Designing for Recovery and Rehabilitation
By ahhb
Monday, 16 March, 2015
Monday, 16 March, 2015
鈥淲e were thinking about what makes a good children鈥檚 hospital and found that a good children鈥檚 hospital is one that doesn鈥檛 feel like a hospital.鈥

鈥溾 to be able to get out into the hospital鈥檚 extraordinary open spaces with the greenery and landscaping, just adds to the overall healing feel of the building.鈥
鈥 PETER STEER, CHILDREN鈥橲 HEALTH QUEENSLAND
The landscape architecture plays a major role in the design of the hospital and was carried out with an holistic healing philosophy underpinning it. It highlights the wellness benefits of fresh air and nature and includes eight unique garden spaces for reflection and contemplation, recreation and rehabilitation. There is even spaces for patients to have their pets visit, which aids in emotional recovery, and areas for changeable art exhibitions, outdoor theatre and music. The total area of the roof garden exceeds 3200m2 and features more than 46,000 plants, 12 green monoliths and 33 epiphyte columns. The roof itself is made up of 1400 planting cassettes containing 23,000 plants. Add to this the installation of six 30-year-old figs which provide instant shade and connect with the nearby landscape. The fa莽ade鈥檚 palate of rich greens and purples is a reference to the Bougainvillea Arbour in the nearby parklands, and the expansive openings to the street work to connect the inside with the outside.

For Professor Bruce Wolfe, the extent of the landscaping in the building is its greatest success.
鈥淲e鈥檝e stepped the design of the building back as it gets taller and each one of the roof planes has been used for natural environments so there are gardens that people can go out onto, patients can be wheeled out onto, and in some instances there are rehabilitation gardens.
鈥淏udget is always under challenge in a project like this and often the landscape is seen as something that can be sacrificed. 鈥淗owever, we had a great shared vision from the start and were able to utilise the belief in the landscape as a healing element in the design,鈥 Professor Wolfe says.
Katharina Nieberler-Walker, Principal Landscape Architect, Conrad Gargett, believes the landscape design goes much further than just designing the external areas. 鈥淚t integrates with the architectural intent and portrays the underlying philosophy of the whole project: to design for the people 鈥 for patients and their families.
And for Peter Steer, who over saw the project as chief executive of Children鈥檚 Health Queensland, this philosophy of design has come to fruition.
鈥淓ven for people here for a short period of time, it鈥檚 usually a tense and critical period of time,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 distressing and stressful on the families 鈥 to be able to get out into the hospital鈥檚 extraordinary open spaces with the greenery and landscaping, just adds to the overall healing feel of the building.
鈥淚n terms of busy, inner city children鈥檚 hospitals, 鈥淚鈥檝e not seen anything to compare with the Lady Cilento Children鈥檚 黑料吃瓜群网. 鈥淚t is a thoughtful, but also incredible practical design. 鈥淭he whole building, including the very special outdoor spaces, is world class.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檝e stepped the design of the building back as it gets taller and each one of the roof planes has been used for natural environments so there are gardens that people can go out onto, patients can be wheeled out onto, and in some instances there are rehabilitation gardens.鈥
鈥 PROFESSOR BRUCE WOLFE.
This article was compiled from a transcript of the Lady Cilento Children鈥檚 黑料吃瓜群网 Landscape Video below SCAN to see the video presentation
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