Improving patient wellbeing
Public hospitals have transformed from megastructure institutional types to buildings that strive to be patient focussed and supportive. Participating in this evolution, we designed Sunshine Hospital to have the qualities of a hotel or resort. Importantly, the design sits between domestic and public, offering a place to rest and recover with regenerative qualities. The inpatient building moves away from large floor plates and long looming corridors, instead stacking the wards. Stacked ward planning shortens travel distances for staff and families, improving everyday comfort and operational efficiency.
Each of the three floors has patient rooms and facilities along the perimeters with a service zone through the centre. Walls are painted in cheerful colours of green, orange and blue, and carpet is used where possible to reduce clinical connotations. Generous bay windows in the facade give patients and families spaces to sit and connect with the outside world. These design choices reduce institutional feel and enhance patient comfort, privacy and connection to outlook.
The palliative care unit on the ground floor offers facilities for family members spending long hours there, including a lounge and a secondary entry with a small adjacent garden. Small gardens and family rooms act as restorative spaces that support patient journeys during longer, more demanding stays.
