The Art of Distraction - Wayfinding
HLM Architects
Sustainable Architecture, Interiors, Landscapes and Masterplanning practice with a Thoughtful Design ethos at its heart
Healthcare buildings, in particular hospitals with multiple departments, require clear strategies for wayfinding. But how can we make what is a necessary element of design reflective of the client brief, while bringing life into the projects??
Our teams work closely with user groups to fully understand the complexities of each healthcare environment we design. The results are modern, innovative wayfinding strategies that bring an element of playfulness to the designs while improving the user experience.
Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Edinburgh
The simple arrangement of the principle building elements such as arrival experience, entrances, light, scale, materials, finishes, art and wayfinding ensure that each area has its own specific character albeit derived from a unified concept for the whole building.?A friendly, welcoming environment starts on the approach to the building through the significant public realm, and continues throughout with provision of a caring and reassuring atmosphere which feels non institutional through the integration of art throughout.
Clear identities for departments and information points eliminate confusion and reduce anxiety.?
Ysbyty Cwm Cynon (Cynon Valley Hospital)
Located North of Cardiff, Cynon Valley provides rehabilitation beds, numerous supporting therapy functions as well as Women & Children’s services in the form of focused and outpatient facilities. A significant Mental Health unit provides inpatient and outpatient services, as well as significant community involvement.
The design of the building is focused on patient care through the therapeutic environment; an approach supported by a simple wayfinding strategy, a strong landscape integration and a suite of sustainable strategies that include both renewable energy sources and passive climate control. All key design aspects have been driven by flexibility and sustainability.
The hospital’s space usage is flexible and adaptive to accommodate change as the model of care evolves. Its design harnesses natural daylight and views of the surrounding landscape, and uses spatial quality, colour, comfort levels, materials and public artwork to create a “non-institutional” feel and enhance the psychological well-being of both patients and staff.
领英推荐
Altnagelvin North Wing, Derry
An integrated Arts and Wayfinding Strategy was implemented across the site, to ensure signage to all parts of the hospital are clear. These include the use of colour and art to identify routes, reducing the number of directional signs required. The integration of art has also been used to improve healing and therapeutic environment for patients by creating welcoming, stimulating, reassuring environments.?
The completion of the new main entrance is one of most significant elements in the Altnagelvin hospital site evolution. The three-story entrance foyer acts as the beacon and wayfinding strategy for the site. The granite-clad portal identifies and sets the architectural language for the main entrance and ward accommodation behind; it also creates a sense of place and forms a cohesive relationship with the other buildings on the site.
Thoughtful design and the desire to make spaces and places that improve lives sits at the heart of everything we do.
Get in touch via the links below, and find out more about the work we're doing to make better places.