Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Children's hospital design'

This study was conducted to increase our understanding of children and young people’s experience of a hospital environment and to identify the salient attributes of the physical environment in their experience. There were three specific aims: to describe children and young people’s experience of a hospital environment and identify what constitutes a supportive paediatric environment; to examine the role of the physical environment in patients’ feeling of well-being; and to highlight the capacity of participatory research with children and young people to inform evidence-based paediatric design. At this stage, there has been very little healthcare design research carried out with populations of children and young people. Well-being research with children and young people in paediatric environments that identifies the potential supportive attributes in this environment is also very limited. Historically research on children’s health and well-being has been dominated by a focus on the prevalence of disorders, problems and disabilities. More recently, in response to the change to health promotion, positive attributes have been included in well-being and satisfaction measures. At this stage, there are still many fewer positive measures. Within the body of literature that exists in healthcare, healthcare design research, and well-being research, there are only a small number of participatory studies that focus on children and young people’s experience of hospitalisation, and an even smaller number that include children and young people’s experience of hospital environments. The picture that is created by the research that exists is patchy. There is a need for a more holistic understanding of children and young people’s experience of hospitalisation and of hospital environments from their own perspectives. Based on these gaps in current knowledge, two research questions were developed. The first was concerned with describing children and young people’s experience of the sociophysical environment of a paediatric hospital. The second question was concerned with understanding the role of the physical environment in children and young people’s feeling of well-being in a hospital environment. In addressing these questions, the intention was to identify attributes within the hospital setting which collectively comprise a supportive environment for children and young people and which contribute to children and young people’s feeling of well-being in a paediatric setting. The current study was conducted as an exploratory qualitative case study and carried out at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, in Sydney, Australia. Using participatory research techniques, the sequence of the study included two pilot studies and the main study. The focus was on understanding the experiences of longer-term patients of a paediatric hospital environment. In the main study 25 children and young people, aged between 9-18 years, who had been in hospital for at least a week completed semi-structured interviews in which they talked about their response to the environment of the hospital and their experience of hospitalisation. Data analysis was completed using a combination of concept mapping and thematic analysis techniques. Preliminary findings were used as the basis of a further member-checking task carried out with a further six children and young people before conclusions were reached. The findings reveal that children and young people’s experience of a paediatric setting involves a number of major areas of influence including their personal situation, their social experience, their interaction with the physical environment, opportunities and characteristics of the organisation, and the effect of time. The findings also reveal that children’s feeling of well-being within this experience is linked to their ability to feel comfortable in the environment, to maintain a positive state of mind, and to remain positively engaged with the experience and the environment. This research reveals a dynamic relationship between children and young people and a paediatric environment that children and young people actively manage and shape. It reveals some of the key considerations in children and young people’s experience of hospitalisation. It also reveals why these considerations are important and what role they play in patients’ experience and feeling of well-being. These findings provide the basis for further research and they have implications for future design and research practice in paediatric healthcare settings.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
This study was conducted to increase our understanding of children and young people’s experience of a hospital environment and to identify the salient attributes of the physical environment in their experience. There were three specific aims: to describe children and young people’s experience of a hospital environment and identify what constitutes a supportive paediatric environment; to examine the role of the physical environment in patients’ feeling of well-being; and to highlight the capacity of participatory research with children and young people to inform evidence-based paediatric design. At this stage, there has been very little healthcare design research carried out with populations of children and young people. Well-being research with children and young people in paediatric environments that identifies the potential supportive attributes in this environment is also very limited. Historically research on children’s health and well-being has been dominated by a focus on the prevalence of disorders, problems and disabilities. More recently, in response to the change to health promotion, positive attributes have been included in well-being and satisfaction measures. At this stage, there are still many fewer positive measures. Within the body of literature that exists in healthcare, healthcare design research, and well-being research, there are only a small number of participatory studies that focus on children and young people’s experience of hospitalisation, and an even smaller number that include children and young people’s experience of hospital environments. The picture that is created by the research that exists is patchy. There is a need for a more holistic understanding of children and young people’s experience of hospitalisation and of hospital environments from their own perspectives. Based on these gaps in current knowledge, two research questions were developed. The first was concerned with describing children and young people’s experience of the sociophysical environment of a paediatric hospital. The second question was concerned with understanding the role of the physical environment in children and young people’s feeling of well-being in a hospital environment. In addressing these questions, the intention was to identify attributes within the hospital setting which collectively comprise a supportive environment for children and young people and which contribute to children and young people’s feeling of well-being in a paediatric setting. The current study was conducted as an exploratory qualitative case study and carried out at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, in Sydney, Australia. Using participatory research techniques, the sequence of the study included two pilot studies and the main study. The focus was on understanding the experiences of longer-term patients of a paediatric hospital environment. In the main study 25 children and young people, aged between 9-18 years, who had been in hospital for at least a week completed semi-structured interviews in which they talked about their response to the environment of the hospital and their experience of hospitalisation. Data analysis was completed using a combination of concept mapping and thematic analysis techniques. Preliminary findings were used as the basis of a further member-checking task carried out with a further six children and young people before conclusions were reached. The findings reveal that children and young people’s experience of a paediatric setting involves a number of major areas of influence including their personal situation, their social experience, their interaction with the physical environment, opportunities and characteristics of the organisation, and the effect of time. The findings also reveal that children’s feeling of well-being within this experience is linked to their ability to feel comfortable in the environment, to maintain a positive state of mind, and to remain positively engaged with the experience and the environment. This research reveals a dynamic relationship between children and young people and a paediatric environment that children and young people actively manage and shape. It reveals some of the key considerations in children and young people’s experience of hospitalisation. It also reveals why these considerations are important and what role they play in patients’ experience and feeling of well-being. These findings provide the basis for further research and they have implications for future design and research practice in paediatric healthcare settings.

Hospitals are constantly evolving to keep pace with the latest medical technologies. Whether it is a refurbishment of an existing facility or the addition of a new unit, the design process usually focuses on the technological requirements rather than the human elements of such an undertaking. The Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis presents an architectural opportunity to incorporate psychology of the environment into the design and construction of a new Cancer Unit. By balancing the technological requirements with the physical and psychological needs of the pediatric bone marrow transplant and hematology/oncology patients, one can create a healing environment more conducive to a rapid recovery.
Department of Architecture

This study was conducted to increase the understanding of the involvement of children in the design process of the children's hospitals environment from their perspectives. It was aimed to build rich picture of the process, methods, benefits and problems associated with engaging children during the design process of children’s hospital. It also provides a set of guidelines to apply for the process of involvement, which can be applied in future design projects conducted with children. This study was conducted to increase the understanding of the involvement of children in the design process of the children's hospitals environment from their perspectives. It was aimed to build rich picture of the process, methods, benefits and problems associated with engaging children during the design process of children’s hospital. It also provides a set of guidelines to apply for the process of involvement, which can be applied in future design projects conducted with children. The research methodology employed a case study approach, including two case studies: Royal Alexandra children’s Hospital and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. The process of identifying children’s preferences and considering them into the different stages of the design process is described. Different research techniques have been applied, including literature review and synthesis, interviews and content analysis. The contribution of this research is to address the gap identified in the literature and practice between the hospital design process and the needs of its users, i.e. children. It is intended to addresses the role of user perspective, the empowerment of the users, and the quality of the final outcome. These issues are examined from the points of view of hospital staff, designer, PFI. As a result, a better understanding of children and young people’s participation during the design process of hospital was achieved. The research has produced a set of guidelines for the process of involvement, which can be applied in future design projects to support project teams to define the process and tools for children’s participation.

Children are the most important asset for the society's future. They develop into maturity depending upon how they are moulded by their families, society, and the environment. They are very sensitive and could easily get influenced or affected by the slightest change. Therefore it is important to maintain a normal set-up for them under all of their routine and disturbed mental and physical conditions.Sickness and hospitals are one thing that affect a child's psychology. Children dread to get into the harsh technological environments of today's medical environments. Hospitals are constantly evolving to keep pace with the latest medical technologies. Additions or refurbishments or a totally new set-up usually focuses on the technological requirements rather than the human element of such an undertaking. The Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis presents an architectural opportunity to incorporate psychology of the environment into the design and construction of a new outpatient unit. By balancing the technological requirements with the physical and pschological needs of a child patient, one can create a healing environment more conducive to a rapid recovery. This thesis explores one of the possibilities of creating such an environment.
Department of Architecture

Published Article
The aim of this research was to identify the design aspects necessary to create an aesthetically appealing playroom environment to aid the well-being of hospitalised oncology children at a public hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The methodology design is overall qualitative within the interpretivist paradigm with a triangulation methodology design with explanatory components. These components consisted of a literature review which was further explored by means of a qualitative questionnaire. The playroom was created as part of a community project according to the literature review and questionnaire after which semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with the children themselves.

This research focuses on four main topics: Children’s’ Cognitive Development as it relates to age-appropriate interior design; Children’s Hospital Design and healing environments; Public Spaces in Hospitals – interior architecture and interior design; Contextual Issues – specifically, the religious, ethnic and national context of Palestine. Literature indicates that research is needed in the design of healing environments for children in order to create spaces that are child-friendly and meet their cognitive development needs. There is little research available about the design of the public areas of children’s hospital including the main entrance, atrium and thoroughfares. Also, most empirical research uses traditional social science methods to understand the requirements for healing environments for children (e.g. interviews, observations). Few studies use design- or arts-based approaches. Furthermore, most research has been conducted in the West, with little research from other countries, like Palestine, where few hospitals are devoted only to children. This research aimed to determine: (1) key design factors, functions, constraints and programme requirements for designing the public spaces of children’s hospitals in an age-appropriate way to promote healing; (2) how context-specific issues relating to Palestine play a role in determining the key design factors. From a critical analysis of the literature, specific research questions and the development of a primary research plan were developed. The main research question is: For a new children’s hospital in Palestine, how should the public areas (i.e., main entrance, atrium, and throughfares) be designed so that they are suitable for all age ranges and promote healing? In Palestine, qualitative data were collected during nine co-design and cocreation workshops that included arts-based activities and semi-structured interviews. Participants included children from 3-18 years, parents, doctors, nurses, reception and admissions staff, and four groups of designers. All participants, excluding the designers, participated in drawing and modeling activities. The use of drawings with children is an indispensable tool because their verbal expression is often not highly developed, and because preferences and ideas can be expressed more intuitively. Similarly, models can be effective tools because children can express ideas and preferences about form, materials and size through them in a way that words alone cannot describe. This study uses a thematic analysis approach to analysing the qualitative data. The results of data analysis were sorted into main themes and sub-themes. The key findings of this study are: context-specific issues (i.e. culture, gender, separation and religion issues); physical environments: interior architecture and interior design – medical spaces (e.g. emergency, outpatients, triage room and others); non-medical spaces (e.g. play areas, indoor and outdoor green areas, entertainment activities, spaces for eating, reception, waiting areas and admissions); interior design elements (e.g. image design, art, form and shape, wayfinding signage, and colours); and environmental considerations (e.g. noise, hygiene, smell, and light). These findings will inform guidelines and recommendations and will be supported by visual models for the design of children’s hospitals, particularly public spaces in the particular context of Palestine. The guidelines will contribute to the creation of supportive healing environments for all stakeholders, but particularly for children. This study demonstrates that practical design methods in the research process can be very effective in fostering creativity and in drawing out ideas and preferences from young children and other stakeholders. Such methods provide a novel approach to the design of healing environments for children.

Robot assisted therapy is becoming increasingly popular. Research has proven it can be of benefit to persons dealing with a variety of disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and it can also provide a source of emotional support e.g. to persons living in seniors’ residences. The advancement in technology and a decrease in cost of products related to consumer electronics, computing and communication has enabled the development of more advanced social robots at a lower cost. This brings us closer to developing such tools at a price that makes them affordable to lower income individuals and families. Currently, in several cases, intensive treatment for patients with certain disorders (to the level of becoming effective) is practically not possible through the public health system due to resource limitations and a large existing backlog. Pursuing treatment through the private sector is expensive and unattainable for those with a lower income, placing them at a disadvantage. Design and effective integration of technology, such as using social robots in treatment, reduces the cost considerably, potentially making it financially accessible to lower income individuals and families in need. The Objective of the research reported in this manuscript is to design and implement a social robot that meets the low-cost criteria, while also containing the required functions to support children with ASD. The design considered contains knowledge acquired in the past through research involving the use of various types of technology for the treatment of mental and/or emotional disabilities.

Researchers have studied the positive effect of healing outdoor environments on hospitalized children, their family members and staff's health and mood. Consequently many modern hospitals dedicate portions of their space to healing outdoor environments. However, these amenities are underutilized due to various design barriers. This research aimed to identify barriers to garden visitation and introduce design guidelines that encourage garden visitation in pediatric hospitals for all groups. Five Texas pediatric hospital gardens were selected to examine the impact of availability of shade, quality and availability of seats, and presence of the healing nature on user satisfaction and garden use. Behavioral observation, surveys, interviews, and site evaluations were conducted. Gardens were ranked based on design qualities, user satisfaction, and frequency and duration of garden visitation. The primary conclusion of this study was that garden visitors' satisfaction with design is positively correlated with presence and quality of hypothesis variables. Duration and frequency of garden visitation also increased in gardens with better shading, seating options, and planting. Other factors identified as influential in increasing garden use included availability of amenities for children and playfulness of design layout. The research findings were instrumental in introducing new design guidelines for future hospital garden design projects. In addition, they served to statistically support design guidelines suggested by previous researchers.

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Architecture (Professional) to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Architecture and Planning at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2016
Children often find hospitalisation an intimidating experience because hospitals are not always the most child-friendly place. This research report is about understanding the way in which an environment can be created that will aid recovery of children in hospitals, in order to inform the redesign process of the pediatric facility at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (CHBH). Literature on the history of hospital design, architectural and evidence based design surrounding health-care architecture, and the psychological aspects that contribute towards a healing environment, shows that important design drivers are positive distraction, personal control and social support. These devices are used in precedent studies that successfully deinstitutionalised the hospital in the eyes of a child, in order to produce comfort and less anxiety. An indepth study is conducted of CHBH, with specific emphasis on the pediatric department, compiled from literature and site research. The history and challenges of the largest hospital in Africa are explored in order to arrive at an appropriate design response, which is taken through as a design proposal for a new pediatric facility at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
GR2017

碩士
國立成功大學
建築學系碩士在職專班
104
As science combined with practice and art, the disparity between architecture and other design fileds is that how to make the design realize. Besides design thinking, there are many details and complex interfaces about construction that must be considerd. A good architect can not only focus on design thinking but also construction consideraiton. However, in Taiwan, we are insufficient for the training and access to the practice of construciton simulation during school days. We work too hard on design concept developed but pay less attention on how to make the design into real architecture so that some gaps occur between academia and industry. On the other hand, the Architect Licensure Examination is partial towards subject tests but not the integration practice from design to construction. That's why many architects with license can not handle the whole architecture project, and what they can do is to apply for the constrction permit. Without construction consideration, the architecture design can not be completed. The situation makes an impression of Architecture as a weak profession to the general public, and it put architects in a tight spot in Taiwan society lacked of the conception for paying the design fee. Design-build is a method of project delivery in which both desgin and construction work are put together under one contract.Compared with Design-bid-build project, it can reduce the conflict between design and construction and some aspects of risk and gives the architect total control from design through project completion. This study takes the case of Da-an women and children hospital as a research object, to analyze the relationships among architect, client and constructor under these two project modes, for understanding why the architect can lead the way in design-build project. By evaluating the commision of four stages in the architecture project: pre-design phase, design phase, construction phase and completion phase, we can also think about that how the architect can break through the limit. Self experience of participating in the hospital building case shows the observation of the architect as a facilitator in the design-build project, includes: how the architect transforms the client's demand to design, combines design thinking and construciton together, and deals with problems between every related aspects. By the operational sharing of the practical case, the study provides an overview of the implementation of an architecture project to be the reference of the procee of building. It takes time to be a competent architect. The ability to integrate all aspects like structure, machanical engineering, interior design and landscape means a lot for role of an architect in the architecture project. To progress the capacity for handling the construciton is also to promote the design ability. The ability of the architect as a facilitator and the effort to adjust repeatedly from design to construciton will make the completion of architecture perfect and fulfill the confidence and professional impression of the architect.