How the new CH Les Viviers reduces stress and promotes well-being
A brand new hospital opens its doors in Charleroi. CH Les Viviers is the largest non-university hospital in the country. As the designer of this healing environment, Sweco, in collaboration with Réservoir A, would like to highlight some key concepts. Also, check out our blog articles about the engineering solutions and general design approach of this exceptional project.
No one likes to go to a hospital. Even during a maternity visit, the hospital environment causes a certain level of stress for many. However, a healing or health-promoting environment aims to reduce stress. Hospitals take various measures to lower stress levels, as is the case with CH Les Viviers, the brand new regional hospital of Grand Hôpital de Charleroi.
Science-based
In recent decades, a lot of research has been conducted on environmental factors that influence human well-being. Broadly categorized under the term “healing environment”, studies have examined how different aspects positively contribute to the experiences and healing of patients, staff, and visitors.
| § | For patients, this refers to an environment that can promote the treatment process. |
| § | For staff, in addition to well-being, efficiency and work comfort are important |
| § | Visitors primarily focus on how easily they can reach the location and the environment in which their family, friends, and loved ones are cared for. |
The experience of these situations influences the stress level.
The scientific method provides solid arguments and can also be quantified, from patients’ length of stay and medication use to absenteeism and staff turnover. These figures can in turn be calculated into cost savings during the operational phase.
And if we look at the figures: within the total cost of ownership (TCO) over the entire lifespan of a hospital, increased by the operational costs, the design and construction costs represent only a fraction – between 5 and 10%. Without the operational costs, the depreciation of investments in infrastructure accounts for 38% of the TCO for CH Les Viviers.
Thoughtful design choices for the care environment are therefore more than worth the investment. It is unfortunate that the financial standards of governments do not always make this possible. Especially since research indicates that the experience of the environment correlates with overall satisfaction with care.
Of course, the care itself is decisive for quality. On the other hand, every healthcare professional will agree that the environment in which this occurs has a direct and indirect influence on that quality.
Evidence-based design
All spatial factors that Sweco’s care designers consider for the comfort and well-being of end-users can be grouped under the following parameters: orientation, coherence and legibility, contrasts, and control.
Evidence-based design
All spatial factors that Sweco’s care designers consider for the comfort and well-being of end-users can be grouped under the following parameters: orientation, coherence and legibility, contrasts, and control.
ORIENTATION ensures that we always know where we are within the often large-scale complexity of a hospital, how to reach our destination, and how to retrace our steps.
A COHERENT AND LEGIBLE design facilitates this orientation. Coherence and legibility can be felt from macro to micro levels.
The design becomes legible by integrating various CONTRASTS coherently: color, material, texture, objects, plants, views, nature, etc.
These elements must be distinctive and clear: enough to give a space an identity without creating confusion. The key lies in the balance.
The whole provides the user with a SENSE OF CONTROL, essential for well-being and stress reduction. Only then can a care seeker experience some sense of security.
In applying the “healing environment” concepts, our care designers consider the functionality and typology of the spaces:
| § | Public/semi-public/private and their gradations |
| § | Trajectory of the care seeker and staff member from the central entrance, waiting area, and nurse station to relaxation areas for staff, patient rooms, research spaces, etc. |
General Design Principles for CH Les Viviers
The design team at Sweco, in collaboration with Réservoir A, developed several design principles for the spatial experience of CH Les Viviers. As a basis, the design team articulated “a luminous interior with touches of contrasts or shades.”
More than the color itself, luminosity is important: how can the subtle color of daylight optimally penetrate each space, thus supporting the user’s circadian rhythm? We all know that in the evening it is best to avoid blue light (e.g., from our smartphones). In all their subtlety, the color shifts of daylight have demonstrated neurological effects. Hence, white should indeed form one of the main tones.
General Design Principles for CH Les Viviers
The design team at Sweco, in collaboration with Réservoir A, developed several design principles for the spatial experience of CH Les Viviers. As a basis, the design team articulated “a luminous interior with touches of contrasts or shades.”
More than the color itself, luminosity is important: how can the subtle color of daylight optimally penetrate each space, thus supporting the user’s circadian rhythm? We all know that in the evening it is best to avoid blue light (e.g., from our smartphones). In all their subtlety, the color shifts of daylight have demonstrated neurological effects. Hence, white should indeed form one of the main tones.
Within this clear principle, the designers limited themselves to six contrasts or shades. Each of these contrasts is linked to a function or typology:
| WOOD | this natural material represents spaces for the patient, |
| BRIGHT GRAY | for horizontal circulation (corridors and open spaces) |
| FRESCOES | integrated artworks by local artists, with their own pattern and dynamics that simultaneously provide color accents in important perspectives |
| RED-ORANGE | for vertical circulation (stairs, elevators, and emergency exits) |
| YELLOW | for hygiene applications (such as niches with disinfection) |
| DARK GRAY | for the most intimate zones (such as restrooms) |
Depending on the functionality and typology of the spaces, these contrasts vary throughout the hospital. The design team identified the following zones:
| § | The care boulevard: this lifeline runs through the entire hospital, serving as a starting point to all departments |
| § | Vertical circulation |
| § | Horizontal circulation |
| § | Waiting rooms |
| § | Care departments |
As a final principle, the designers at Sweco and Réservoir A applied the principle of gradual information provision: the more public the space, the more information is available, and therefore the more contrasts will be integrated. In more private spaces, less information is present, and fewer contrasts are needed.
From macro to micro
The Care Boulevard
Let’s start in the most public space, which is also the first introduction to the hospital: the care boulevard. Large windows, a light granite floor, white walls, columns, and balustrades contribute to the luminosity of this lifeline. Daylight streams in abundantly with the subtle shading of that moment, offering views of patios with nature and the wider surroundings. In soft contrast to the light materials, warm wood as a natural material guides visitors and patients to important areas: the wooden welcome desk, the registration counters with wooden flooring and wall cladding, and the wooden floor of the cafeteria.
Two rather monumental wooden staircases in this large space lead patients and visitors to a mezzanine with registration counters for day admissions.
The Waiting Rooms of the Departments
Here, the frescoes play an important role. Each fresco is a work of art by a local artist in a very unique style. Each fresco thus contributes to the identity of each department with a color accent. At the same time, the art serves as a point of attraction for a pleasant and aesthetic distraction during waiting times.
The Nursing Departments
The various contrasts all come together in the nursing departments. From the red and orange vertical circulation axis, you arrive at a light gray floor of the horizontal circulation. The materials and colors of the doors indicate which space lies behind them: wooden doors open to a patient room, white doors are for staff, and the red-orange doors lead, as previously mentioned, to the stairs.
Depending on the length of stay, the room is furnished differently. The design team distinguished between short stays and longer hospitalizations, respectively motel and hotel.
In the room for longer stays, the abundance of wood is immediately noticeable. Nowhere else in the hospital is wood as present. The natural material brings a homely atmosphere, introduces warmth, and provides a sense of coziness for those who want it. At the same time, great care has been taken with the view from the various hospitalization rooms. The impressive surroundings on the former coal tip have been excellently utilized. Where possible, especially those hospitalized for longer periods have a view of nature and the surrounding residential areas.
Furthermore, the yellow framing of a niche at the room entrance draws the staff’s attention to the hygienic applications. The bathroom with sanitary facilities is tiled in dark gray.
The short-stay room is designed according to the same principles, albeit slightly more functional and clinical due to the maximum length of stay of three days.
The design team configured the patient room as the most private space to provide the end-user with optimal rest, with the ambition to positively contribute to treatment. Outside, the patient, staff, and visitor can expect the same coherent application of the same contrasts. This gives patients and visitors a sense of control and increases efficiency for the care staff.
Designing future-proof
Sweco is aware that a project only truly comes to life upon commissioning. More than any other type of building, a hospital undergoes many changes during its lifespan, due to medical evolutions, new insights into treatment processes, etc. Renovations, expansions, and modifications are not uncommon.
Based on the foundational principles, the hospital can incorporate these adjustments in the future while maintaining coherence and legibility. This way, the hospital can continue to offer patients, staff, and visitors an environment that fully supports quality care.
