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Part of a new 3,500 sqm clinical building for Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the Children’s Emergency Department holds 12 treatment bays, two resuscitation bays and a new overnight observation ward.
In typical A&E departments, the reality of investigations, medicines and procedures might be hidden from children, leading to nasty shocks at the point of treatment. The Stoke Mandeville doctors and nurses briefed us instead to awaken children’s natural curiosity so they can anticipate encounters, helping to build trust in the adults they meet along the way.
Art in Site’s Chloe Northover-Naylor and Martin Jones began by creating a distinct identity for the Children’s ED, linked to the Maternity and Gynaecology Departments upstairs and to the Stoke Mandeville Hospital brand.
"Art in Site listened closely to our brief to create a bright inclusive space that appealed to children and young people of all ages, designing custom built furniture and making suggestions that have given us an amazing space."
Lead Nurse, Acute Paediatrics
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Illustrations of friendly clinicians administering the most common procedures and investigations in ED, such as x-rays and blood tests, are set against soft-coloured shapes, which children encounter on wall artworks, signage and maps.
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In the waiting room, bespoke furniture is designed to offer families choice and privacy. Curved nooks with high backs allow you to curl up or stretch out or recline, whatever suits the mood. Colour-coordinated stools offer additional flexibility: they can be pulled up alongside the larger furniture, or around tables where children can play as they wait. Or, for quieter days, they can pack neatly away under the main furniture.
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Next to the seating, we installed an interactive installation by artist Memo Akten, which features splashes of colour that react in real time to body movements and dancing. Children instinctively play with this as they like – fast, slow, in groups, or alone. When there’s a quiet moment, staff can be seen decompressing with a quick slosh of Body Paint.
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The illustrations are representative of the diversity of Stoke Mandeville’s patients and staff, communicating a strong sense of welcome and community.
The use of colour in this project enhances this feeling further: organic blobs combine together to create landscapes of colour, within which characters interact and receive care. Colours extend into other areas of the environment, across thresholds, doors, desks, and signage. It’s a bold and joyful statement that sets the tone for a friendlier, more compassionate culture of care.
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Project Information
Date
2023
Sector
Healthcare
Service
Children's: Emergency Department
Client
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
Architect
Hunters
Artists
AiS in house
Team
Martin Jones, Chloe Northover-Naylor
Awards
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