We thought we would share some simple cost effective ideas and products which can be incorporated into existing spaces to enhance wellbeing.

Here  are a few ideas on how you can change and improve healthcare environments with minimal disruption to the staff and patients, but providing a big impact. It has been proven that enhancing the environment has the ability to stimulate positive emotional reactions, thereby promoting the conditions for recovery.  We have chosen a few products that can be retrofitted into existing healthcare spaces to have  a huge effect on wellbeing whilst being cost effective.

Where there is limited space on the walls of healthcare rooms, with services and fixtures taking priority, using the ceiling can be a simple way to add impact to an area to improve wellbeing.

Ceilings are often overlooked as areas that can promote wellbeing. Many healthcare buildings use suspended ceilings. With modern printing techniques the ceiling tiles can be directly printed on, providing vivid colour and interest to rooms or corridors.  Images can also be applied to give information or create landmarks to help orientation.

This illustration demonstrates the patient’s field of view.

With advances in LED lighting, there are now light panels that can drop into existing ceiling tile fixtures. LED panels not only use less energy than conventional light fixtures, but also give even light distribution.  For many patients undergoing treatment their direct line of site is often focused on the ceiling area. By adding imagery and graphics to the ceiling lights it can add interest and reduce stress levels. LED energy efficient light panels can even add warm light to a space.

Single images can be printed directly to the LED ceiling panels which can create a cost effective way of enhancing the healing environment.

Large scale graphics can be applied to the ceilings to create vivid images.

For a manic two weeks we have been driving around the country delivering a lecture on Wellbeing Through Design. Over the past 10 years we have been building up a knowledge of user centred design approaches particularly focused in the healthcare sector. We felt it was time to share some of our findings but also meet and learn from Trusts and healthcare professionals who were working on other exciting projects. Last week we delivered the lecture to a full room of professionals and students at University College Falmouth UCF. (images very kindly supplied by wearethetwins.com twin brothers who also are looking to go into business together! )

Naoki terada’s architecture office designed this playful solution
for matsumoto children’s dental clinic in Nerima, Tokyo.
for this project teradadesign architects utilized wooden animals
that greet children when they arrive to the dentist, in the hope that
this will help them to have a relaxed visit.

Several wooden games were also implemented into the waiting room walls
to occupy children. the layout means that the animals and trees are viewable
from the examination rooms so that the child still feels at ease.