Daniel Heskins DRC

BIOPHILIC RECOVERY

A TEASPOON OF LANDSCAPE MAKES THE PAIN GO AWAY

DANIEL HESKINS S3201206

BIOPHILIC RECOVERY

A TEASPOON OF LANDSCAPE MAKES THE PAIN GO AWAY

DANIEL HESKINS S3201206

BIOPHILIC RECOVERY

A TEASPOON OF LANDSCAPE MAKES THE PAIN GO AWAY How can ‘biophilia’ be used as an active agent in assisting patient’s recovery process, and used in a hospital’s role as a healing institution?

Hospitals are well known to be dull and gloomy and are at the very least unpleasant environments to be in. They are places to be endured both as patient and as family member. The physical settings of these places are known to further aggravate the stress and angst felt by anyone within.

Now, things are changing and there is a positive emergence of hospitals and health facilities taking full advantage of the healing powers of nature.

This project investigates pre-existing hospital at a variety of scales, to understand how ‘biophilia’ can be introduced as an allied health system for patient, family member, worker and hospital. Then, by utilizing the hospitals constraints as opportunities, spaces can then be designed in order to generate a multi-functional relationship between patient, family, employees, and nature.

My design research argues that most of the major hospitals in Melbourne were built in direct relationship to the main gardens located around the Melbourne CBD. Hospitals such as the Royal Children’s, Mercy private, Epworth Freemasons and St.Vincents are all built within 100m of the nearest park, where as my case study, Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) is almost half a kilometre away. I argue that it is essential for garden as a ‘biophilic’ entity, to be present both visually and physically to all patients staying in hospital, as it is now well known that close proximity to ‘garden’ is proven to have psychological and physiological effects on patients, visitors, and workers (R.Ulrich,2002).

This project investigates ‘garden’ as a stationary and mobile entity/environment at both human scale and hospital scale, and proposes it to be a dynamic allied health system in its own right. At human scale, garden melds within the patients rooms as both mobile and stationary designs for an interactive and/or visual presence, using properties of ‘biophilia’ such as natural features (e.g. light, rockeries, grass, animals, ecosystems) to bring the bond between human and nature back into the recovery process, keeping in mind the spatial requirements needed for patient care and the ever changing patient condition. At hospital scale, sites have been selected where patients can view from their rooms and have been designed for social interaction by all users of the hospital whilst also continuing the idea of the mobile and stationary garden.

Essentially, my design follows a set criterion that must balance the needs of the patient, the hospital and biophilia to achieve a holistic approach for garden and hospital to coexist. My work is highly influenced by my reading of Dr Roger Ulrich and of the Biophilia hypothesis by Edward O. Wilson. Knowledge gained from these references has then been combined with my understanding of the needs and issues of patient care in contemporary hospitals.

Contents Introduction:

pg. 1-8

The Beginning

Chapter 1:

1.1 - City 1.2 - Block 1.3 - Hospital

Chapter 2:

2.1 - What Is It? 2.2 - Elements and Attributes 2.3 - Testing

pg. 24-44

3.1 - The Modules 3.2 - The Green Orderly 3.3 - Module Construction

pg- 45-55

Hospitals In Analysis

Biophilic Minded

Chapter 3: The Modules

Chapter 4: The Room

Chapter 5: Making Space

pg. 9-23

4.1 - Space for Modules 4.2 - Introducing Biophilia 4.3 - Permanent Biophilic Rooms 4.4 - Ward Mapping pg. 56-85 5.1 - Poppy Garden 5.2 - Leech Farm 5.3 - Mobile Gardens 5.4 - Cooling Ponds 5.5 - Stationary Garden

pg. 86-109

Interviews:

pg. 110

Reflection:

pg. 111-112

Reflect and Project

Bibliography

pg. 113-114

Key Terms Garden: Is the experience of being in contact with nature. Garden is looked at in this project as a medical necessity for the recovery of patients.

Biophilia: Humans natural affinity to all things living. Emotions gained via an evolutionary connection to nature and what we perceive too look good or bad.

Biophilic Design: A set of criteria that summarises the qualities of Biophilia so that it can be used to create design outcomes Hospital: A hospital is a place where people go to when they are sick.

This project challenges the hospital to be more. How can hospital move away from being a storage space for sick people, and become what it preaches within. A healer. Evolving from a hospital, to a Healing Institute.

Healing Environments: Are spaces that, when within, have the potential to make one feel better. In this project a healing environment is about how garden can be used as a healing tool within different spaces around the hospital to create healing environments.

Multifunctional: Means that something has more than one function.

This project is all about the ‘multifunctional’. The modules are used as a tool to create multifunctional spaces with there mobile function. This is required as the hospital is an ever changing environment therefore spaces require a dynamic.

Mobile: Can be moved around when desired. A highly desirable component to any object within a hospital. The ever-changing environment requires mobility in all of it equipment so the spaces can accommodate all patient types.

Stationary: Cant be moved around ever. A rare attribute to have within a hospital but necessary for a secure structure and for the sanitation purposes.

Dynamic: A system that is subject to change and adaption. Can change whenever required.

Preexisting Hospital: A hospital that has already been constructed but lacks the modern day requirements to function therefore requires change.

Social Interaction: When two or more people engage in conversation or some form of contact. Is used to help the recovery process of patients.

Nature: All thing organic. Can be material, living or systemic. A reminder to us as humans of what is real and what is not.

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Introduction: The Beginning

This record has been produced through the lense of evidence based biophilic design in relation to the treatment of hospitalised patients at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. The research will explore an interrelationship between hospital, biophilia, and patient to uncover how they can coexist as a dynamic, multifunctional system.

This relationship has been implemented in each of the designs as a beneficent to the patients, hospital, family and staff members in order to acquire increases in patient recovery and satisfaction of stay whilst also improving staff moral and productivity, hospital profit and family satisfaction.

Design Criteria

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Follie 1 was designed to help make a decision on what direction I would like to take this year. It helped me come to the conclusion that I wanted to persue landscapes fr rehabilitation perposes. The initial plan behind creating these itterations was to understand how you might begin spatialising my ideas by taking that idea (plate), pulling it apart and reorganising it with a set of ruless

Follies

Exploded

Continuous wind

Semi

Linear distribution

Rehabilitated

Whole

From the very first weeks, I had a strong drive in trying to understand the spatial qualities of a hospital and how these spaces could be re-configured to form a spatial relationship between garden and hospital through the follies. However, I didn’t quit understand why it was important for this relationship to exist.

Folly 1 was designed to help make a decision on what direction I would like to take this year. It helped me come to the conclusion that I wanted to pursue landscape for rehabilitation purposes. The initial plan behind creating these iterations was to understand how I might begin spatialising my ideas by taking that idea (Plate), pulling it apart and reorganising it with a set of rules.

Folly 2 was designed Folly 2 was designed to test the idea of a to test the idea of a physical and mental physical and mental rehabilitation space. rehabilitation space.

Using elastic bands Using elastic bands and sticky tape, the and sticky tape, the idea was to create the idea was to create the mental anxiety of a mental anxiety of a highly reactive matehighly reactive material in a physically rial in a physically challenging obstacle, challenging obstacle, creating a space that creating a space that Folly 2 was designed to tests both the mental test the idea of atests physi-both the mental and physicalcalstatus and of mental rehaphysical status of bilitation space. and Using a person. This led me elastic bands andasticky person. This led me to the thoughts tape; of: the mental anxito the thoughts of: ety ofbegin a highly reactive how you might material in a physically how you might begin to test the mental and obstacle, challenging to test the mental and created physical status of a a space that physical status of a tests both the mental person? How a landand physical status of person? How a landa person.

This led me scape can begin to inscape to the thoughts of: How can begin to incorporate both mightmental you begin corporate to test both mental mental and physical and physicaltherehabiliand physical rehabilistatus of a person?

How tation properties? a landscape can be- properties? tation gin to incorporate both mental and physical rehabilitative properties?

Folly 3 was produced so that I could begin visualising the current settings used within hospitals. I felt it was important to try and understand the reasons why they are the way they are and if possible, be re configured into a more efficient setting, keeping in mind that I want the space to be personal.

Tokyo Bay Experiment, Kenzo Tange

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Hospital Timeline

First evidence of gardens in hospitals dates back to around 1000 BC

Other means to help the sick began to emerge such as music theropy

During the Middle Ages monasteriescreated gardens to bring pleasant, soothing distraction to the ill

The belief that plants and gardens are beneficial for patients in healthcare environments is more than one thousand years old, and appears prominently in Asian and Western cultures (Ulrich and Parsons, 1992). In the instance of my case study (RMH) it was unfortunately designed in the late 1800’s early 1900’s. In this period a strong emphasis on infection reduction, together with the priority given to functional efficiency, shaped the design of hundreds of major hospitals internationally; that are now considered starkly institutional, unacceptably stressful, and unsuited to the emotional needs of patients, their families, and even healthcare staff (Ulrich, 1991; Horsburgh, 1995).

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European and American hospitals in the 1800s commonly contained gardens

Gardens became less prevalent in hospitals during the early decades of the 1900s

Now, garden and hospital are beginning to become one again whilst making adjustments to modern technology

This is why I believe my research is important. The design of the RMH is outdated and is lacking in any emotional distraction for the patients, family and workers. This in turn will add to the stress felt by all, which in actual fact could increase health issues. A substantial body of research has demonstrated that stress and psychosocial factors can significantly affect patient health outcomes. This suggests that the psychological or emotional needs of patients be given high priority along with traditional concerns, including infection risk exposure and functional efficiency, in governing the design of hospitals (Ulrich, 2001). Using garden to alleviate some of these stress and psychological factors became the task at hand.

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Biophilic Evolutionary Process Collage

This is where Biophilia comes in. A way of understanding the importance of biophilia is as a transfer of comprehensible environmental information through a neurological process. Seeing, perceiving and processing. The neural system of humans evolved in response to external stimuli such as the information fields present in the natural environment which are picked up by our senses. We instinctively crave physical and biological connection to the world, and we do so through the mental processes that has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years of life within nature. (Mehaffy and Salingaros, 2011)

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?

Simply put, throughout evolution us as humans have adapted to liking/ disliking different component of our surrounding environment. This project plans to identify the positive components of our environment and use them to generate healing environments within and around the RMH.

7

Should Be This

Khoo Teck Puet Hospital, Singapore

Khoo Teck Puet Hospital is the closest precedent to what is trying to be achieved by this research. It’s aim, similar to this projects, is to provide a ‘healing environment’ for patients and take the “coldness” out of a typical hospital setting. What makes KTPH dissimilar to this project is that the hospital was built to accommodate ‘garden’, where as I’m trying to introduce garden.

8

How To Achieve Change

Is This

Royal Melbourn Hospital, Melbourne

RMH in comparison to KTPH hospital is immensely outdated in terms of its location, its architectural design and its spatial organisation. This comparison in relation to the design criteria is used to demonstrate what can be achieved by using the criteria in constructing a hospital, too what happens once that criteria is lost

CHAPTER 1:

Hospitals In Analysis

Royal Park

45 0m Carlton Gardens

Fitzroy Gardens

Royal Childrens

Royal Melbourne

St Vincents

Mercy Private

Mercy Private

Epworth Freemasons

Understanding the hospital in relation to my research was achieved through a variety of scales. The different scales have been used to recognize why RMH is an appropriate site in contrast to my understanding of work done by Dr. R Ulrich. The first scale looks at RMH in relationship to other hospitals located around the city. It questions why most hospitals in Melbourne are located in close proximity to gardens? And why RMH is located so far from any gardens in contrast to other hospitals? (See Mapping 1.1) This began my obsession with RMH as a site and from that, I began to zoom in and analyse what, why and how garden as a biophilic entity, could become part of the RMH.

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1.1: City Royal Park

0m 45

Royal Childrens Mapping 1.1

10

Royal Melbourne

St Vincents

Very early on in my design I felt that there was a strong connection between garden and hospital. I found it highly peculiar that almost all the hospital built in Melbourne were located only 50 metres or so away from the nearest garden. Yet the RMH was built almost half a kilometre away. This began my obsession of trying to introduce garden to pre existing hospitals.

Carlton Gardens

Fitzroy Gardens

Mercy Private

Mercy Private

Epworth Freemasons

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1.2: Block

Fle

m

in

gt

on

Rd

.

Mapping 1.2 12

At this scale it was important to identify what was around the RMH. As you can see, RMH is situated right in the centre of buildings at a similar height. This means the spaces surrounding the RMH are limited to a certain amount of light depending on how close to the ground they are or how close to the surrounding buildings.

Royal Parade

RMH

Grattan St.

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Contours

Construction

Vegetation

Parking

Emergency Department/ Research Facility

Melbourne Private

Royal Melbourne

Royal Womens

Visitor

Patient

This mapping shows the surroundings of RMH. As you can see RMH is positioned right in the middle of multiple buildings, leaving it with minimal light and viewing opportunity.

Car

Ambo

Mapping 1.3

N

Taxi

Royal Parade

Tram

Bus

RMH

Grattan st

Flemington rd

Frequency

Diagram 1.1

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The roads around the RMH are extremely busy with two of the main roads (Flemington road and Royal Parade) leading to the inner city from the northern suburbs. this creates a highly stressful environment on Grattan street which is one of the main places for patients, family members and staff to converse in.

North 0

1

2

3

12

11

10

Sun Set

8

5 June 22

1

2

3

12

30% (9hrs Light)

Sun Rise 11 10 9

4 5 3

6

West 270

Shade Diagram

9

4

2

1

12

10

7

50% (7hrs of Light )

9

4

March 21

30-50% (7-9hrs Light)

8 11

East 90

8

5

70% (5hrs of Light)

7

6

90-100% (0-1hrs of Light)

6 7 December 22 Sun Rise

Sun Set

South 180

Full

30%

-Dosn’t need to grow -Over exposed -Requires more water -Tough on feet

-Ideal conditions -Steady growth rate -Requires more Water -Soft

50%

-Grows faster -Weaker structure -Blades getting broader -Soil structure depleated

70%

-Grows faster -Blades are broader -More spaced out -Weaker structure -Easily damaged

Diagram 1.2

Identifying light and shade on site was important to identify what and where designs were best suited. All plants require different amounts of light and shade so to achieve a healthy setting for these plants, identifying light and shade spaces proves to be of importance. It is also important to consider in relation to the patients as some medications don’t allow you to be in direct sunlight if taken

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1.3: Hospital

16 Mapping 1.4

RMH is located in the middle of an intensely busy surroundings, completely encased in hardscape. Research has shown that the following environmental qualities can elicit negative responses in patients and other users, and may hinder restoration or even worsen stress: predominance of hardscape rather than nature (eg concrete); intrusive urban or mechanical sounds (such as traffic or air con compressors) ; crowding; and ambiguous or abstract art and design features that are readingly interpreted in multiple ways and may elicit negative reactions in some stressed patients (Ulrich 1991, 1999; Ulrich and Gilpin 2003)

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Royal Woman’s Hospital

Flemington Rd

Section 1.1

18

Royal Melbourne Hospital

Grattan St

tan St

Emergancy Centre/ Research Facility

Royal Parade

19

Due to the nature of were RMH is positioned, only some of the patient rooms have views out into the city and again only some have views of the occasional streetscape tree, but the vast majority look out onto a brick wall or a roof top. Therefor it is important in my design to select appropriate spaces that can be both accessed and viewed by all users.

Room Views

Mapping 1.5

From mapping 1.5, I then selected a number of spaces I could potentially apply my ideas too. These spaces are found both on the ground and on different levelled rooftops. The challenge in this design is that all the spaces are hard surfaced.

Storage Spaces For Modules

Mapping 1.6

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Mapping 1.7

Being a hospital, getting photos of the inside of RMH is quite difficult and possibly illegal. However, it was interesting to find out that small spaces found deep in amongst the tall buildings manages to retain decent amounts of light. Gardens do exist within the many small spaces dotted throughout the hospital, however they are fake and cant be accessed.

There is one single painted line leading to the central elevators and carpark lining the corridors. Finally there are safety nets every three or so flights of stairs to prevent suicide attempts.

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Storage E: Infectious Dis., N: Infectious Dis. Clinic, W: Gen. Surgical SE+SW: Helipad

RMH

Offices- Intern Quaters W: Palliative care, SE: Plastics Trauma SE: Gen. Rehabilitation, SW: Renal Care

Royal M

elbourn e

SE: Gen. Respiratory Medicin, SW: Respiratory Care Unit, Level 10 N: Cancer Treat., W: Day Oncology, E: Bone Marrow Trans.

Level 9 Level 8 Nurological Surgery - Brain Centre Level 7 Level 6 S: Gastro/Vascular, SW: Colorectal, W: Scoping of the GI Level 5 Tract, E: Pre Admissions for Surgery, Post Op. Ward Level 4 Level 3 S: ICU- Negative and Positive Pressure rooms Level 2 W: Psychiatric, Pathology - out patients Level 1 Nuclear Med., Emergency Dep., Level G Transition Ward

Hospita l

Diagram 1.3 ROYAL MELBOURNE HOSPITAL

Wards

Issues

Risks

-Security issues -Access when patient is restrained -Smoking

-Other patients -Absconding -Suicide

-Bed Bound -Patients are heavily sedated -High acuity equipement

-Immuno suppressed patients (no flowers)

-Highly succeptable to illness

-Not allowed flowers (pollens)

-IV Poles -Blood pressure -Cardiac monitoring

-Bleeding -Full supervision

1W

Full/Restricted

ICU (Intensive Care)

2S

Full/Restricted/Nil

Immune Deficient

2

Restricted

Gastro/Vascular/Cardiac

3

Full/Restricted

Colorectal

3

Full

4

Restricted

-Concious state - Confused patients -Require a low stimulus environment -Security issues

-Aggressive patients

Neurological RCU (Respiratory Care)

5 SE

Restricted

-Ventilators -Mechanical ventilators -Tracheostomy patients

-Lung collapse

Cancer Treatment

5N

Full

Oncology

5W

Full/Restricted

Renal Care

6 SW

Full

Plastics Trauma

7 SE

Full/Nil

Infectious Diseases

9E

Restricted

General Surgical

9

Full

Table 1

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Level Mobility

Psychiatric

-Sharp objects -Drug dealing -Self harm

-IV Poles

-Not allowed flowers -Immunosuppressed -Access -Time -Immunosuppressed

-Wheel chair access -Spinal patients cant move -Flap patients have 30 min ob’s

-Require a low stimulus environment

-Contact/Airbourne -Patients require PPE when outside

-Infection

-Drain tubes -Wheel chair access -Smoke detectors

-Fire danger

Talking to nurses at RMH, it became very clear how sophisticated the interior is and more importantly, the people within it are in terms of acquiring personalised care for each individual.

This is why there are so many different wards; to categorise patients into the right type of care. Even then there are still overlaps in conditions (shown in Diagram 1.3 & Table 1). This Is why it would be impossible to design a particular type of garden for a particular type of patient in a hospital like this.

One of the challenges of this research was to uncover solutions for garden that could be used by any patients from any ward.

Occupations such as nursing are stressful because they often involve high work demands, low sense of control, stressful events such as death, noise, fatigue, inadequately designed work and care settings that force nurses to spend much of their time walking up and down halls engaged in wasteful fetching, and lack of break rooms or respite spaces. (Ulrich et al. 2006). I have used this quote as a reminder that the research isn’t only designed to affect the patients, but also those who work in the environment.

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CHAPTER 2: Biophilic Mind

After gaining an understanding of what makes up the RMH spatially and functionally, the next phase is about ‘Biophilia’ and how I plan to use it.

Biophilia is a movement taken on mostly by architects as a way of making the unnatural seem and/or feel more natural. To help connect building and nature as a sinuous entity for the wellbeing of the environment and all that exists within it. This challenge can be equally met by landscape architects using the same elements and principles described in the book “Biophilic Design” by Kellert, J. Heerwagen, and M. Mador.

In the book “Biophilic Design”, biophilia is broken down into six elements. Each element contains a dozen or so principles, each summarised in the following chapter. These principles are designed to be used as a guideline in producing a biophilic outcome.

After researching this, symmetries began to emerge between the thinking of Dr R. Ulrich and biophila. These symmetries became the basis for this evidence based research and why it is so important for garden to be present in a hospital setting.

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2.1: What Is It?

Collage 2.1

The evolutionary process of Biophilia up until today. The next step in this process is to take a step back from the built environment and revert back to being submerged in the natural environment.

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Patients Current View out of Window

Desired View out of Window

My interpretation of work done by Dr. Roger Ulrich. Shows that viewing a natural scene outside a patients window compared to viewing a brick wall proves to have positive effects on overall health outcomes for patients and hospitals. To what extent does the view need to be ‘natural’ to have an effect? Can alternative method of ‘nature’ be used?

Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

28 Examples of Sky Lights in Hospital Settings

Dr R. Ulrich argues: physiological manifestations of stress recovery, laboratory and clinical investigations have found that viewing nature settings can produce significant restoration within less than five minutes as indicated by positive changes, for instance, in blood pressure, heart activity, muscle tension, and brain electrical activity (Ulrich, 1981; Ulrich et al., 1991).

Thorncrown Chapel is the prime example of how the combination of biophilia and Ulrich’s thoughts can be achieved. But how can they be achieved within a preexistent hospital setting? Sky lights are an example of how I began to think about introducing nature to the hospitals interior.

Neural Structures/ Mechanisms

Negative Emotions

Pain Impulses

Positive Feelings Gate can be closed by messages that descend from the brain and are influenced by psychological or emotional factors.

Negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, and focusing on the injury, can open the gate, increasing pain.

Positive feelings such as relaxation or distracting the patients focus can close the gate, decreasing pain.

Diagram 2.1 - Gate Control Theory

It is noted that distraction and gate control theory predicts that the more engrossing a nature distraction, the greater the pain alleviation. This implies that nature exposures may tend to be more diverting and hence pain reducing if they involve sound as well as visual stimulation, and are high in realism and “immersion�

(Wismeijer and Vingerhoets 2005)

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2.1: Elements and Attributes Environmental Features Part of the Cleveland Botanical Garden, the Elizabeth and Nona Evans Restorative Garden serves a number of nearby hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Views and Vistas: Views are often most satisfying when the scale is compatible with human experience - For example, not overly restricted or confined, unfamiliar, or out of scale or proportion (eg. too large or too high) Facade Greening: Green walls or roofs. Historic benefits associated with organic materials as sources of insulation, camouflaging protection, or even food. Plants on building evoke a powerful vernacular, such as the thatched or vegetative roofs of many cultures.

Geology and Landscape: The compatible connection of buildings to prominent geological features is often an effective design strategy. Structures are described as ‘rooted’ or ‘grounded’.

Aquarium in the Royal Childrens Hospital (RCH), Melbourne

Habitats and Ecosystems: Buildings and landscapes that possess a close and compatible relationship to habitats and ecosystems.

Ecosystems include wetlands, forests, grasslands, and watersheds.

Fire: Complicated and difficult to design challenge. Benefits of heating and cooking. They are a sign of comfort and civilization, providing pleasing qualities of colour, warmth and movement.

Colour: Enhances the ability to locate food, resources, and water; identify danger; facilitate visual access; foster mobility. People are attracted to bright flowering colours, rainbows, sunsets, glistening water, blue sky, anything colourful that is connected to the natural world.

Earth tones used by designers.

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Water: One of the most basic of human needs, elicts a strong response in people. Consider quality, quantity, movement, and clarity.

Air: People prefer natural ventilation over processed and stagnant air. Consider quality, movement, flow, stimulation of other senses such as feel and smell + visual appeal.

Sunlight: Preferred feature by most people in the built environment, can improve moral, comfort and health and productivity. People depend on visual acuity to satisfy various physical, emotional, and intellectual needs.

Plants: Fundamental to the human existence as sources of food, fibber, fodder, sustenance and security. Insertion of plant can enhance comfort, satisfaction, well-being and performance.

Animals: Sources of food, resources, protection, comfort, and companionship, and occasionally as precipitators of fear and danger.

Difficult to design with. Can be effective in aviaries, aquaria, and even the presence of free-roaming creatures associated with certain designs like green roofs. Metaphorical use of animal can be effective in the interior of building space as ornamental, decorative, art and can provoke satisfaction, pleasure, stimulation and emotional interest Natural Materials: People generally prefer natural over artificial materials, even if the artificial forms seem like exact copies of natural products.

The patina of time may provoke an intuitive understanding among some people of the benefits flowing from the movement of nutrients and energies through natural systems

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Natural Shapes and Forms

Botanical Motifs: Shapes, forms and patterns of plants and other vegetative matter. These representations often mimic plant forms such as foliage, ferns, cones, shrubs and bushes, both literally and metaphorically.

RMH, Fake Garden Enclosure

Tree and Columnar Supports: Trees play a vital role in humanity as a sources of food, material, paper, heating. Columns resembling tree like features are common and if repeated in multiples, can resemble forests.

Animal Motifs: The appearance of animal parts is often encountered, such as animal claws or heads. Often used as stylized, fictionalized, and sometimes controlled shapes and forms.

Shells and Spirals: The use of invertebrate creatures as design feature involves both there structure and structures built by them. Common copies include shells and spiral forms of molluscs, bee hives, flies, butterflies, moths, spider webs, and bioclimatic controls of termite mounds. “Biomimicry�

Luminous SkyCeiling, CyberKnife Radiosurgery Centre, Des Moines

Egg, Oval, and Tubular Forms: Both important expressions of ornament and sometimes structural purposes.

Arches Vaults Domes: Much like shells and spirals, also copies nest like structures, cliffs and other built environments found in nature.

Termite Mound Plasta Mapping 32

Shapes Resisting Straight Lines and Right Angles: Natural shapes and forms are often sinuous, flowing, and adaptive in responding to forces and pressures found in nature. Natural features are rarely straight lines and right angles. People resist hard mechanical edges, straight lines and right angles.

Simulation of Natural Features: Reaffirms the tendency to simulate rather than replicate actual natural forms.

Most successful when they possess a logic that intimates functional features occurring in nature such as shapes, patterns and processes that suggest structural integrity and adaptive advantage in response to environmental pressures rather than mere superficial decoration.

Biomorphy: Organic forms with resemblances to living forms that are usually unconscious products of design.

Geomorphology: Mimic or metaphorically embrace landscape and geology in relative proximity to structure. The illusion of making structure appear integral rather than separate from their geological context.

Biomimicry: Adaptations functionally found in nature, particularly among other species such as shells, crystals, webs, mounds and hives.

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Natural Patterns and Processes

Loblolly House

Sensory Variability: Human fitness and survival requires coping with highly sensuous and variable natural environments. Satisfaction and well-being rely on perceiving and responding to sensory variability.

Information Richness: Most people respond positively to buildings and landscapes that possess information richness, variety, texture, and detail that mimic natural patterns when coherently revealed. It can stimulate curiosity, imagination, exploration, discovery and problem solving.

Age, Change, and the Patina of Time: A fundamental feature of the natural world is aging through time. Its dynamic progression that evokes a sense of familiarity and satisfaction despite the eventual occurrence of death and decay. Patina of time is characteristic of natural materials, even inorganic. Artificial products rarely evoke sustained positive response even when they are exact copies.

Thorncrown Chapel

Bee Hive Honeycomb

Growth and Efflorescence: Growth and development = aging, when found in the built environment, provoke pleasure and satisfaction. Efflorescence is the progressive unfolding of a maturational process. Occurs in landscapes and buildings through ornamentation, is often highly appealing. These temporal and transitional attributes often lend a dynamic quasiliving character to built environments despite a immutable character Central Focal Point: Promotes a navigational point of interest. This rids of chaos and promotes order in facilitating passage and way-finding.

Patterned Wholes: People respond positively to natural and built environments when variability has been united by integrated and patterned wholes. What once was inchoate becomes structured and fosters understanding and the feeling of mastery and control.

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Bound Spaces: Humans have a strong proclivity for bounded spaces. Evolutionary time likely fostered resource exploration and security. Delineated spaces enhance the recognition of clear and consistent boundaries.

Transitional Spaces: Between and within built and natural environments foster comfort by providing access from one are to another. Includes thresholds, portals, doors, bridges, and fenestration.

Linked Series and Chains: Clear physical and temporal movement in both natural and built environments.

Convey meaning and organisation, and sometimes a sense of mystery that both stimulates and entices.

Integration of Parts and Wholes: People prefer that discrete parts comprise of an overall whole. Fosters the feeling of structural integrity even in large complexes.

Complementary Contrasts: Reveal the blending of contrasting features in complementary fashion. This can occur through the compatible rendering of seeming opposites, eg., light and dark, high and low, open and closed.

Fractals: Are related and similar forms.

These structures include repeated but varying patterns of basic design, changing in scale and orientation.

Hierarchically Organized Ratios and Scales: This thematic congruence can facilitate the assimilation of highly complex patterns the otherwise might be experienced as overwhelmingly detailed or even chaotic. Can be arithmetic and geometric. eg., golden proportion and the Fibonacci ratio.

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Light and Space

Natural Light: Introduces the full colour spectrum of natural light. Natural light is both physically and psychologically rewarding to people according to Loftness and Frumkin. Promotes health, productivity and well-being.

Filtered and Diffused Light: Enhances effects of natural light by mitigating the effects of glare. It can stimulate observation and feelings of connection.

Light and Shadow: The creative manipulation of light and shadow can foster curiosity, mystery and stimulation. Likely enhanced human movement evolutionarily, and the ability to discern objects over long distances.

Reflected Light: Designs are enhanced by light reflecting of surfaces such as light coloured walls, ceilings, and reflective bodies of water. Mitigates glare, enhanced penetration of light onto interior spaces.

Light Pools: Light pools in interior spaces can act as connective tissue and can assist in movement and way-finding. They can foster feeling of security and protection.

Warm Light: The perception of warmly lit areas often islands of modulated sunlight surrounded by dark spaces, can enhance the feeling of nested, secure and inviting interiors.

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Light as Shape and Form: By manipulating natural light, you can create stimulating, dynamic, and sculptural forms. Foster mobility, curiosity, imagination, exploration and discovery.

Spaciousness: People prefer openness in natural and built environments. Effective design often include spacious settings in close alliance with small spaces.

Spatial Variability: Spatial variability fosters emotional and intellectual stimulation. Spatial diversity is often most effective when in complementary relation to organized and united spaces.

Spaces as Shapes and Forms: Spaces can be creatively manipulated to convey shapes and forms.

Can add beauty to the built environment. Stimulates interest, curiosity, exploration and discovery.

Spatial Harmony: The built environment tends to be most effective when it blends light, mass and scale within a bounded context. Evokes a sense of harmony which fosters a sense of security and facilitates movement.

Inside-Outside Spaces: These spaces mark the transition of nature with culture. eg’s., colonnades, porches, foyers, atriums, and interior gardens.

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Place-Based Relationships Geographic Connection to Place: Connection to the geography of an aea often foster feelings of familiarity and predictability. This can be achieve by emphasizing prominent geological features associated with the siting, orientation and views of building and landscape.

Historic Connection to Place: Marks the passage of time, which fosters a sense of participation and awareness of an areas culture and collective memory. Continuity with the past encourages the belief that the present and the future are meaningfully linked to the history of a place.

Dirtworks, P.C., designed this fully accessible wall with local stones, diverse plantings, and water features to encourage touching, smelling, and hearing.

(RCH) A ‘street’ runs through the middle and points due north ensuring that the street is light filled throughout the day. Gardens wrap around the entire footprint of the hospital.

Ecological Connection to Place: Places are sustained by and affirmative connection to ecology especially prominent ecosystems such as watersheds and dominant bio-geographical features such as mountains, deserts, estuaries, rivers and oceans. The design of the built environment can be integrated without diminishing the overall biological productivity, biodiversity, and ecological integrity of proximate ecological communities Cultural Connection to Place: Integrates the history, geography and ecology of an area. Culture is a universal human need, sustained over time by repetition, normative events, and the architectural heritage of people.

Indigenous Materials: A positive relation to place is generally enhanced by the utilization of local and indigenous materials. Native resources can provide a vivid and resonate reminder of local culture and environment.

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Landscape Orientation: Buildings and landscapes that compatibly connect to the local environment contribute to a sense of place. Emphasize landscape features such as slope, aspect, sunlight, wind direction, etc.

Orientation to landscape frequently evokes a sense of being a part of and embedded within local settings.

Landscape Features that Define Building Form: Natural prominent geological features such as rocks and water can embellish and distinguish building form. Built environments can, therefore, integrate with its biophysical context.

Landscape Ecology: Design that considers landscape structure, pattern and process such as ecological connectivity, biological corridors, resource flows, biodiversity, optimal scale and size, ecological boundaries and other parameters of functioning natural systems.

Integration of Culture and Ecology: The fusion of culture with ecology fosters long-term sustainability. The result = Positively transformed and mutually enriched by their association. When it occurs, it promotes loyalty, responsibility, and stewardship among the people who reside nearby.

Spirit of Place: Signifies a level of commitment and meaning that people extend to both nature and built environments. Signifies building becoming metaphorically ‘life-like’.

Avoiding Placelessness: the ‘antitheses’ of place-based design, to be avoided wherever possible.

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Evolved Human Nature Relationships

Prospect and Refuge: Refuge reflects a structure or natural environments ability to provide a secure and protected setting. Done through natural building interiors and secreted landscape places. Prospect emphasizes discerning distant objects, habitats and horizons, evolutionarily instrumental in locating resources, facilitating movement, and identifying sources of danger.

Order and Complexity: Order= Imposing structure and organisation. Extreme order results in repetition, monotony and boredom.

Complexity reflects occurrences of detail and variability. Excessive complexity leads to chaos. Effectively meld order with complexity stimulate the desire for variety.

Curiosity and Enticement: Curiosity is the human need for exploration, discovery, mystery, and creativity. Enticement is curiosity. Can engage intellect and imagination.

Change and Metamorphosis: Growth, maturation and metamorphosis is change. It is a dynamic and developmental quality, where one form or shape appears to flow into another in a quasi-evolutionary sequence.

Security and Protection: Needs to have a presence but careful not to excessively insulate or isolate people from the natural world.

Mastery and Control: Building and construction = humans desire for mastery over nature. Needs to be completed with moderation and respect. Fosters selfconfidence and self-esteem.

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Affection and Attachment: Building and landscapes that elict strong emotional affinities for nature are typically recipients of lasting loyalty and commitment.

Attraction and Beauty: Humans have a biological tendency to be attracted to nature. This tendency is instrumental in fostering the capacities for curiosity, imagination, creativity, exploration and problem solving.

Exploration and Discovery: Nature is information rich and intellectually stimulating. Buildings and landscapes need to facilitate opportunities for exploration and discovery of natural processes, which elict considerable interest and appreciation.

Information and Cognition: Can be fostered through design by emphasizing the complexity of natural shapes and forms. Direct or indirect nature can achieve this, also creative use of ornamentation which can foster critical thinking and problem solving.

Fear and Awe: Fear of nature can be a motivational basis for designing peril and adventure into the built environment, such as overhanging precipices or proximity to fearsome forces like rushing water. Awe can have effect through extolling majestic natural features that engender an appreciation for powers greater than ourselves.

Reverence and Spirituality: Humans need for establishing meaningful relation to creation. Provoke feelings of transcendence and enduring connection that defy the aloneness of a single person isolated in space and time.

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Aesthetic

Objective

Spatial

Environmental Features:

Environmental Features:

Environmental Features:

Environmental Features:

-Colour -Sunlight -Animals -Natural Materials -Views and Vistas -Fire

-Water -Plants -Animals -Natural Materials -Facade Greening

-Air -Geology and Landscape -Habitat and Ecosystem

Natural Shapes and Forms:

Natural Shapes and Forms:

Natural Shapes and Forms:

Natural Patterns and Processes:

-Sensory Variability -Bound Spaces

-Botanical Motifs -Tree and Columnar Support -Animal Motifs -Shells and Spirals -Egg, Oval, and Tubular Forms -Arches, Vaults, Domes -Shapes Resisting Straight Lines and Right Angles -Biomorphy -Geomorphology -Biomimicry

-Sensory Variability -Information Richness -Bound Spaces -Transitional Spaces -Linked Series and Chains -Complementary Contrast

Natural Shapes and Forms: -Animal Motifs -Shells and Spirals -Arches, Vaults, Domes -Shapes Resisting Straight Lines and Right Angles -Simulation of Natural Features -Biomimicry Natural Patterns and Processes: -Sensory Variability -Information Richness -Age, Change, and the Patina of Time -Growth and Efflorescence -Central Focal Point -Patterned Wholes -Integration of Parts and Wholes -Complementary Contrasts -Fractals -Hierarchically Organized Ratios and Scales Light and Space -Natural Light -Filttered and Diffused Light -Light and Shadow -Reflected Light -Light Pools -Warm Light -Light as Space and Form -Space as Shape and Form Place-Based Relationships -Geographic Connection to Place -Ecological Connection to Place -Landscape Orientation -Landscape Features that Define Building Form

Natural Patterns and Processes: -Sensory Variability -Information Richness -Growth and Efflorescence -Fractals Light and Space Place-Based Relationships -Indigenous Materials -Landscape Orientation -Landscape Features that Define Building Form -Landscape Ecology Evolved Human Nature Relationships

Light and Space -Spaciousness -Spatial Variability -Spaces as Shapes and Forms -Spatial Harmony -Inside-Outside Spaces Place-Based Relationships -Historic Connection to Place -Ecological Connection to Place -Cultural Connection to Place -Landscape Ecology -Integration of Culture and Ecology -Avoiding Placelessness Evolved Human Nature Relationships -Prospect and Refuge -Mastery and Control -Exploration and Discovery

-Prospect and Refuge -Order and Complexity -Security and Protection -Mastery and Control -Information and Cognition

Evolved Human Nature Relationships -Order and Complexity -Change and Metamorphosis -Information and Cognition Table 2 - Re-organised Biophilic Attributes.

Re-organising the attributes into the four categories: Aesthetic, Objective, Spatial and Emotional, was designed to help my understanding of how biophilia could potential be introduced to my designs.

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Emotion Natural Patterns and Processes:

Light and Space Place-Based Relationships -Geographic Connection to Place -Historic Connection to Place -Cultural Connection to Place -Indigenous Materials -Integration of Culture and Ecology -Spirit of Place Evolved Human Nature Relationships -Curiosity and Enticement -Security and Protection -Mastery and Control -Affection and Attachment -Attraction and Beauty -Fear and Awe -Reverence and Spirituality

2.1: Testing ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

NATURAL SHAPES AND FORMS

NATURAL PATTERNS AND PROCESSES

Design Interventions using Biophilic Elements

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LIGHT AND SPACE

PLACE-BASED RELATIONSHIPS

EVOLVED HUMAN-NATURE RELATIONSHIPS

After all the analysis of biophilia, it was time to put the knowledge gained into practice and test some outcomes within the patients room.

This exploration into how continues in chapter 4 ‘Room for a Garden’.

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CHAPTER 3: The Modules

The modules are the first phase to this project and how garden as a biophilic entity could be implemented within RMH. They are part of a bigger picture for the hospital and how garden can be introduced to pre-existing hospitals (discussed further on in the catalogue). The size of these modules is important to note. Due to the limited space in the corridors and the patient rooms, the design of the modules was based on medical equipment able to be wheeled in and out of the patient’s rooms, such as wheelchairs, patient beds and IV drips. Then, using the same dimensions, began to think of how to apply the criteria: hospital, patient, biophilia, to each of the modules.

The module gave birth to a system that required the invention of a new job description within the hospital, ‘The Green Orderly’. These orderlies are required as the workload on the current staff members is already highly demanding. The orderlies have a very particular involvement in the dynamics of how, what, where and why the modules are placed the way they are within the designs. Which will lead to the first design space investigated; the patient’s room.

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3.1 : The Modules

IV Drip Module

Wheelchair Module

Bed Module

The three mobile ‘gardens’ were derived from three of the main pieces of medical equipment found in the hospital. The drip stand, the wheelchair and the patient bed. The drip stand is designed to attach and detach therefore could potentially be used to hang pot plants and have in close proximity to the patients. The other two are designed to be wheeled in and out of patient rooms and are able to carry much more foliage.

Garden Box Seperating indevidual components of module 46

Capsule

Plant and Soil

Flowers

Shrubs

Trees

Begonia

Azalea

Chinese fan palm

Chenille

Hibiscus

Dogwood

Clematis

Hydrangea

Hardy rubber tree

Columbine

Viburnum

Magnolia

Crocus

Diagram 3.1 - Module Breakdown Further Geranium

Impatiens

Iris

The next thing to think about was what plants are able to be used around the hospital. It was important that the plants selected be hypoallergenic so that there are no unnecessary pollens released that could potentially harm the patients.

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Celebrate the Children, School for Autism

This school was designed for under stimulated autistic children. The use of bright colours engages the children and heightens their stimulation This precedent began my thinking towards using the plants for therapeutic purposes. In this case it inspired me to look at colour therapy and how the plant selection could be based upon this.

From that, the idea of plants used not just as a biophilic presence, but also as a therapeutic benefit.

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Blue is linked to the throat and lungs

POSITIVE: -Intelligence -Communication -Trust -Reflection -Calm

Flowers

Shrubs

Trees

Begonia

Azalea

Chinese fan palm

Chenille

Hibiscus

Dogwood

Clematis

Hydrangea

Hardy rubber tree

Columbine

Viburnum

Magnolia

NEGATIVE: -Coldness -Unfriendlines

Blue, Purple, Indigo are linked to the head and eyes

POSITIVE: -Spiritual awarness -Vision -Luxury -Truth -Authenticity NEGATIVE: -Suppression -Inferiority

Red & Pink are linked to the spine, hips and legs

POSITIVE: -Courage -Strength -Warmth -Energy -Tranquillity

Crocus

Geranium

NEGATIVE: -Aggression -Strain Impatiens

Orange is linked to the sacral, kidneys, urinary tract and reproductive organs

POSITIVE: -Comfort -Warmth -Security -Fun -Passion NEGATIVE: -Frustration -Dizziness

Yellow is linked to the solar plexus, aids digestive system

POSITIVE: -Optimism -Emoyional strength -Friendliness -Confidence -Self-esteem

Iris

Colourful hypoallergenic plants, in conjunction with colour therapy

So the first selection was based on plants with colour, but also had low pollen output.

The idea was to choose plants that could be all kinds of colours as it is suggested that different colours have different effects on our moods (shown in Diagram 3.2). So the flowers could be selected based on the patients condition. For example someone with high blood pressure might want to have calming colours to help bring their blood pressure down.

Unfortunately plants aren’t the only issue. The soil in which the plants grow contains mould spores and other volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). Therefore the question then became about how can I stop the VOC’s being released into the air?

NEGATIVE: -Fear -Depression -Anxiety -Suicide

Green is linked to the heart

POSITIVE: -Harmony -Balance -Rest -Restoration -Peace NEGATIVE: -Boredom -Blandness

www.altmedicine.about.com/cs/chakras/a/ChakraSounds.htm www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours

Diagram 3.2 - Colour Theropy 49

RMH Royal M

elbourn

e H o sp ital

Pressed into shape

Bacteria from used disposible hospital plastics

Boiling bacteria off and melting down plastic

Plastic semi-solid ready to be rolled out

Diagram 3.3 - Plastic Recycle

A solution to the VOC problem is to introduce a transparent protective cover that slots over the top of the module. An Idea was to recycle hospital plastics to be converted into the protective cover for garden modules (see Diagram 3.3). Obviously there would only be a selection of contamination free plastics available. Syringes, tubing and ventilation masks are by no means, able to be recycled.

Airborn Diseases

Diagram 3.4 - Role Of Cover

50

Rolling out

VOC’s

Along with protecting the patients, the cover also protects the plant from patients. As the modules are used within a hospital, infectious diseases carry a real threat of being transmitted from one patient to the next. Therefore it is vital that the garden module is easy to disinfect before being transferred.

Ficus benjamina, weeping fig

Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm

Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana’, cornstalk dracaena

Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos

Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant

Hedera helix, English ivy

Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa’, peace lily

Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena

Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant

Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron

Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig’, Janet Craig dracaena

Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen

Philodendron scandens `oxycardium’, heartleaf philodendron

VOC absorbing Indoor Plants

Ficus Benjamina

Decreases interior air pollutants such as: -Formaldehyde -Benzol -Phenol -Nicotine

Air carries VOC’s

Plants absorb pollutants into their leaves (stoma)

Interior Hydroculture

Because I really wanted these modules to be interactive, I continued to search for solutions to the VOC and mould spore problem. The following plant list is a selection of VOC absorbing plants that tolerate the low light exposure of the indoors. These plants can solve the VOC issue, but the trouble of the soil mould still laid in the way. After researching different soil mediums, it turns out that hydroculture, a water and clay based medium, holds the key to a mould free medium.

Unfortunately there were again issues with transmitting disease through the water and clay so the conclusion was that the only way to have a living garden was to make sure the module has a capsule covering the plants and soil.

However if observing natural scenes out of a window can help, then the logic hear is that it can still be viewed through the capsule which is essentially similar to looking out a window.

Toxins are trans mited into the roots

They are then brocken down and turned into a source of food for the plant

Diagram 3.5 - Hydroculture and air filtration

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3.2 : The Green Orderly The role of the green orderly is to care for the plants, move the modules to and from patient rooms, and work with the nurses to arrange them in their storage space to suit patients and family members. The storage spaces and arrangements are outlined further into the catalogue.

Garden Ordaly Station

Module Assemblage & Decontamination Room

Garden Ordaly Royal Melbourne Hospital

Module Assemblage & Decontamination Room

Green Line System Leads to Module Garden Storage (Doubles as Hospital Gardens)

Patient Room Delivery

This diagram presents an ideal system for the green orderly to follow in order to keep a functional work condition amongst a busy hazardous work environment.

Must be decontaminated before placed in storage to avoid transmitting any diseases...

Diagram 3.6

12am

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4

5

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Doctor On Call

Morning

Overlap/Handover

Evening

Nurse Night Duty

Garden Ordaly Workers Time Table

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Storage

Morning

Prep re-

Morning

Handover

1st Rotation

Looking at the working roster of staff members the schedule of the garden orderly was organised so that the arrival of the gardens wouldn’t interrupt nurses during the first checks of their shift. Therefor, the best time to enter and exit the rooms with the gardens would be during handover which is when nurses would be going through notes in the nurse station.

Evening

2nd Rotation

Evening

Prep de-

10

11

12am

Collage 3.1

This collage represents what the green orderlies work station might look like.

The idea is that it works like an ordering system where you pick what you would like (off a menu?), what time you would like it and for how long, then it will be delivered by the green orderlies to your room as requested.

They would also need a space to disinfect and assemble the capsules.

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Break Module

Angled Module

Therapy Module

The bed module became the main focus as it had more potential to acquire a variety of functions. Coincidently the size of the bed module was the same dimensions as a desk table.

This spurred the rethinking of how the modules could function as a cluster in their storage space, whilst keeping their singular state function when in patient rooms.

Module Arrangement of Social Gathering Space

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Viewing Module

3.3 : Module Construction 200mm 300mm

870mm

o

45

2200mm

370mm

800mm

200mm 300mm

870mm

o

45

370mm

1:20 @A4

Detail of Model

Working progress images of a half scaled bed module. Constructing the module will allow me to assess the function of the module and will allow me to assess the viability of the product. So far I have used square steel pipping and welded it together.

Construction Photos of Module

1:20 @A4

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CHAPTER 4:

Room for a Garden?

Now understanding the modules, it was then time to understand patient rooms and how these modules could be present within them. ‘Room for a garden?’ ask you to think now about the space available within a patient’s room. The patient room is an ever changing environment with different patients coming in and out for any period of time, each requiring different types of equipment and care. This was initially why it was important that the gardens were to be mobile. Unfortunately with the mobile gardens, the biophilic essence had been lost, therefore when thinking about how garden could fit into the patient room as a permanent presence, the intention was to bring back this biophilic thinking.

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4.1 : Space for Modules

Reduction of Psycological factors within an office job due to the introduction of plants.

44%

Burchett, M., Torpy, F., Brennan, J and Craig, A (2010) Greening the great indoors for human health and well-being, Final Report to Horticulture Australia Ltd, UTS www.nipa.asn.au/docs

ANGER

38%

FATIGUE

58%

DEPRESSION

37%

50%

STRESS

ANXIETY

Studies conducted in offices have shown that the simple introduction of plants is able to affect the emotional state of the people who work in it.

This information suggests that plants have an ability to emotionally effect a person just by being present.

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GENERAL CARE

ACUTE CARE

INTENSIVE CARE Thorncrown Chapel,

Spatial availability for different levels of care changes depending on the seriousness of the patients condition. It changes due to the amount of equipment required to look after their different conditions and the amount of people needing the room at one time.

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2

15m Room

2

15m Room 800

460

380

2200 3000

3000

Positioning

Movement

Positioning

Movement 4500

4500

Single Room: Garden Bed placement options

Single Room: Wheelchair Garden placement options

25m2 Room

25m2 Room

800

460

380

Positioning

2200

Positioning

6000

6000

Movement

Movement

4500

4500

Double Room: Garden Bed placement options

Double Room: Wheelchair Garden placement options

42m2 Room

42m2 Room

800

460

380

Positioning

2200

Movement

6000

6000

Positioning

Movement

7000

Four Bed Room: Garden Bed placement options

7000

Four Bed Room: Wheelchair Garden placement options

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The Single standard patient bedroom is the most spacious room due to its patient to area ratio. However patients in these rooms are generally infectious risk patients or amnesia patients due to the nature of their conditions.

If mobile gardens were to be used in these rooms they would need to be in air tight capsules for the protection of the plant and ease of decontamination and also for the protection of the patient from mould spores fond in soil.

2

15m Room 230

200

3000

Positioning

Movement

4500

Single Room: IV Pot plant placement options

2

25m Room 230

200

The double standard patient bedroom is mostly used for stable patients that don’t require as much nursing care.

They are generally located away from the nurses desk.

Positioning

6000

Movement

4500

Double Room: IV Pot plants placment options

42m2 Room

230

200

Positioning

6000

Movement

7000

Four Bed Room: IV Pot plants placment options

60

A four bed patient room is more common in a public hospital like RMH than a private hospital as you lose the feeling of privacy when you share a room with three others. However, having those extra sets of eyes in the room can create an increased sense of security with the frequency of nurses entering and exiting the room increasing also.

Unfortunately there is minimal space for other objects and found that the larger bed module would be too large for this room.

4.2 : Introducing Biophilia

Going back to the six designs of the biophilic elements, this next section explores these Ideas and refines them into two ideal ‘biophilic’ designs for the interior of the rooms.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

NATURAL SHAPES AND FORMS

NATURAL PATTERNS AND PROCESSES

LIGHT AND SPACE

PLACE-BASED RELATIONSHIPS

EVOLVED HUMAN-NATURE RELATIONSHIPS

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Environmental Features

Designing environmental features into the patients rooms is all about how you can get these features into the room without compromising the patients health. Similar to the mobile gardens, it is difficult to get real plants into the space without the risk of increasing inborn infections. Along with the fact that all hospital rooms need to be ‘flood washable’ due to the potential of getting a highly infectious patient (a patient with gastro or flu). Therefore separation from garden to room is required via an air tight sealed enclosure. This in itself becomes a problem as it cuts off the air supply to the plants.

The solution to this was to create an air ventilation shaft from the exterior to the interior. In this design, biophilic attributes: colour, water, natural ventilation, sunlight, plants, views, geology and landscape were used to create this space.

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Immuno Compromised

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Immuno. Exposure

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Technological Simulation

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Natural Copies

Plants

Eco-System

Biophilic Exposure

1-2 Senses Used

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Therapeutic Properties

3-4 Senses Used

Uses All Senses

+

a

a

a

a

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Natural Shapes and Forms

Natural Shapes and Forms was an interesting element to design with. The attributes used were: Botanic Motifs, Tree and Columnar Support, Animal Motifs, Egg, Oval and Tubular Forms, Shapes Resisting Straight Lines and Right Angles, Simulation of Natural Features, and Biomorphy. The objects able to be used could all be fake imitations of what is natural. This meant that less attention on making the design immuno responsive was needed. The columnar support got me to think about the location of the rooms in terms of which level it should be on. Having support on the second level would allow a heavier design to be placed above it.

Avoiding straight lines and right angles gave the room a sense of safety with the edges being rounded. This design is closer to something possible to have in a patients room.

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Immuno. Exposure

Hazardous

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Function/Practicality

Technological Simulation

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Natural Copies

Plants

Eco-System

Biophilic Exposure

1-2 Senses Used

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Therapeutic Properties

3-4 Senses Used

Uses All Senses

+

a

a

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a

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Place-Based Relationships

Using Place-Based Relationships, different uses for the space began to emerge other than being just a feature. Attribute used for this design were: Geographic Connection to Place, Ecological Connection to Place, Indigenous Material, and Landscape Features. So the idea of using natural bluestone as a rockery within the patients room as a connection to it location. Obviously real bluestone would be far to heavy for the structure to support therefore imitation stone could be used. This could allow for small greenery to be inserted in crevices, really giving it a natural feel. The rockery could be designed at a height that could be used for seating, or rehabilitation steps.

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Immuno. Exposure

Hazardous

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Function/Practicality

Technological Simulation

Forms/ Shapes

Natural Copies

Plants

Eco-System

Biophilic Exposure

1-2 Senses Used

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Therapeutic Properties

3-4 Senses Used

Uses All Senses

+

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Natural Patterns and Processes

Natural Patterns and Processes was about how you could mix different materials and surfaces together to generate a sensory experience within the patient room. Attributes used to try achieve this were: Sensory Variability, Information Richness, Central Focal Point, Patterned Wholes, Transitional Spaces, and Fractals. Again due to the use of plants and natural materials the space had to be enclosed, although this design allows patient recovering to access the space. Due to the limited space in the patients rooms, this design wasn’t viable as you couldn’t get the room large enough to enter, without compromising too much space.

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Immuno. Exposure

Hazardous

Spacious

Function/Practicality

Technological Simulation

Forms/ Shapes

Natural Copies

Plants

Eco-System

Biophilic Exposure

1-2 Senses Used

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Therapeutic Properties

3-4 Senses Used

Uses All Senses

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Light and Space

This element was my favourite to work with. It was interesting thinking about how to create biophilic feeling without using objects in the space. This design really forced me to think of biophilia and what it means to have it present in a room. The design used attributes such as: Natural Light, Light and Shadow, Light Pools, Warm Light, Light as Shape and Form, Spaciousness, and Spatial Harmony. Opening the window space to taking full advantage of natural light then rendering the glass to cast tree like shadows across the room during the day time.

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Therapeutic Properties

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Uses All Senses

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Light shining through tree canopy

Light roof patterns

At night the idea was to create the light pooling effect of light shining through a tree canopy onto the ground. In doing this it would also create an interesting patterned structure on the roof for the light to shine through creating a contrast of light and shadow on the ground. Then lighting schemes could be added to the switchboard shown in ‘Light switch 1’ and 2.

Light Renders 1

Light Renders 2

Light Renders 3 71

Light switch 1

Light switch 2

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Evolved Human-Nature Relationships

This Biophilic I found the most difficult to design with. Attributes used in this design include: Order and Complexity, Curiosity and Enticement, Change and Metamorphosis, Attraction and Beauty, Exploration and Discovery, and Information and Cognition. By this iteration the realisation that this wasn’t what I wanted to design had set in and I stopped what I was doing and re-thought what I wanted in these rooms.

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Therapeutic Properties Dr Roger Ulrich has looked into how you can begin to measure the effects of gardens in hospitals. Health outcomes are numerous and varied, but most refer to measures of a patient’s medical condition or to indicators of healthcare quality. These measures include (1) observable clinical signs or medical measures, (2) subjective measures such as reported satisfaction, and (3) economic measures (Ulrich, 2002).

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This was the first attempt at using an assessment criteria for the designs.

The criteria used is what I believe to be the most important components to a biophilic design and assess what is important for the patient, hospital and biophilia. Unfortunately the criteria isn’t accurate enough and doesn’t provide enough feedback to further the design.

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Spatial Options

Roof sky image

As identified earlier, the rooms lack spacial availability. So why not just have pictures of natural scenes? It is said that Biophilic “nourishment� is not simply a drape of green aesthetics, or, say, fake windows made of photographs.

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Natural scenery wall image

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Research shows that those tricks quickly cease to have any biophilic effect.

Rather, it seems we crave a deep and genuine aesthetic/biological connection to the natural context of our world. To be effective, the structures of our designs have to elucidate this real structure — not put on a kind of aesthetic costume. (Mehaffy and Salingaros, 2011)

Natural pattern wall image

This isn’t to say that it shouldn’t be done. The spatial availability forces these kinds of design solutions upon the space. Its just to say that this kind of solution isn’t of biophilic nature.

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R&Sie, Mosquito Bottleneck:

R&Sie: Mosquito Bottleneck: Taking the simple idea of catching mosquitos with a bottle, ‘Mosquito Bottleneck’ is made to catch mosquitos and harvest their attributes within the walls in order to create a series of Insidious feelings within the users. This precedent gave me the idea of how to capture nature and harvest the biophilic feelings they produce without being in direct contact to them. The plan is to create an ‘open aviary’ Using a glass shield across the room to separate the patient space from the ‘open aviary’, bringing nature into the patient room.

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4.3 : Permanent Biophilic Rooms

Biophilic feeling 1

These images are designed to draw out the spatial feeling I am trying to achieve in the patients rooms. I want the patient to feel immersed in nature when staying in their rooms. Helping them to forget they are sick. Subconsciously aiding their recovery process.

This is what a biophilic design would look like.

Biophilic feeling 2

Biophilic feeling 3 79

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Using the main ideas produced previously, the design was to incoperate a living breathing environment in view of the patient The point of this design was to bring nature directly into the room without compramising the patient health.

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4.4 : WARD MAPPING

The next step was to start zooming out and explore the mobile and stationary ideas at the scale of a ward. Unfortunately time ran short and the mapping was as far as I got. Each ward is laid out different depending on what level you are on. This is a mapping of Seven South East, a plastics and trauma ward.

Ward Plan

Ward Section 84

Corridor

Fire Escape

Nurse Station

Dressing Room

Equipment Room

NUM Office (Nursing Unit Manager)

Nurse E

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Toilets/Bathrooms

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CHAPTER 5: Making Space

Using the context mapping information gained earlier on in the catalogue about the spatial qualities of RMH, the final step was to find design solutions for the selected spaces using the ideas of the mobile and stationary garden whilst implementing the criteria: hospital, patient, biophilia. Ideally the main spaces selected are all within view of patient rooms and are within a sufficiently lit space.

The main components of this section look at how the mobile and stationary garden can be implemented to the exterior spaces of the hospital. The space are designed to be used by patients, family members and staff to encourage social interaction as part of the recovery process for the patients.

The plants play a larger role in these designs, being used as filtration and remedial components, sources of food for staff members on their breaks and horticultural rehabilitation for patients.

The biophilic component to these designs has been simplified to be more of a sensory experience, using the selected plants properties to deliver the biophilic feeling.

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5.1 : POPPY GARDEN One of the first ideas for an outside space was to have a garden where the plants used could be harvested and reused by the hospital. I decided to look at one drug commonly used in hospitals, and research how it’s converted from a plant to a drug. Morphine is one of the more commonly used drugs inside a hospital like the RMH, and the plant containing morphine is the opium poppy.

1 Hectare of dried opium yields 8-15 kilos

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Without going into this design idea too much, for (now) obvious reasons this design couldn’t be used. But it gave birth to West to create a producthe idea 270 tive garden for both patients and staff members outlined in section 5.3. Thinking of designs for the modules in their storage spaces, I began to flirt with the idea of bringing animals into patients roomsSouth and 180 then storing them as a habitat.

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You can plant between 8-12 plants per 1sqm

10-100 mg of opium within each pod

Patient

300 mg per day per patient 1 Hectare of opium poppy can produce 1500000mg800000mg of morphine

Diagram 5.1 88

s

This could cater for 26675000 patients a year on the max amount of morphine

300mg = $100 (approx) 5000X100=$500,000 yr

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5.2 : LEECH FARM

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Leech Water Salt Gravel

-Dosn’t need to grow -Over exposed -Requires more water -Tough on feet

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Marshmallow Plant

-Grows faster -Weaker structure -Blades getting broader -Soil structure depleated

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The leech farm gives me the opportunity to create a specific ecosystem for an organism. The leech is an important parasite that is used mainly in plastics/trauma wards of the hospital. They are used to help bring blood circulation into skin flaps. Without sufficient blood circulation, the flap will die. I feel that this space could be used as an educational space for patients, family members and even other nurses and doctors to understand and learn different processes gone into looking after patients. The leech farm is located in the smallest and darkest design area chosen, as the leeches don’t require light to grow. The marshmallow plants growing in separate garden boxes are use to dark muddy conditions.

Leech Farm Plan 89

Leech farm collage

s 70 per 1 Over 100 at any one time being used Leeches are used in micro-surgery like this eyelid and also on skin grafts RMH

20cm (Adult) Therapeutic properties of hirudotherapy (Leech Theropy): -bloodletting -internal decongestion

-immunopotentiating -bacteriostatic

-protective antithrombotic -local anti-edematous -thrombolytic -analgesic -removal of microcirculation disorders -antiatherosclerotic -anti-ischemic -removal of abnormal intersystem interactions

15ml

Average adult Leech consumes around 15ml

Diagram 5.2 - Leech Information 90

Leeches live in muddy fresh water with weeds

With leeches there is always the risk of escape, therefore I need to look at how to stop the leeches from escaping the enclosure, and so putting a salt mix barrier around the tanks became a solution. Another issue was water and filtering it. As leeches require water and especially medical leeches, the water tank module needed to include some sort of water filtration system. However this design was again straying away from what I was truly trying to design in healing environments.

5.3 : MOBILE GARDENS

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This is the extension to the garden modules looked at earlier. Also considered a storage space, this area is designed to be changed around dependSouth ing on the needs of the patients 180 and the families. RMH lacks Full space for patients to stretch their legs, space for families to get privacy and space for staff to get some sun and have a break from the chaos within. This space is specifically directed at these issues and also considers how the space could be used for the hospital and producing a biophilic presence.

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Diagram 5.3 - Effects of Rooftop Gardens

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Module arrangement for Social interaction and staff breaks

Module arrangement for mourning family members or private spaces

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80% Garlic (Allium sativum) -Hardy perennial -Central Asia -Grows to about 45cm -Produces clusters of small bulbs -Effective against many fungal infections -Treat toothache, earache, coughs and colds, and shown to reduce blood pressure -Plant the individual cloves in autumn or spring in light, fertile soil in full sun

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) -Hardy perennial -Central Europe and the Mediterranean -Growing to about 75cm -Lemon balm tea is used to relieve headaches and to aid digestion -Is said to help improve the memory, and reduce anxiety, irritability and insomnia - The green variety grows readily -Others you will need to divide existing plants or take cuttings in late spring

Today, over 80 percent of the world’s population still relies on traditional herbal medicine for its main source of health care and many modern drugs come directly or indirectly from plant extracts, or are copies of plant compounds.

The Healing Power of Plants From traditional remedies to modern pharmaceuticals, plants have a vital role to play Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)

Thyme (Thymus) -Dwarf, evergreen shrub -Many species found around the world -Varieties can have green, gold or variegated leaves -Has pink, white or purple flowers and may be -Creeping (2-5cm) or upright (15-30cm) -Source of the antiseptic thymol -Used in toothpaste and mouthwash -As a gargle for mouth and throat infections.

-Grown from cuttings taken in spring or summer.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) -Hardy biennial -Growing to 30-40cm -Central and southern Europe -Well-known as a breath freshener -Used to treat urinary infections -Used as a poultice for sprains, wounds and insect bites -Sow in situ in late spring S

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Marjoram (Origanum) -Hardy perennial -Mediterranean -Reaching 30-45cm -Variety of leaf and flower colours -Flowering stems die back in autumn -Leaves at the base remain green over winter-Has antiseptic properties -Tea is used to treat bad colds and to settle the nerves and stomach -Take cuttings or divide existing plants in spring

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) -Evergreen shrub -Mediterranean -Grows up to100cm -Has small blue or pink flowers in early spring -Has anti-bacterial and anti-fungalproperties -Makes an antiseptic gargle -Used externally as an insect repellent and for headaches -Spring or summer and grow in a well-drained, sunny, sheltered site

Dill (Anethum graveolens) -Hardy annual -Southern Europe -Up to 120cm tall -Feathery, bluegreen leaves and lacy yellow flowers -Constituent of gripe water used to soothe babies -Popular remedy for an upset stomach, hiccups or sleep problems -Grown anywhere from April onwards

Sage (Salvia officinalis) -Evergreen shrub -Mediterranean -Around 60cm tall -Grey, purple or variegated leaves and purple flowers -Used to make a gargle for sore throats, infected gums and mouth ulcers-Hot infusion for colds -Cuttings in early summer from the new growth -Grow in a sunny, well-drained position

Plant Diagram 5.1 - Herbs

These plants were selected based on how the plants could be of a productive nature to the hospital as well as have a sensory component. So, on the one hand you have plants that have the potential to be harvested for their medical properties such as aloe vera for burns, and on the other you have herbs that can be consumed directly, used in teas or garnishes on the patient’s meals.

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Aloe vera -Perennial -Southern Africa -Succulent -30cm tall -Soothes and heals the skin -Extracts used in shaving cream & sun lotion -Best grown in a pot -Brought indoors in winter

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) -Hardy Perennial -North America -1.2m tall -vivid purple-pink flowers -Stimulate the body’s immune system -Help overcome coughs and colds and minor wounds -Started off in pots indoors or divide plants in autumn.

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Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) -Hardy Annual -30-90cm tall -Blue-grey leaves and purplish flowers -Source of opium and heroin, morphine and codeine -Painkillers -Papaverine used to treat cancer -Illegal drugs are produced by cutting slits in the seed heads and collecting the rubbery sap that oozes out -Legal production, the whole plant is cut and dried, then processed -Grow it from seed sown in containers in autumn -Overwintered in a cold frame -Planted out in spring

Lavender (Lavandula) -Hardy Shrub -Mediterranean -45-90cm -Grey, evergreen leaves and pink, white or purple -Flowers are edible and used in baking -Has antiseptic and soothing properties -Is good for burns, stings and cuts -Massage oil to help overcome anxiety, insomnia, aches and pains -Grow from cuttings taken in spring

Marigold (Calendula officinalis) -Hardy Annual -Mediterranean and Iran -Brilliant orange flowers -Up to 60cm tall -Petals are edible -Colour and decorate food -Antiseptic properties -Soothe and heal the skin and eyes -Grow from seed sown in situ, or started off in pots, in spring.

St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) -Hardy Perennial -Britain -60cm tall -Small, yellow flowers -Used on burns, bruises and crush injuries and to ease pain -Used to treat mild depression -Start it off from seed sown in containers in spring, or divide plants in autumn.

Marsh-mallow (Althaea officinalis) -Hardy Perennial -Britain and much of Europe -Growing to 90cm -Large, pink flowers -Flowers and leaves are edilble -Soothes inflammation -Sore throats and internal ulcers -Heal chapped hands. It can be grown from seed but it is easier to divide established plants.

Plant Diagram 5.2 - Medical plants

The potential for these types of gardens is that they can promote physical and social interaction for the patient’s.

This is an important part of a patient’s recovery. For these physical and social interactions to occur there needs to be a certain area for these interactions to be promoted.

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1:100 Mobile Garden Plan

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MEDICINAL PLANTS Aloe vera

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

Lavender (Lavandula)

Marigold (Calendula officinalis)

Marsh-mallow (Althaea officinalis)

St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)

MEDICINAL HERBS Garlic (Allium sativum)

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Module cluster arrangement

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Marjoram (Origanum)

Thyme (Thymus)

The spaces are separated on the third and fourth levels of the hospital. This space has views out onto Grattan st and can be see from patient rooms. The important components to note in this design are: The dynamic nature of having the mobile gardens to arrange and re-arrange when necessary and the plant selection of herbs and medical plants, this entices users into social interaction at the module clusters aiding in recovery.

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5.4 : COOLING PONDS

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RMH is one of Melbourne’s top 200 users of water with patient care one of the largest consumers of water in a hospital environment, with upwards of 300 patients showering daily at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (EcoLibrium, 2007). This design was part of a two phase water treatment system. Using a majority of the grey water expelled from the hospital every day, I plan to tap into this system and run it through a series of treatment ponds designed to filter and cool the water.

Cooling pond Collage 98

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The Idea of cooling and filtering the water before pumping it to the second phase was so that anySouth traces of Legionairs 180 disease would be eradicated.

Full 30% Further research rendered this design inappropriate due to the problem only existing in the old air-conditioning modules. This meant that the water could be pumped directly into the secondary system.

-Dosn’t need to grow -Over exposed -Requires more water -Tough on feet

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Hydroculture could be introduced as part of this design

Hospital Grey Water Suction Through Filter Cooled in Piping Dispersed Into Next Pond Filter Pump

Diagram 4 - Pump and Filtration

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Legend Linking Pipes

Water Extractor

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Hydroculture Pond

Legend Linking Pipes

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Hydroculture Pond

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5.5 : STATIONARY GARDEN

The water that was going to be pumped through the cooling ponds is now pumped directly into the secondary system on Grattan st. This system is comprised of a four pond continuous slow flowing system. The first pond is called the sedimentation pond. This pond is designed to hold water for a day or two, allowing larger particles not filtered out in the previous system, to settle at the bottom of the pond and get broken down by anaerobic bacteria naturally found in still water. The sedimentation pond then slowly releases water down into the next section where the water runs through a rocky passage designed to naturally aerate the water.

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Aeration of the water speeds up the breakdown of contaminated particles helps reduce any odours and removes organic matter such as leafs and grass clippings. The final phase has the water running into a series of three marshes one after the other. The marshes are another slow flowing pond that allows plants to remove nutrients and to also allow sunlight to purify the water. By the end of it, the water will have been filtered to a point where it can be recycled back into the hospital as toilet flushing water and also as irrigation water for the series of gardens I am proposing.

Populus tremuloides Quaking Aspen

Alnus glutinosa Black Alder

Remediation Plants

Juncus ingens Giant Rush

Isolepis setacea Bristleleaf Bulrush

These plants have been selected as they are well known to be effective in soil and water remediation. Remediation works when the plants are put in contact with the contaminated area.

They absorb contaminants through their root systems and store them in root biomass and/or transport them up into the stems and/or leaves. The major difference between rhizofiltration and phytoextraction is that rhizofiltration is used for treatment in aquatic environments, while phytoextraction deals with soil remediation.

Phytoextraction Rhizofiltration Water Seepage Pollutants

(Heavy Metals, Mercury, Nitrates, Pesticides, Herbicides)

Diagram 5.5 - Remediation 103

Legend: Remediation Pond 1

Bacteria

Remediation Pond 2

Summer Water Evaporation

Remediation Pond 4

Winter Water Evaporation

Remediation Pond 5

Water Aeration

Remediated Grey Water

RMH

Vic Hospitals use more than 2 billion litres of water a year

Overflow Pipe To Sewer

Diagram 5.6 - Water Treatment and Cycling

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Juncus + Isolepsis Cooling Towers Remediation Water Movement

Water Ribbons, Triglochin procera Robust aquatic perennial herb with ribbon like floating leaves to 1m long.

Attractive in water gardens can be grown in water up to 1m deep.

Produces masses of edible white starchy tubers.

Spiny Headed Mat Rush, Lomandra longifolia subsp. Longifolia Large tussock forming plant with strap like leaves to 1m x 1m. Cream flower spikes in spring. Very adaptable and reliable in most situations, grows best with some moisture, drought tolerant.

Swamp Paperback, Melaleuca ericifolia Dense riparian shrub to 8m, cream flowers Oct-Nov. Moist soils tolerates drying once established, semi shade to full sun, bird attracting.

Spreading Flax Lilly, Dianella admixta

TOUCH

A clumping lily with deep blue flowers in Spring and early Summer on stems to 1m high and spreading. Very drought tolerant but adaptable to most conditions. Can be planted under trees.

Austral Stokes Bill, Pelargonium australe Very attractive foliage changing colours with the seasons, adds colour to a winter garden. Hardy suited to most soils and positions. Pink flowers.

Black She-oak, Allocasuarina litoralis

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Small tree to 8m x 5m with sometimes conical form, Bark becomes deeply furrowed in older trees, females have small cones containing many seeds.

Victorian Christmas Bush, Prostanthera lasianthos Large upright shrub to 8m. Flowers November to January, spectacular in flower. Bird attracting, suited to moist shady site.

Golden Tip, Goodia lotifolia Dense to open shrub 3m x 3m. Yellow and red pea flowers appear in profusion in spring and stems remain red.

Prefers moist well drained soils in a sunny position. Good screening plant.

River Tea-Tree, Leptospermum obovatum Dense erect shrub to 3m x 2m, aromatic leaves. A dense screen suited to moist soils, copes with drying out in summer. Creamy white flowers in summer.

Silver Wattle, Acacia dealbata Rock Correa, Correa glabra

Plant Diagram 5.3 - Herbs

Fast growing and dense medium sized shrub with nectar rich tubular flowers from February to September. Bird attracting and, adaptable to most soils.

Fast growing tree to 10 m high x 15 m wide. Pale yellow perfumed flowers in Winter, prefers moist sheltered position. Gliders eat the sap.

The plants selected are a mixture of small plants, large shrubs, hedges and trees. Each of these plants has a particular sensory component to them. This is important to create the biophilic feeling within the design.

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Legend Deciduous Tree (PopulusTremuloides)

Wire Fencing Emergency Path

Evergreen Tree (Alnus glutinosa)

Bus Stop Grey Water Outlet Overflow Bridge .5

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Section of remediation garden 106

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Much of this design is based on research that suggests gardens will tend to mitigate stress effectively for adult users when spaces contain verdant foliage, flowers, water, grassy spaces with trees or large shrubs and a modicum of spatial openness, compatible pleasant nature sounds (birds, breeze, water) and comfortable movable seating. (Ulrich et al. 2006; Ulrich 1999, Marcus and Barnes 1995,1999; Rodiek 2005)

The ponds are almost structure like as they are constructed from broken modules. This is due to the remediation purposes. The remediation plant can only absorb so much before they have to be removed. Therefore the broken modules are planted out with the remediation plants and placed in the ground. After several years the plants need to be removed and replaced with new ones.

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Site Collage 1

Site Collage 2 108

Site Collage 3

Site Collage 4 109

INTERVIEWS The interviews were conducted in two stages. First I asked them a series of questions to do with garden and its role in a hospital. Then I presented my project to them and talked about the positive and negatives of each of the main designs.

These were there answers: Do you think it is important for hospitals to be located or have access to gardens?

When you are out in a garden, how does that generally make you feel?

Do you think it is important for gardens to be accessible to patients?

-Yes, both visitors and patients need to be able to get out of the hospital and relax.

Hospitals are stressful places.

-Happy, clear, positive, fresh.

-YES, DEFINITELY patients. They are low in mood due to illness and/or disease and need to feel normal. There aren’t any spaces to take patients at the RMH; for walk or for fresh air

Do people at your hospital use gardens near by?

Is it possible for garden to be present within a patients room?

-(Freemasons nurse) YES, the staff and family do. patients not as much, it depends on if they are attached to any medical equipment or not

-YES, but only if it is contained and approved by hospital policy.

Do you think having views of garden could have any clinical effect on a patient?

-YES, patients are suffering with anxiety and depression.

Hospitals are stressful, a garden would give normality.

-(RMH nurse) People ask if there are any gardens around, unfortunately there aren’t Project Thoughts:

Positives

Negatives

1: Mobile interior garden -

-Patient or family could change garden daily -Profitable -Portable -Safe -Effective -No time constraints -Nurses dont have to maintain

Size constraints on larger module. Can fit in single room

2: Permanent interior garden -

-Safe -Works well in small spaces -Artistic -Contains lots of elements of Nature -No infection risk - Is possible!

Gaining access to natural sunlight at RMH would be difficult

3: Mobile exterior garden -

4: Permanent exterior garden -

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-Easy access to food for staff -Increase staff moral -Promote healthy eating -Educational -Increase in staff, patient and visitor satisfaction.

-Gives views to patients from RMH and the new CCC building across grattan st.

-Mobile patients can visit -Staff can have there lunch breaks in garden -Visitors can mourn

the only (just)

OH&S. Is it Sanitary? (Signs might be needed to use disposable gloves -Staff and patient eating areas need to be separate to avoid spreadding disease Falls Risk for elderly and psych patients Children near river?

REFLECTION Reflect and Project

The design outcomes in their current state are all at different levels of resolve. In contrast to the proposed design research question, all designs meet the criteria set; in that they all provide a biophilic presence to the patients therefore assist in the patients mental and physical recovery process. This in turn, also assists in the hospitals role as a healing institution. However the biggest issue I had throughout the project was how I could measure the success or failure of a design. As shown in the document, I made an attempt at measuring the success of a design by setting a number of criteria and marking it against what was there. I felt this in itself was a bit arbitrary in gaining productive feedback in return. Unfortunately it wasn’t

until the final week that I found the most successful way of measuring the success of this design. The discussion (interview) had with nurses at the RMH and Epworth Freemasons proved to be most informative in assessing the successes and failures of my design.

However I feel that I restricted myself too much to the rules and requirements of the hospital and the patients throughout the process. The aim of the project was to produce a design outcome that was able to be transplanted directly into the current hospitals settings.

Therefore much of the design was based around creating an imuno-sensitive space for the patients and staff.

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I feel that there was one more scale that needed to be explored to make this system more plausible. The bed modules needed to be broken down into smaller modules. The wheelchair and the bed modules could have been combined where the smaller modules that fit on the wheelchair, could be fitted multiple time onto the bed module. This way would mean the wheelchair would become interchangeable between seating and garden.

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I feel that this project had heaps of potential and the ideas investigated would be able to be transplanted into the RMH. Designing with biophilia was a difficult task when put against the constraints of a hospital. However I feel that I gave it my all in trying to make it work and overall I am happy with the almost finished product. This project has inspired my mind and will continue to be develop after this program. A special thanks to the collaboration of nursing staff at the RMH and Freemasons Hospital

Bibliography Books,Readings and Articles Health Benefits of Gardens in Hospitals Roger S. Ulrich, Ph.D. Ulrich, R. S. (2001). Effects of healthcare environmental design on medical outcomes. In A Dilani (Ed.) Design and Health: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Health and Design. Stockholm, Sweden: Svensk Byggtjanst, 49-59.

Heerwagen, J. (1990). The psychological aspects of windows and window design. In K.H. Anthony, J. Choi, and B. Orland (Eds.), Proceedings of 21st annual conference of the Environmental Design Research Association. Oklahoma City: EDRA, 269-280.

Ulrich, R. S. and R. Parsons (1992). Influences of passive experiences with plants on individual well-being and health. In D. Relf (Ed.), The role of horticulture in human well-being and social development. Portland, OR: Timber Press, pp. 93-105.

Horsburgh, C. R. (1995). Healing by design. New England Journal of Medicine, 333: 735-740.

Greening the Great Indoors forHuman Health and Wellbeing Final Report to Horticulture Australia Ltd (Completion Date: 15 February, 2010) Margaret Burchett et al. University of Technology, Sydney(UTS) Research Provider: University of Technology, Sydney Wood RA, Burchett MD, Alquezar A, Orwell R, Tarran J and Torpy F, 2006, The pottedplant microcosm substantially reduces indoor air VOC pollution: I. Office field-study, Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 175, 163-180.

The Healing Power of Plants From traditional remedies to modern pharmaceuticals, plants have a vital role to play

Royal Melbourne Cuts Water and Risk A four-year project to upgrade the Royal Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospital’s aging infrastructure is almost complete, and as Sean McGowan reports, the promised water savings delivered by the installation of an Australian-designed cooler are being heralded a success.

With patient care one of the largest consumers of water in a hospital environment, with upwards of 300 patients showering daily at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), to save such amounts of water without affecting patient care proved ideal.(EcoLibrium, 2007)

Biophilic Design Ulrich, R.S. 2006. “Evidence-Based Healthcare Design.” In The Architecture of Hospitals, edited by C.Wagenaar, 281-289, 345-346. Belgium : NAI Publishers.

Ulrich, R.S., and L.Gilpin. 2003. “Healing Arts.” In Putting Patients First: Designing and Practicing Patient Care, edited by S.B. Frampton, L.Gilpin, and P.Charmel, 117-146. San. Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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Tse, M.M.Y, J.K.F.Ng, J.W.Y.Chung, and T.K.S.Wong. 2002. “The effect of Visual Stimuli on Pain Threshold and Tolerance.” Journal of Clinical Nursing II: 462-469.

Ulrich, R.S. 2006. “Evidence-Based Healthcare Design.” In The Architecture of Hospitals, edited by C.Wagenaar, 281-289, 345-346. Belgium : NAI Publishers.

Ulrich, R.S., and L.Gilpin. 2003. “Healing Arts.” In Putting Patients First: Designing and Practicing Patient Care, edited by S.B. Frampton, L.Gilpin, and P.Charmel, 117-146. San.Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

McCaul, K.D., and J.M.Malott. 1984. Distraction and Coping with Pain. Psychological Bulletin 95(3): 516-533 Wied, M.D., and M.N.Verbaten. 2001. “ Affective Picture Processing, Attention , and Pain Tolerance. “ Pain 90:163-172.

Wismeijer, A.J., and J.J.M. Vingerhoets. 2005. “The Use of Virtual Reality and Audiovisual Eyeglass Systems as Adjunct Analgesic Techniques: A Review of the Literature. “ Annals of Behavioural Medicine 30(3): 268-278.

Marcus, C.C., and M.Barnes. 1995. Gardens in Healthcare Facilities: Uses, Therapeutic Benefits, and Design Recommendations. Concord, CA: The Centre for Health Design.

Rodiek, S.2005. “Resident Perceptions of Physical Environment Features That Influence Outdoor Usage at Assisted Living Facilities. “ Journal of Housing for the Elderly” 19(314): 95-107.

Websites http://www.nhsforest.org/evidence http://www.dva.gov.au/rehabilitation/rehabservices/Pages/Medicalrehabilitation.aspx http://www.nhsforest.org/evidence http://www.metropolismag.com/pov/tag/biophilia http://www.plantcultureinc.com/whyGreen.html http://www.nipa.asn.au/docs http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours http://www.altmedicine.about.com/cs/chakras/a/ChakraSounds.htm http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Intellectual_disability http://www.archdaily.com/181402/designing-for-autism-the-neuro-typical-approach/#_ednref1

Interviews 114

Nurse- Stephanie Murphy Nurse- Emily Fortune Nurse- Alex Haliwel

BIOPHILIC RECOVERY

A TEASPOON OF LANDSCAPE MAKES THE PAIN GO AWAY

DANIEL HESKINS S3201206