Intimate Waiting Spaces

INTIMATE WAITING SPACES

Intimate Waiting Spaces Lizzy Nikoomanesh University of Kansas

INTIMATE WAITING SPACES We’ve all been there before, the annual checkup with the doctor or emergency trip to the hospital. We enter into a large atrium space and weave our way through hallways searching for the right room number and enter only to be greeted with “please sign your name in and we’ll be with you soon” only to hear your name being called anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour later. This, unquestionably, is why so many people have such hatred towards doctors’ offices and waiting rooms. Typical waiting rooms are not recognized as places people enjoy spending time. Ironic, seeing as the intended purpose of a waiting room is in fact, to spend time waiting. Hospital design has evolved significantly over time, and with the right developments, waiting rooms could undoubtedly become something more than what most people expect them to be, a place where they lose hours of time from their daily lives. This connotation of what waiting rooms have been in the past does not necessarily need to stay true for future designs.

Architects should design several intimate spaces such as lobbies, waiting rooms, and chapels within hospitals where family, friends, and patients can gather together in social or private spaces based on the needs of the user.

The first space a person enters through in a hospital is the lobby. Normally, people think of a lobby as merely a space to pass through rather than spend time. This need not be the case for hospitals of the future, though. Lobbies need to be designed in order to engage visitors rather than act as merely a passing point. A lobby shows great potential as a place where people can spend time socializing with family and friends away from the waiting or patient room function (Verderber). Lobbies are typically larger, open spaces that are often unoccupied, resulting in people feeling like it’s forbidden to spend time here. Because of this, most lobbies are overlooked and go unused, but there is a great deal of possibility for what activities could begin to take place here. A lobby should be a more social area that encourages open conversation rather than private conversations that are intimate like at the reception desk in the waiting room. If hospitals were to incorporate a lobby as a social waiting place, people might be able to enjoy their time here. This could also eliminate the lobby as being a wasted space that people do not utilize. No one desires the idea of sitting in a waiting room, so if the function of the lobby was altered to provide patients with more social opportunities, perhaps they would become more desirable. Creating an area that encourages people to be social such as intimate seating arrangements would help in accomplishing this. People do not only wait before seeing the doctor; they also have to wait if they are being picked up afterwards. In this situation, people need comfortable and convenient seating to wait for rides where they can clearly see a car pulling up to the front. Having several windows in the lobby with a variety of seating would make it easier for patients to visibly see outside to know when their rides have arrived or see when a friend or family member is coming to visit them. Besides being a social space and an occasional waiting space for rides and visitors, a lobby can also function as a break space. Being confined to the standard waiting room can often leave people agitated and needing an escape. Nobody enjoys having to mindlessly sit in an uncomfortable chair while waiting for a nurse holding a clipboard to call your name. Having an open lobby space can provide a mental break for visitors and offer a temporary relief from any underlying stress that may be occurring. Having an overhead intercom so people could roam freely without having to sit in a waiting room could ease nerves and provide patients with the freedom to wander around and spend

INTIMATE WAITING SPACES their time elsewhere rather than stare at a clock from a waiting room chair. If people do choose to sit and wait in a lobby though, scenic views can give people something to focus on rather than whatever health issue they may be presented with at the time (Verderber).

After all, any distraction will aid in making the wait time pass faster. If these ideas of utilizing lobbies as social, waiting, and break spaces are put into effect, visitors will become more engaged in actually spending time in the lobby rather than passing through a large, meaningless space. Turning the lobby into a desired destination rather than a momentary room to walk through will not only eliminate wasted space, it can also aid in providing an alternative space for visitors to socialize.

The actual waiting room itself is the most obvious place to identify as a space needing development in order to better function as a waiting room that fits the needs of the people utilizing the space. However, there is a great deal of potential when addressing the function in this space. Waiting rooms should have several spaces that target different functions that are both private and public. Valins addresses two main functions of a waiting room. The first function is “to provide a convenient point of assembly for patients to consult a member of the health team”, and the second, “to provide a restful and non-institutional environment to help reduce a patient’s anxiety and s enhance the quality of the impending consultation.” It is important to consider patient confidentiality,

Valins, 14.

so layout is of extreme importance in waiting rooms. The reception desk should be centrally located in order to monitor all the activities taking place, but located in a way that still provides the patient to check in privately. While these ideas of an assembly point and restful space prove to be important functions to consider, one that seems to be even more imperative is the ability to create a multipurpose space in order to accommodate all of the daily routines one might perform (Eilering & Rogers). Unfortunately, people end up spending more time than desired in waiting rooms, so it is important to provide them with as much normalcy and routine as possible. People follow daily routines for a reason and it can be both stressful and discomforting to put both your work life and home life on hold in order to make a trip to the doctor’s office, only to find yourself sitting in a waiting room for an extended period of time. Having designated office areas or desks would allow for people to check their e-mail and keep up to date on their work. A place to continue daily work routines would not only ease stress that patients might acquire from

INTIMATE WAITING SPACES having to request off work to make an appointment, but it also enables them to keep up with their work as if they were not gone at all. For some people, they would prefer to do this work in a more private space. Niches and alcoves can provide privacy for individuals that enjoy quieter spaces (Eilering). These spaces can also be useful when visitors need to make personal phone calls. Everyone has experienced the waiting room when that one person feels the need to talk on the phone loud enough for everyone else to hear. Having a private place for someone to make a phone call would not only make the wait more enjoyable for the other visitors, but it can also ease the person making a phone call during more serious situations when the conversation is intended to be private. An example of this can be seen in the Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio (Malkin 9.8). This waiting room provides acoustically private phone carrels so individuals can make private phone calls without worrying about being heard by others. Emergency situations can sometimes lead to emotional phone calls. In order to make this task easier for family and friends, it is important to provide privacy. Another potential space that could also benefit a waiting room would be a lounge space. The standard row of chairs lined against a wall is not necessarily the most ideal way to wait for an appointment. Lounge spaces can offer relaxing spaces for visitors to rest and take a break to relieve stress (Miller). As seen in the Parker Adventist Hospital in Parker, CO (Malkin 5.4), having several different areas designated for different uses provides the patient or visitor with a variety of seating and uses. Just like there are those who would like to spend their waiting time accomplishing unfinished tasks from work, there are also those who would prefer to spend their time relaxing and reading a magazine. Having a loungelike atmosphere will make the visitors feel more at home and comfortable.

Another type of room that can function as a waiting space in hospitals is the chapel. Although this is not as common, it does seem to be a prototype that will become more common in future hospital designs. Chapels should be available for visitors as an alternative space where they can reflect in an intimate, quiet space during emotional times. As a lobby serves as the social space in a hospital and the waiting room should serve as the lounge, the chapel should serve as the reflection space for visitors.

Unfortunately, hospitals are often associated with untimely tragedies that can occur at any moment, leaving people feeling lost and seeking guidance. A chapel would provide a space where people can feel like they are not alone during hard times. Having a place to reflect or pray can ease the pain people are experiencing and bring a sense of contentment

INTIMATE WAITING SPACES and peace. It is not uncommon for people to feel like they need time to be alone and reflect when they are confronted with bad news. Family members often feel the pressure of needing to be a support system for their loved ones. In order to positively channel energy, it is helpful for people to be able to spend time reflecting on their own so they can be there for their loved ones. It is important for people to have personal time for themselves during their vulnerable state to process unexpected news. Although having time to be alone is important during hard periods, guidance is also necessary to aid people’s recovery. Some hospitals provide Chaplain’s that serve as a support system for families and friends during these difficult stages. Having a designated place where people can gather for these types of situations and activities is helpful because people need a private place while grieving where they feel protected and supported. Having someone on hand, like a Chaplain, to provide emotional support is extremely important and helpful in situations where people are grieving. Even if there is not a Chaplain on hand, if there are several people gathering in one space at the same time it can ease the visitor and reassure them that they are not the only person experiencing difficulties. Regardless of whether or not people choose to reflect in private or share the experience with a Chaplain or family member, it is helpful for people to know that they are not the only ones going through hardships, and being able to relate with other people can add to a support system, aiding the healing process. The Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital (Verderber 188) is an example of a hospital that has a chapel where visitors can openly visit and reflect whenever necessary. Rather than being completely enclosed, some chapels create contact with nature by being situated in therapeutic gardens (Rogers). Having windows and views of nature is often linked with improved health in hospital patient rooms.

Incorporating this same technique in the chapel only seems to be appropriate as well in reducing the recovery time. A common notion associated with attention restoration theory is that natural environments can give patients a feeling of renewal and well-being as if their life is being restored (Pranikoff). If this is the case, it is surprising that not all hospitals make it a priority to include such gardens. It seems as though “the imperative need to accommodate modern technology in healthcare facilities overshadowed traditional beliefs about the importance of including presumed therapeutic features such as gardens” (Ulrich 27). This being said, in addition to being intertwined with green space, the chapel is a space that should be detached from the other functions of the hospital in order to ensure privacy. The space does not need to be completely enclosed in order for people to feel like they have their privacy, but separating this area from other functions of the hospital will ensure that people in this area are there solely for the purpose the chapel is intended for which is private reflection. In The Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital there is no door enclosing the space, but this does not take away from the intimate feeling of privacy experienced here. Being more isolated from the other uses in the hospital also makes it so windows do not become a privacy issue. Incorporating a chapel as an alternative space to reflect will comfort visitors by knowing they have this resource.

INTIMATE WAITING SPACES

Typically, hospitals are not thought of as great places to visit. Lobbies are usually undefined, waiting rooms dreadful, and chapels nonexistent. This is clearly visible in older hospital such as the M.S. Kaplan Pavilion (Dodge 82), but does not have to remain true for future designs. Lobbies need to be incorporated as spaces to spend time rather than an entrance to pass through mindlessly. A formal lobby does not give an inviting feeling that makes the visitor want to mingle within the space. This is the case in the M.S. Kaplan Pavilion where the lobby is not well defined and appears to be another waiting room with a check-in desk. The lobby and waiting room should be two distinct separate spaces rather than one space serving both functions. Waiting rooms are often associated as rows of chairs lined up against a wall with the occasional couch or lounge chair where people spend a significant amount of time until the doctor is ready. This does not have to be how waiting rooms function though; they should be lounge spaces that invite people in. Waiting rooms can, and should serve as more than just a place to sit and stare at a clock while waiting for a name to be called. Chapels on the other hand, often go unthought-of because they are not part of standard hospital design. Because of this, people are often unaware that these types of spaces are available to them. If people were more aware of this function, it would be used more often.

Incorporating lobbies, waiting rooms, and chapels as separate spaces designated for different functions could greatly benefit how people perceive the “waiting room� and rid them of any negative connotations. People need variety and the ability to maintain their daily routines. Designing with these ideas in mind will only benefit the hospital and how it is used to benefit the visitors and patients.

In order for people to not dread their time spend in hospital waiting rooms, architects should design a variety of intimate spaces such as lobbies, waiting rooms, and chapels where visitors and patients can all gather together in either private or social spaces. The negative perceptions often associated with waiting rooms do not have to remain true. There are several techniques that can be applied to better benefit the use of these rooms. Creating a variety of spaces to accommodate the different needs of various people will please a greater number of visitors and patients and can aid in waiting rooms being better received. Providing spaces other than the typical waiting room will allow visitors to participate in their daily activities, whether it be responding to work e-mails, taking time to relax, or spending time reflecting. Having designated spaces for several different activities lets people choose how to spend their time rather than forcing them to sit in the forbidden waiting room we all love to hate. Waiting rooms are not and should not have to be perceived as negative spaces, rather they should be spaces where people feel comfortable and have the ability to partake in life as they normally would.

INTIMATE WAITING SPACES Bibliography (1960). Hospitals, Clinics, and Health Centers. New York, NY: F.W. Dodge Corporation.

Eilering, D. (2012, April 12). Waiting Room Design. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://siuarchitecture.blogspot.com/2012/04/waiting-room-design.html Malkin, J. (2008). A Visual Reference for Evidence-Based Design. Concord, CA: The Center for Health Design.

Pranikoff, J. R. (2010). Words of Recovery: Finding Meaning in Illness and Injury.

Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 71(3-B).

Rogers, T. K. (2005). It’s a Waiting Room That Keeps Patients Busy. New York Times, Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/20/realestate/20sqft.html?pagewanted=all&_r= 0 Ulrich, R. S. (1999). Effects of Gardens on Health Outcomes: Theory and Research. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Valins, M. (1993). Primary Health Care Centres: A review of current trends and the future demands for community-based health care facilities. Essex, England: Longman Group.

Verderber, S. (2010). Innovations in Hospital Architecture. New York, NY: Routledge