DESIGN BY FUNCTION (CONT) . HEALTHCARE
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(Above left) The grey skirting highlights the wall and floor axis. Subtle rose tones are gentle. Brightly coloured weights add fun pops of colour. (Above right) An off white colour is good for consultation areas, colour will not reflect onto the skin and hinder visual diagnosis. The dark wall frames the sink and adds depth into the room. Leaf stencils create interest.
Patient Areas Research (Ulrich 1984) has shown that patients recovery time after surgery was 8% faster when they had a room that overlooked nature, as opposed to one that had a view of a brick wall. When a garden view is not possible, introduce indirect references such as images of nature and natural finishes. Window frames should be painted a light colour so not to contrast greatly with daytime sky. High contrast can cause headaches. The harsh contrasts between walls and feature walls should also be avoided. Strong contrasting colours such as red and white can be jarring if viewed for long periods of time. Skin pigmentation can be a vital clue for visual assessment. The wall colour near the patient’s bedmust not reflect colour onto the patient’s skin and hinder diagnosis. While new born babies and those with liver disease present yellowing of the skin whereas
Children’s Areas A hospital can be a daunting place for a child, especially if that child is the patient, colourful schemes and paintedmurals can be appealing, reassuring and cause a gentle distraction. There aremany innovative examples of architecture and design for children’s hospitals ranging from interactive wall art, lighting displays and sculptural installation that would not look out of place in a theme park. Lighting Hospitals are open 24 hours a day. People require access into the building at all times and flexible lighting can be useful; softer warmer lights in the evening and natural lighting during the daytime. Some hospitals have trialled circadian lighting in wards to help patients with sleep routines. A doctor will need lighting with good colour rendition to diagnose a patient.
those at risk from low oxygen levels may have a blue or purple tinge to their skin. These principles can be applied to a consultation room. Pastel colours are not always distinguishable by members of the older population. Sludgy richer tones are better received by adults than children. Many wards are designed for a certain patient group. Understanding who will use the space can help achieve optimum results. Specialist Medical Areas: Treatment rooms, operating theatres, laboratories, consultation rooms Mid to light tones are beneficial in well-lit areas where attention to detail is paramount. In operating theatres surgeons will be focused for a period of time on blood red, when the surgeon looks away an after image effect occurs and the opposite colour is seen. In this instance the colour will be blue green and so gowns in this colour help reduce eye strain.
Chalky terracottas are gentle and walming, this is teamed with a warm grey to balance the scheme.
Greens are reassuring colours. We associate greens with food and nature. A soft coral reflects the floor finish and adds warmth.
Original image. Matt floors minimise reflections and are less disorienting. The grey bandmarks the edge of the floor.
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Fresh zest colours are energising, a neutral grey adds balance and is softer than white.
Dark colours add depth and canmake a space feel more intimate, less vast.
The green draws the eye towards the garden view.
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