Background. The design of hospital environments is determined by functional requirements and technical regulations, as well as numerous protocols, which define the structure and system characteristics that such environments need to achieve. In order to improve people's well-being and the quality of their experience within public hospitals, design elements (soft qualities) are added to those 'necessary' features. The aim of this has been to experiment a new design process so as to create health care spaces with high environmental quality and capable of meeting users’ emotional and perceptual needs. Methods. Such needs were investigated with the help of qualitative research tools and the design criteria for one of these soft qualities – colour – were subsequently defined on the basis of the findings. The colour scheme design for the new San Paolo Hospital Accident and Emergency Department in Milan was used as case study. Focus groups were fundamental in defining the project’s goals and criteria Results. The issues raised have led to the belief that the proper procedure is not the mere consultation of the users in order to define the goals: they should rather be involved in the whole design process and become co-agents of the choices that determine the environment characteristics, so as to best meet the quality requirements identified by the users themselves. Conclusions. The case study has shown the possibility of developing a designing methodology in three steps (or operational tools) in which users’ groups are involved in the choices, therefore leading to the planning of environments where compliance with expectations is already implied and verified by means of the process itself. Thus, the method leads to the creation of participated spaces.

Soft qualities in healthcare Method and tools for soft qualities design in hospitals' built environments

CAPOLONGO, STEFANO;NACHIERO, DARIO;REBECCHI, ANDREA;BUFFOLI, MADDALENA
2014-01-01

Abstract

Background. The design of hospital environments is determined by functional requirements and technical regulations, as well as numerous protocols, which define the structure and system characteristics that such environments need to achieve. In order to improve people's well-being and the quality of their experience within public hospitals, design elements (soft qualities) are added to those 'necessary' features. The aim of this has been to experiment a new design process so as to create health care spaces with high environmental quality and capable of meeting users’ emotional and perceptual needs. Methods. Such needs were investigated with the help of qualitative research tools and the design criteria for one of these soft qualities – colour – were subsequently defined on the basis of the findings. The colour scheme design for the new San Paolo Hospital Accident and Emergency Department in Milan was used as case study. Focus groups were fundamental in defining the project’s goals and criteria Results. The issues raised have led to the belief that the proper procedure is not the mere consultation of the users in order to define the goals: they should rather be involved in the whole design process and become co-agents of the choices that determine the environment characteristics, so as to best meet the quality requirements identified by the users themselves. Conclusions. The case study has shown the possibility of developing a designing methodology in three steps (or operational tools) in which users’ groups are involved in the choices, therefore leading to the planning of environments where compliance with expectations is already implied and verified by means of the process itself. Thus, the method leads to the creation of participated spaces.
2014
participatory design; soft qualities; health care structures; colour scheme
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11311/844601
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