Biophilic hospital design for well being

Design of the new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital and other community facilities will follow the principles of biophilic design.

Biophilic design means that our buildings and surrounding areas reflect our natural environment – not only in the gardens of the new hospital, but within the wards, offices, and corridors. This can be through the incorporation of natural materials, plants, or other natural features that enable our patients and staff to benefit from being closer to nature. The benefits of biophilic design can include a calmer environment for staff, patients and their families, increased creativity, productivity, and reduced stress, reduced post-operation recovery times and reduced use of medication.

We are learning from the successful biophilic design in healthcare settings in the UK, such as Alder Hey Children’s Health Park, and overseas, such as Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Singapore.

We want our staff and communities to be involved in the design and so we will keep involving you in this. When the new Urgent and Planned Care Hospital and other community facilities are built, we want them to feel like public assets, open to the community, and connected to the local natural environment.

We also see our overall Programme Business Case as an opportunity for skills in construction and maintenance to be developed and used locally so that we are doing our best to contribute to our local economy and deliver benefit for our communities (social value).