The Flinders Medical Centre Paediatric Ward was redeveloped as the inpatient component of The Variety Children’s Centre at Flinders Medical Centre. Woodhead designed the ward interior, including graphic design components. The design team worked collaboratively with staff, parents and children to develop an exciting interior concept titled ‘@ the beach’. The concept complements the adjacent outback themed Paediatric Outpatient Clinics.
The ward design is focused on creating a highly functional space, with adequate light, balanced with a calm and soothing environment for staff and parents in what is an often highly stressful situation. The ward is a place of healing and comfort, which engages and connects with children of all age groups.
The project challenged the graphics team to provide visual themeing which would be engaging, attractive and functional to both patients and their parents. The resulting ‘@ the beach’ images are appealing and reassuring to younger children, yet sophisticated enough to complement a suitable environment for older children. Applying pictorial cues to each room assists children younger than reading age to recognise their room within the ward.
The unique underwater photo graphics applied to the glazed patient room doors also allows low level vision for toddlers and higher level view-through to approaching staff, yet still affords a reasonable degree of privacy for older children.
The ward features a concentric layout affording views to patient rooms from the centrally located nurse’s station.
Project Team:
Awards:
- Design Institute of Australia SA, Award of Merit for the Built Environments category (interiors) 2007
- Design Institute of Australia SA, Commendation for Communication category (graphics) 2007
- Design Institute of Australia SA, The Laminex Group Award 2007
