Medical Construction & Design

JUL-AUG 2017

Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.

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48 Medical Construction & Design | J U LY/AUGUST 2017 | MCDM AG.COM of protection. Both the environment and the behavior of the staff convey a relaxed but strong feeling of security to children and families. The staff supports this concept as they greet patients, families and visitors when they enter, and clear signage and interior architecture welcomes and directs them to the security sign-in desk. The design team concealed security equipment by means of accent ceiling tiles, ceiling soffi ts and lighting fi xtures, all in an eff ort to reinforce a positive and welcoming environment. Creating an all-inclusive environment Develop an environment that welcomes people from all backgrounds while celebrating art and play. Today families come from all over the country — and increasingly from all over the world — to seek care at well-known pediatric institutions. This population will include various disabilities, cultures, ethnic and racial groups, languages, religions and social customs. Design components and themes must be sensitive to cultural diff erences. Practical components, like wayfi nding, should be universally intuitive. To achieve this goal, identify representatives of the patient/ family backgrounds that will be represented in a new pediatric care unit and then integrate them into the early stages of the planning process. The goal is always inclusivity no matter where children and families come from. Providing opportunities for children to express themselves is as important as displaying professional artwork in public areas for adult patients. When one thinks of children, crayons and construction paper come to mind. However, no style of artwork is universally appealing; therein lies a challenge. Design elements and artwork should refl ect the specialties and age groups they serve. For example, hospital staff can help to select a unifi ed design theme in these spaces or include changeable frames in patient rooms to encourage children and families to hang their own artwork. Having an art and play space of their own may also improve children's responses to treatment. Inclusive approaches to art and play help children and families from all backgrounds to feel this is truly their hospital. This leads, fi nally, to the goal of full accessibility. Play spaces should be accessible for all children with a broad range of physical and cognitive abilities. As a result, children who might not otherwise interact outside of the hospital will be encouraged to play together and experience the things they have in common. The bottom line is to encourage children to be children, while meeting their needs. Simultaneously and equally as critical is meeting the needs of parents, physicians and other healthcare workers. The built environment off ers a world of possibilities to arrive at these goals. Erin Fogarty, NCIDQ, LEED AP, IIDA, is director of interior design with BSA LifeStructures. Jacqueline S. Foy, architect, LEED AP, is director of architecture with BSA LifeStructures. Successful pediatric design refl ects a graceful and unobtrusive compliance with healthcare regulations and local codes. > Below: While the behavior of caregivers, staff and volunteers is fundamental to creating a positive experience, cohesive design supports this effort. This includes wayfi nding components, adjacencies, family amenities, branding, imagery, colors, fi nishes, art and play spaces.

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