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Application from James Hackett James, a 4th year student of architecture, was awarded £500. The Chairman's comment: James Hackett stays nearer home, but tackles an equally important and topical issue; how to make our hospitals places that can provide emotional support as well as physical healing. James points out that ‘hospital’ has the same root as ‘hospitality’ - too many new hospitals are completely inhospitable places! He plans to visit certain hospitals in the UK, the CABE ‘Healthy Hospitals Campaign’, and hospitals in Norway and Holland. It so happens that two of the committee recently heard an inspiring talk by Dr. David Reilly who set up the newly built Homeopathic hospital in Glasgow, and we recommend that James starts by visiting Dr. Reilly to learn from his experience and take his advice about the most interesting hospitals to visit. We had some doubts whether his Norwegian visit would be worthwhile. Again we look forward to receiving James’ report. HOSPITAL DESIGN - A HUMANE HOLISTIC HEALING PHILOSOPHY
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (WHO Charter - Definition of Health) Early man’s theory of health and illness were concerned with the purity of the body and soul, ill-health was the result of an imbalance in life or an-unpleased God. Early ‘Hospital’ buildings took the form of temples or places of worship so that the ill patient could perform a therapeutic regime of treatment in the presence of the God. The sites chosen for these ‘hospitals’ were usually alongside mineral waters or warm healing springs, and were places of peaceful and tranquil landscape selected with the sensitivity of the genius loci unique to the pagans, later lost by Christians. “Other than architects few people think about architecture, but many people feel it.” (Day C (1990) “Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental Design as a Healing Art”, Thorsons, London, p8) Over time the ‘healing’ buildings developed into places of refuge for the social classes held most in contempt by Classical society. In Western culture society slowly turned its faith to a Christian God for healing power and concepts of wholeness and health were replaced by devotion and praise. Hospitals became religious institutions and the chapel was their dominant feature, due to a belief in its healing power. Newtonian and Cartesian thought began to develop in the 19th century and with the dawn of the Modern Movement in the early 20th century Hospital buildings, once sensual places of healing, transformed into machines for providing healthcare. During the 20th century, an era when problems were resolved by measurement, calculation and technological flair, the hospital became the leader in functionally driven architecture. The emotional and humanistic meaning within the word hospital, which is derived from the word hospitality, has been lost. “Ecology - study of the relationship between living things and their environment.” (Collins (2000), “Collins Gem English Dictionary”, Harper Collins, Glasgow) My dissertation seeks to answer two questions; Is Current Hospital Design Humane? and Does it provide a place for complete recovery and promote general well being? These questions aim to improve hospital design within Scotland. My research is being complied in the University of Dundee, School of Architecture. To answer these questions I have spilt my research into two distinctive areas. Firstly I will examine the UK’s current examples of Hospitals, Ninewells Hospital Dundee (Scotland) and those listed below (England). While researching I hope to interview a broader section of people with differing approaches to humaninsing healthcare architecture. The information gathered on my UK trip will give me an overview regarding the Humanistic response of current designers. To test the quality of the UK examples I will travel to Oslo and Groningen to evaluate hospital buildings, which are leaders in their field. While visiting it is my intention to meet the designers and a selection of users of all buildings to evaluate the design intention against reality. Results will inform NHS, Patients, Architects and hospital staff. “Most of us, most of the time, are surrounded by materials chosen to perform certain functions which don’t necessarily include supporting life. This is completely opposite to living in, say, a forest, where natural forces have arranged materials to support life, but not necessarily keep us dry and warm. (Day C (2002) “Spirit and Place”, Architectural Press, Oxford, p187) We, as designers, need to step away from conventional hospital architecture, which is concerned with scientific efficiency and inhumane sterility, and move back to the design of healing environments based on the phenomenological science of nature. Proposed Travel Itinerary UK -August 2004 Day 1: Ninewells Hospita,l Dundee. Interview: Mr G Marr, CEO Tayside NHS Board. Complete full site visit under supervision of TSO and get feedback from staff and patients (pending agreement) on quality of environment and influence on recovery. Day 2 Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital http://www.ghh.info/welcome.htm Interview: Dr David Reilly (Director) Example of a new paradigm in healing environments located in Scotland. Complete full supervised site visit and get feedback from staff and patients (pending agreement) on quality of environment and influence on recovery. An opportunity to do some first hand research within a contemporary building. Day 3 The University of Sheffield - School of Architecture Sheffield http://www.shef.ac.uk/architecture/main/research/gr_pr.shtml" Interview: Bryan Lawson (Head of Researching Design for Healing Architecture) Compiling Research entitled “The architectural healthcare environment and its effect on patient health outcomes”. Interview Mr Lawson regarding above research and use the extensive library facilities available. Day 4 CABE -Healthy Hospitals http://www.healthyhospitals.org.uk London Interview: Sunand Prasad (CABE Commissioner for Health) Healthy Hospitals campaign was a resounding success with government and public. Mr Prasad has been responsible for this while also assessing healthcare design in other countries an excellent interviewee for a look into what the future of Healthcare Design may hold. Day 5 Grenwich Millenium Village School and Health Centre London Interview: Project Architect from Edward Cullinan Architects. This low energy project provides a new kind of facility for this new community, integrating education and primary healthcare on one site. This project illustrates the growing trend in Europe for extension of healthcare brief beyond healthcare buildings. Norway - September 2004 Day 1 Fly London - Oslo Day 2 Rikshospitalet University Hospital in Oslo Norway Oslo Interview: Svein Bergersen, Project Architect, MEDPLAN AS Arkitectur Statsbygg, Administrator Rikshospitalet University Hospital Occupied from 2003, this is believed to be the best example of the future of hospital environments. Considered radical in comparison to its British counterparts, this is the flagship for the future of hospital design, with a particular humanistic emphasis. Again first hand research possibility as in Glascow Day 2 Fly Oslo - Groningen Day 3 Dutch Groningen Academic Hospital (AZG) Groningen Interview: Architect and Hospital Administrator (On Site) Described recently as ‘the best hospital building in the world’ by CABE this building, illustrates the path of hospital design for the future on the broader scale. This is the ultimate benchmark in hospital design and thus will inform its UK counterparts of their true standard. Day 4 Fly Groningen - London
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