HEADSPACE

With the backing of ENT surgeon & Healthcare Design Enthusiast, Rodney Mountain, Headspace re-imagines and re-purposes a series of rooftop and courtyard spaces that exist throughout Ninewells Hospital in Dundee to encourage users to take time out from the emotional strain of the clinical environment, to connect with nature and thereby boost personal happiness and wellbeing.

CREATING A HAPPIER HOSPITAL

Featuring in Duncan of Jordanstone Degree Show, May 2017 & Free Range Graduate Exhibition London, July 2017.

PDF: FULL DESIGN DETAILS

PROJECT SUMMARY

VIDEO

INVESTIGATING THE EMOTIONS OF HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENTS

PRIMARY RESEARCH

In order to fully understand the needs of the hospital users a key part of primary research involved finding out from a personal perspective what it means to be part of the day-to-day hospital environment. Other aspects of initial primary research involved interviews in the community to gauge hospital perceptions as well as recording emotions felt by staff over a 24hr period.

Primary research highlighted that the needs of hospital users are diverse and the constant emotions experienced are

complex. Due to the nature of the hospital and all that has to go on within the building, this is not going to change, so Headspace looks beyond looking to increase happiness by reducing negative emotions. Instead, Headspace provides spaces to allow for time out from the intense clinical environment – places where hospital users can go to channel their emotions, to reflect and to recharge.

Ultimately although the needs of the hospital users are varied and extensive there is a universal need to improve happiness and wellbeing amongst all users, which Headspace focuses on.

THE CONCEPT: ONE WORLD

A concept of ‘One World’ was devised, responding to the recent increased recognition of the relationship between happiness and wellbeing and good physical and mental health as well as the benefits of the introduction of nature to the built environment not just for the health of people but also the environmental impact for the planet. One World can be broken down into 3 categories of health, happiness and sustainability. Health reflects the relationship between physical and mental health; happiness the diverse needs of individuals but the universal need for happiness; and sustainability the relationship between what’s good for the planet and what’s good for society. Headspace has been developed in response to these three categories.

10th FEBRUARY 2017, NINEWELLS HOSPITAL

CO-DESIGN WORKSHOP

Having considered the problems of the current hospital environment and highlighted the benefit of natural spaces for the improvement of happiness and wellbeing, the next step was to find out how the identified spaces could be used in reality to benefit the users. A co-design workshop was held bringing together around 27 hospital users including consultants, nurses, administration staff, students, management and estates management staff and individuals from the community.

After considering the meaning of "a happy place" & the positives and negatives of the existing hospital environment the participants were allocated one of the three proposed space to tackle in their groups - brainstorming ideas on how it could be developed to benefit the happiness and wellbeing of hospital users. Each team was given a design toolkit to help prompt thoughts on different aspects of the design. The toolkits played a very important role helping to start conversations amongst the participants, many of whom weren't used to working on design activities, whilst ensuring the information collated from the workshop was really relevant and able to be taken forward in the design process.

WORKSHOP SUMMARY: VIDEO

DESIGN TOOLKIT

3 NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

Recognising the barriers to many people spending regular time in nature, Headspace provides elements of three different natural environments within the hospital setting. In order for nature to be a significant benefit to happiness and wellbeing it needs to be easily accessible to all.

ACCESSIBLE NATURE

DEVELOPED FROM THE BIOPHILIA PROSPECT & REFUGE THEORY

Growing from the Prospect & Refuge theory and with architectural inspiration from the geometric forms of Scottish rural dwellings, a series of shelters in the form of bothies were created throughout the spaces. Not unlike the traditional bothy – found in remote areas of countryside for walkers & explorers to use for a nights rest and shelter from the weather – the Headspace bothies provide natural space for hospital users to relax and recharge when they are - what may be miles - away from home, both physically and psychologically.

THE SCOTTISH BOTHY

THE DESIGNS

ACCESSIBLE NATURE WITHIN THE HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT

LEVEL 4: WOODLAND

The woodland space is an exterior courtyard surrounded on all sides by the hospital building with its current only use being as a fire escape. Headspace opens up this space for general use enabling access to fresh air from the middle of the hospital building. Utilising the existing walkway, this space will also allow a stronger connection to be developed between the hospital and existing Ninewells grounds. Primarily surrounded by wards - an intimate area of the hospital - the space provides a series of small bothy-style shelters giving an extra layer of privacy when needed by the users.

The woodland environment is re-created through the design of the profile of the bothies, which mimic a tree trunk and canopy, as well as the use of wood cladding and glass to echo a woodland path. The shaded nature of the space allows for native woodland plants such as ferns, bluebells and wild garlic to thrive.

SECTION

WOODLAND BOTHY DEVELOPMENT

TREE TRUNK & CANOPY

MULTIPLE SHELTERS FOR ADDITIONAL PRIVACY

LINKING THE HOSPITAL TO NINEWELLS GROUNDS

CLADDING PATTERN

WOODLAND PATH

OPENING UP EXISTING FIRE ESCAPE WALKWAY

BIRD BOXES: EXTENDING INTERACTION TO HIGHER LEVELS OF HOSPITAL BUILDING

LEVEL 7: COAST

The coastal space is a flat rooftop located near the main foyer of the hospital. Due to the location of this space, it is the most public of the three, with constant passers-by. Currently an amazing view of the River Tay can be enjoyed from the interior corridor but Headspace gives users access to the rooftop, exploiting the view with the added benefit of fresh air. The communal nature of the space is reflected in a single large bothy with staggered bench seating. The bothy is positioned towards the optimal horizon view and also through the use of sections of glass, acts as a frame for the view from the existing corridor. The structure of the bothy is developed from the shape of a breaking wave with sections of organic patterns in the cladding reflecting driftwood. Taking into consideration the Scottish climate, good drainage of outdoor seating is important in order for the space to be used to it’s full potential. Wooden slats ensure the exterior benches dry quickly after it rains with a system in place to collect the rainwater for a sustainable solution to watering the plants. The positioning of the space – exposed to all weathers - is ideal for plants such as Marram Grass, Pink Thrift and Sea Kale, which are capable of growing in harsh coastal conditions.

SECTION

COASTAL BOTHY DEVELOPMENT

BREAKING WAVE

A BALANCE OF PROSPECT & REFUGE

MERGING INTERIOR & EXTERIOR SPACES

CLADDING PATTERN

DRIFTWOOD

OUTDOOR SEATING DRAINAGE

& RAINWATER COLLECTION

SHELTER FRAMES THE VIEWS FROM EXISTING CORRIDOR

LEVEL 10: MOUNTAIN

The mountain space is an external quadrangle situated at the top of the hospital near the management offices and boardroom with glazed corridors running down either side. Through the development of an exterior corridor and informal bothy meeting pods, Headspace provides an opportunity for fresh air for staff who may not find time during the working day to go outside of the hospital building. The design encourages users to connect with nature through awareness of environmental changes such as weather and temperature, which often go unnoticed during a day in the office. The profile of the bothies reflects mountain range peaks with sections of glass - echoing the shapes of trees growing on a hillside - ensuring a balance of natural light whilst maintaining elements of privacy. With sections of both interior and exterior seating, the shelter roofs are pitched to let the rain run off and the air in. Reflecting the mountainside, aspects of the new landscaping are extended upwards replacing existing decayed panels with wood cladding, as well as the addition of a kinetic façade on the level above. The planting of species such as Gorse, Heather & Highland Rush further emulates the mountain environment.

SECTION

MOUNTAIN BOTHY DEVELOPMENT

MOUNTAINSCAPE

BIRDS EYE VIEW

KINETIC FACADE

KINETIC FACADE

CLADDING PATTERN

GROWING WITH THE SLOPE

VIEW FROM EXISTING CORRIDOR

INFORMAL MEETING PODS

MATERIALS

Scottish Larch & Glass are the primary materials used throughout the spaces. The continuity of these materials throughout each space ensures Headspace exists as a distinct collection of natural spaces against the existing hospital building. The extensive use of wood reflects its prominence in all areas of nature.

Larch wood has been chosen due to the proximity of its origin to Dundee. Using local supplies is not only beneficial for the environment but also allows users to associate with their local environment, which has shown benefits to happiness and wellbeing.

Glass panels are intersected amongst the wood to blur the line between interior and exterior spaces as well as support the Prospect and Refuge Theory, which suggests the preference for shelter from 3 sides – not complete isolation.

PLANTER DESIGN

THE SUN AT THE CENTRE OF WELLBEING

In order to connect the concept of ‘One World’ to the physical details of the spaces Headspace looks to the patterns of the sun throughout summer and winter from the site for the design of the planters. The sun is key to wellbeing under the 3 categories – health, happiness & sustainability. Health relies on the sun for vitamin D, happiness for melatonin levels and sustainability for energy. The network of both horizontal and vertical planters throughout the three spaces runs in

response to the movement of the sun, introducing more greenery to the hospital environment as well as connecting each area of nature.

SUN PATTERNS FROM THE SITE

SUN RISE

SUN SET

PLANTER HEIGHTS

CONNECTING THE SPACES

ENVIRONMENT-SPECIFIC PLANTING

PLANTS TO THRIVE IN EACH AREA OF NATURE

To enhance the forms developed to reflect each natural environment, the plants in each space reflect those native to each area of nature. Looking at the characteristic of the existing spaces within the hospital, a resemblance can be seen to those of the real natural environment. The Level 4 courtyard – surrounded by several levels of building on all sides – is a mostly shaded area resembling that of woodland. The Level 7 rooftop is exposed to all weathers, wind, rain and full sunshine – similar to a day on the Scottish coast, whilst the enclosed nature of the Level 10 quadrangle resembles that of a heathland – a habitat of wild, low growing vegetation, often found in the form of heather on the Scottish hills. Environment-specific planting takes the connection to nature beyond the visual allowing for smell and touch to further enhance the spaces.

VERTICAL PLANTERS

A NETWORK OF GREEN PATHWAYS

The planters in each space are extended into vertical planters on the walls of the hospital building. The addition of this vertical element connects the three spaces and also allows for a connection between the new spaces and the existing hospital building. The vertical planters can be enjoyed from different levels of the hospital interior supporting further connection with nature as well as the prominence of Headspace within the hospital.

Through the vertical planters Headspace supports the local ‘Urban Berry Project’ run by the James Hutton Crop Research Institute at Invergowrie. This project looks to utilise forgotten spaces around Dundee - such as rooftops and roundabouts - to promote the benefits of urban agriculture and range of crops that can be grown, such as berries. Being one of the icons of Dundee, Ninewells is an ideal site for establishment of this project and an ideal place to promote the sustainability as well as health benefits of urban growing. Collaborating with the James Hutton Institute has allowed for another connection to be developed between the hospital and the city.

JAMES HUTTON INSTITUTE URBAN BERRY PROJECT

The vertical addition to the planting system allows for crops to be grown efficiently and sustainably with low energy and water input. An irrigation system is in place which collects rainwater from the shelter roofs as well as from the external seating on Level 7.

RAINWATER COLLECTION & IRRIGATION SYSTEM