Typology Cross-Pollination in Healthcare Design

We have to be more than healthcare designers and healthcare providers, if we are to collectively redefine healthcare environments. We need to be out-the-box thinkers, expanding our expectations of what a space can be, and how a space can transform into a place which is more than its functional outcome. If we can conceive environments which are reminiscent of home, or spaces that create a sense of community, or quiet areas which foster reflection; we can start to create environments where every individual feels welcomed, seen and valued.

These pivotal initiatives need not cost more, in fact we already have the tools and frameworks at hand to achieve more than what clinical spaces typically offer. Through simple measures such as creating multi-purpose shared spaces, allowing access to biophilia, light and air, and designing spaces which feel familiar or inspiring, we can encourage healing and reduce anxiety and stress in the user.

Healthcare spaces are hubs of 24 hours, seven days a week activity, with a diverse myriad of users. Our spaces should reflect this diversity and draw on the lessons learnt and experiential richness of varying typologies.
 
We as designers and developers should be bold enough to venture into a space where we allow the richness of experiences offered by all typologies to influence our healthcare designs and foster diversity.

Healthcare spaces can be ambitious, heroic and can be designed for everyone, each space should offer a unique experience which strives to connect to our world outside healthcare facilities.

Healthcare spaces define pivotal moments and journeys in our lives. They are places where we give birth to our first born, say goodbye to a loved one, heal in a time of trauma, or even celebrate a miraculous recovery, these moments are etched into our memories.

Studio STH are embarking on a unique journey, integrating architects, designers and innovators with experience across multiple typologies into a collective which are bringing new perspectives to healthcare design.

Why can’t a hospital be a place for cross-cultural coming together? Why can’t it be like a hotel lobby, a sanctuary, a community gathering place? 

Yes - it can. 

Cross pollinating ideas from the places where we live, the spaces which we are inspired by, and the places where we work, play and learn, can enrich the spaces where we heal.

Healthcare facilities are inherently like little cities, a woven tapestry of different departments and differing tempos. Why not take this a step further and allow the learnings and spatial experiences intrinsic to other sectors, to enrich our healthcare designs?

Each patient who walks through our doors carries a story shaped by their background, beliefs, and their experiences. By weaving elements from various typologies into our approach to healthcare design we can draw on life outside our hospital walls, and create a sense of connection to our users' everyday lives. 

This approach fosters a sense of belonging and familiarity, transforming sterile halls into havens of healing where shared values are celebrated, and the nuances of different cultures can enrich the collective experience of care. In this way, hospital design becomes not just a framework for treatment, but a bridge that connects us all in our most vulnerable moments.

How do we do this?