Healthcare Design | Danielle Jamieson

Cultivate.

Third-year healthcare design project.

Plan.

The plan is organically-shaped, following the form of the concept diagram: a sprouting seedling. Accordingly, the journey begins in reception as the seed, progresses through to the enriched corridor representing the stem, and the three exam rooms representing three blooms.

Labels indicate the location of the following views.

Concept.

‘Cultivate’: a space designed for the specific needs of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Inspired by Vancouver's natural landscape, I used motifs of biophilia to tell the story of a seedling which grows and blooms through dedication and care. Those with ASD are sometimes described as having difficulty 'seeing the forest through the trees' - for this reason, I focused on a scaled-down level of detail to provide subtle texture and enrichment, but also to validate patient's propensity to focus on finer details.

Cultivate: Work

Innovative techniques.

A balance was met between predictability and encouragement of autonomy - I emphasized rhythm of movement, and repetition throughout the space, while providing a curvilinear space meant to invigorate and encourage safe exploration, supported by research on wayfinding for those with ASD (7, p. 110; Spath & Jonsma, 2019). Transition zones were created to boost patients' self-esteem, decrease anxiety, and help aid their socialization and communication skills (Clouse, Wood-Nartker, & Rice, 2020; Gaines et al., 2016). Lastly, nodes in the form of niches were created to provide a restorative area with a sensory swing and deep pressure devices, and two stimulating areas for those with ASD who seek stimulation.

Programs used.

AutoCAD, SketchUp massing model, hand-rendered with Procreate (iPad app).