Good Prevails

Below is an article and photo of a state-of-the-art design that won an international interior design award. The design used Evidence Based Research to guide the way – focusing on patient centered and family centered care.  The original post can be seen here.

INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN AWARD, THE ROYAL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL (RHC), MELBOURNE

RCH is based on state-of-the-art ideas developed by the hospital around a family-centered care model that puts children and their families at the center of the facility. Using innovative and evidence-based design principles, the RCH reflects changing healthcare practices, workplace patterns, user expectations, community aspirations and environmental responsibility.

The therapeutic benefits of nature in healing underpin the overall design. The design story is derived from forms, pagination and color mapped from the natural world to form an enriching and restorative environment for children, staff and the public. Through investigating the textures, forms and colors of the surrounding Royal Park, a unique aesthetic language formed a new benchmark for hospital design, demonstrating how healthcare spaces infused with nature can speak to children. Considered detailing invites the human touch, respectfully acknowledges the child and provides a safe environment while de-institutionalizing the hospital genre. The approach to color is intrinsically linked to the way finding strategy, celebrating the landscapes which make up the state of Victoria. Colors derived from the environment define each level; applied in a coordinated approach from signage through to environmental graphics, paint, joinery, vinyl, furniture and soft furnishings, resulting in engaging and coherent, joyful and uplifting interiors.

At the heart of the facility is the six story atrium and main street, a naturally lit public thoroughfare that links the elements of the hospital. A truly civic space, the Main Street seamlessly integrates with the parkland through natural light and use of natural materials. The calming effects of nature are immediately apparent upon entry to the hospital, and a collection of engaging distractions allow families and staff moments of wonder. The two-story coral reef aquarium, major installations by Australian artists, a meerkat enclosure managed by Melbourne Zoo and interactive video screens make an otherwise stressful visit to the hospital something special.

The interior design approach was born from the basic premise that nature and art can make children better, quicker, and provide a better environment for staff and visitors. Everything, with particular regard to the selection of color, materials and detailing, considered this. Evidence based design adds objectivity to the design process, bypassing the traps of style and fashion.