PODS IN THE SKY

Macquarie Bank

(One of Australia’s biggest investment banks)

This office design in Sydney,Australia was created by three architecture practices in three years and is a true example of high modern design. As designers, it is important to create a work environment that is pleasing to work in. According to the article I read this space captured exactly that.  Because this space exemplifies modern working practices, it overwhelmingly popular with the people who use it.

'The whole space has been designed around the concept of activity-based working, which was developed by Dutch consultancy Veldhoen. Simply put it means rather than sitting at the same desk in the same working environment each day, workers move around the office, choosing the right environment for the kind of work they’re doing, be it individual or group work, or a meeting.'

Each floor and each pod has its own aesthetic to encourages workers to move around.  Because this is a bank privacy is a major issue and you would think that this solution would not be the best idea when it comes to privacy.  But,Wilkinson states that, ‘When you’re in the meeting rooms, you can’t actually see what’s on anybody’s screen,’ he says.‘Clients can get into the atrium and they can see around the building, but they don’t have free access. That’s been the excitement about the space: that everyone can see everyone else, so there’s this buzz of action all the time.’

For more information on how this space was created, I encourage you to read this article:
http://www.worldinteriordesignnetwork.com/interior_design_projects/macquarie_bank_sydney/

LET'S PARTI

In studio we have been recently talking about parti's, which are diagrams that represent the scheme of a design in the most basic terms.  In searching for a blog topic, I came across an example of a parti in 360 Architecture's design portfolio.  This caught my attention because our assignment for this weekend was to create parties for the project we a currently working on now. It was interesting and exciting to see this design method used in a large firms portfolio. 

PARTI...

...END RESULT

This project, designed by 360 Architecture, was  for the Lethrop & Grace Conference Center. For more information on this project and may others visit 360 Architects:

http://www.360architects.com/Lathrop_portfolio_360.html#



BACK TO THE FUTURE

When you think of the future, in regard to design, what are some things that come to your mind? Do you think of sleek surfaces, convenience,versatility,or technology?

Well...

This 2010 Healthcare Environments Awards Professional Conceptual winner contains all of these things and more. “Patient Room 2020 strives to provide a safe healing environment, heighten human performance for clinical caregivers, and humanize the experience for patients and families. It is a virtual prototype that captures a series of interconnected design ideas based on research and conceptualizes what could be possible in the next 10 years by harnessing developing technologies that are on the horizon and integrating them into the patient care environment.”

2020 PATIENT ROOM...

 &...BATHROOM

For more information visit: http://www.contractdesign.com/contract/design/Back-to-the-Future--3235.shtml

A DESIGN THAT HEALS!

It is obvious that hospitals are never a place where one wants to be found.  It is typically a place where one wants to steer clear of.  But, we all know that it is a place that can sometimes be hard to avoid.  So why not make it as enjoyable as possible.  It is no secret that humans are influenced by our surroundings.  So as designers, we have an important job to design a space that provides positive energy where people can enjoy the space they are in no matter the circumstance.  It has been proven that the design of a hospital can directly impact a patients health.  Because of this knowledge, designers are now straying from a bland, sterile looking decor and moving toward the use of color, nature and way finding in order to create a space that can ease a patients hospital stay. An article I recently read talked about the 5 Ways Hospital Design Influences Patient Health.

1) SENSE OF PLACE:
In the paper, Is there a Psychologist in the Building by Christian Jarrett, hospital layout is listed as quite an important factor for patients. Going beyond simple signage, hospital patients should be able to have a sense of their location without ever feeling lost. It has been found that having a sense of place helps keep patient stress levels down.(1)
2) PRIVATE ROOMS:
Also important to hospital design is the frequency of private rooms in a hospital. Providing private rooms reduces medication error and falling instances.(1) I’m sure you can imagine that private rooms also make for better visiting with patients and their loved ones.
3) NATURE + ARTWORK:
Hospitals that include nature and artwork are providing for more positive patient experiences. Both nature and artwork contribute to patients having a greater “sense of well-being” where spaces lend themselves toward contemplation and feeding the senses.(1)

4) NOISE:
A major problem within hospitals today is noise. Often patients cannot sleep through the night as medical carts screech through the halls and doors open and close. Hospital designers should pay greater attention to acoustics within hospitals as noisy environments generate more stress for patients. Also, sleep is critical for patient recovery.

5) COLOR:
Use of color in hospital design has a multitude of uses. Color can help patients have a sense of orientation – where color is used to give different hospital areas a sense of place. Also, color has been known to be associated with mood. Using the right colors in waiting areas, examination rooms, hallways or patient private rooms can have a definite affect on patient motivation and stress levels.

By designing health care facilities with these five things in mind one is able to create and enjoyable environment.  Who Knows it could possibly be a design that heals!

http://sensingarchitecture.com/date/2009/02/