had reference groups of staff who gave feedback. We listened and modifi ed our concepts.” Working with Lidingödoktorn, White Arkitekter developed a welcoming and supportive interior that draws upon the character of the building and adds richness through careful material choices. Lighting and surface fi nishes create a cohesive, considered and cost-effective whole, without compromising on high standards of accessibility and sustainability. The interior design naturally starts with the qualities of the building itself and turns them into assets for the new, contemporary design. This 100-year-old factory has been transformed into a fl exible space that can adapt as demands change. White Arkitekter worked with VIZ Arkitektkontor on the layout, as the structure of the building was transformed. Internally, the large industrial windows remained, and Lindell and her team gave feedback to VIZ on partitions and door heights. “We wanted to make a warm, welcoming environment,” says Lindell, who worked to reconcile environmental concerns, such as reuse, hygiene and cost-effectiveness factors throughout the project.
Light relief
The building offered high ceilings in addition to the large windows, and these have been carefully incorporated into the fi nal design, fl ooding examination and staff rooms, as well as corridors with natural light. This layout maximises the benefi ts of existing architectural and vernacular features, while a passive design approach helps to reduce the use of artifi cial lighting, cutting energy usage and enhancing patient wellbeing.
Glass partitions above the doors to each of the twenty examination rooms make the most of the building’s tall ceilings, creating a bright and open feel and bringing borrowed light into the core of the building. The staff room was also prioritised as a space that would benefi t from daylight. “Putting the staff room close to the
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windows makes the layout work well,” says Villar. “We were thinking about what was best for the staff, as they work there for eight hours a day.”
Studies consistently show that access to daylight supports patient recovery times and also improves staff wellbeing, reducing fatigue and stress. By ensuring that both examination rooms and staff areas are bathed in natural light, the design actively supports the health of users. Villar approached the lighting plan in the reception and central waiting room differently. In these darker areas, carefully positioned artifi cial lighting maintains a calm, non-clinical atmosphere. Located in the centre of the plan, the central waiting room has scarce amounts of daylight, so Villar chose large, eye-catching pendants that give a soft and warm light to the room. Different forms of seating also accommodate those with diverse needs. Similar pendants hang in the ‘kids’ corner’ of the waiting room, where dedicated seating, books and games are available for younger visitors and their families. “The waiting area is the most important for a calm, safe feeling,” says Villar. “So, we worked with a warmer colour temperature than in the other rooms, pendants, and cove lighting in the kid’s corner.”
This playful element is complemented by a light installation on a wall, consisting of back-lit panels. “It’s a ‘fake window’ that has the same proportions as the real windows,” explains Villar. “The clinic is not over-lit, and the lighting can be adjusted according to need.” Colour selection was also part of the interior plan, with contrasting colours and textures between the reception desk and the fl oor, as well as between the fl oor, walls and doors. “We wanted to have a warm, yet pale colour and the walls and fl oor, due to reduced daylight,” explains Lindell. Green, and one darker shade in particular, is used throughout the centre, including in the examination rooms, where it is used on the tiles around the basins.
“The soft green colour is found in nature. It is comforting and calm,” says Lindell. “In the examination rooms, it creates a big contrast with the walls and fl oors, and the darker colour is used to ‘ground’ the rooms. We enhanced this with plants, as we didn’t want to add more colours.”
Materiality is also critical to this holistic approach. Each of the partitions is clad
ADF OCTOBER 2025
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