An Everyday Space

          The healthcare typology has always been perceived as an extraordinary space populated only during times of extraordinary need. Simply put, it’s a place that you would only visit if either you or a loved one needs medical care. This typology and its subsequent elements have seen a dramatic shift in recent years as healthcare spaces have evolved from extraordinary spaces of need to an everyday space. Following this trajectory, it’s safe to say that the healthcare typology has evolved as the needs of modern-day society have evolved, and with its improvements, the quality of life that we can expect can also improve. The paradigm has shifted less from an ‘as-needed space’ to more democratic accessibility.

          Of course, the ideology that has spurted the change from ‘as-needed’ to democratic was spurred, in large part, to combat the incorrect dogmas and stigmas that have surrounded the typology for the past generations. As previously stated, a detriment to the growth of the typology was the perception that it was only a space of necessity, unlike the view of it today, as an everyday space. As our society relies more on the everyday needs of healing spaces it becomes more apparent that the overall design philosophy on the typology was stringent for the standards of today. Healthcare architecture was always oriented toward efficient planning and formal aesthetics, which isn’t to say that the approach was incorrect. At the time, efficiency and formal aesthetics were the priority of the healthcare typology to serve its prime needs, however, those priorities are different from the needs of society today.

          As society progresses so too do the spaces around us – specifically the healthcare typology in the climate of today’s society. In this regard, healthcare spaces can alter perceptions by designing spaces within the contextual framework of their purpose, meaning, the spaces must highlight designs that complement their purpose. Simply put, a hospital must be designed to inspire better physical health and improved healing rates and methods via its holistic design. In the case of a mental health facility, it should inspire better mental health practices and allow for its patients to be better reintegrated into society. Some concrete examples of those ideas are: a mental health facility can allow greeneries to permeate the interior of the space, as well as include art therapy areas, thus giving it a fresh, relaxing, and welcoming vibe, as opposed to the psychiatric facilities of old. Additionally, hospitals can also be designed in this manner with an addition of a community garden to create food sustainability within the facility. Furthermore, children’s hospitals and hospice centers can be designed to promote physical activities, thus allowing for a more function-focused complement to the space. The goals of these unconventional additions to the typologies are a philosophical turning point in our social history. This is a dedication to the new way of doing, that not only expands the definition of the healing typology but also allows for a more intentioned design for these spaces. That is to say that this philosophy and movement were championed to create better contextual spaces of healing as opposed to efficient and sterile machinery for nursing back physical health. This shift of the paradigm is influenced greatly by the fact that our society has focused on a better, more informed idea of holistic health as opposed to the old-fashioned notion of it.

          Furthermore, the addition of new design theories such as neuroarchitecture and sensory design would be invaluable to the progress that we have enjoyed thus far. These ideologies and philosophies are the next steps in a better understanding of healing spaces. Imagine a mental health facility that is designed and zoned in such a way that the navigation of which would help aid mental health patients to improve at an increased rate. Maybe a hospital could be designed in such a way that regular visits for checkups would inspire a better physical health state. Maybe you could design waiting rooms for children’s hospitals that can influence children to be less rowdy or less anxious during the waiting period. These advancements in design and architecture that were once just farces of the imagination are now becoming a reality all thanks to the profession’s will to advance the typology of healthcare architecture. In a way, championing the aforementioned ideas is a big step closer to humanizing design, not only for healthcare spaces but for every typology. It essentially means that the spaces around us inspire better day-to-day healthcare which expands the definition of these spaces into everyday spaces. This should, in turn, inspire and promote a better quality of life in cities worldwide via intentioned design.

This method of designing to make healthcare spaces more palatable and accessible as opposed to life-or-death or grievous circumstance areas is the most concrete step we can take today. In my opinion, designing the spaces of healthcare facilities to increase the success of cures and an even more successful influence of prevention are the two keys to creating better healthcare spaces. Having to influence people to be healthy before they get sick should be the priority of designers for these kinds of facilities as opposed to just fully focusing on the primary goals of healthcare facilities. In this model, healthcare facilities won’t become obsolete because they influence society to live healthier lives as opposed to waiting on the sidelines for grievous cases. To that end, that would mean that healthcare facilities can be designed with the same zoning and space requirements analogical to emergency rooms and clinics. That means designing fitness and wellness centers within hospital limits – that could mean having a community gym, community pool, a mini oval (for physical wellness) and a community garden, an organic farmer’s market, etc. (for dietary wellness) to promote holistic wealth. Hospitals can introduce health programs tailor-made for the community, and they can expand their clinic systems to mini-clinics in this wellness zone to encourage regular check-ups.

In conclusion, the idea that healthcare spaces are only for immense need is outdated and antiquated. The new wave of needs from modern society has spurred the typology into a more evolved and adaptive typology that responds to needs more appropriately and with a better context and understanding of those needs. It is up to the architects and designers of the next wave of healthcare spaces to expand the definition of these facilities that will help enrich the holistic health and well-being of the world around them.