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Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Fourth Floor Atrium in the University of Alberta Hospital
Therapeutic Gardens at Standford University Hospital and
Clinic
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For landscape architect Jack Carman, designing therapeutic gardens
is not just his profession, it's his contribution to society.
Carman began his focus on designing gardens for senior communities
and healthcare facilities in 1988, after he had the sobering
realization that he could one day live in what he called the
worst-case scenario: "a demoralizing environment."
Today at age 52, Carman has many years ahead of him before he
might need to think about which assisted living center to check
into. Chances are, by that time, he will have many more options
than his parent's generation. Like other societal norms that
have changed as a result of the sheer size and lifestyle of
the baby-boom generation, Carman believes assisted living centers
will one day look more like resorts or college campuses, offering
amenities and activities that appeal to this active generation.
Ideas in Development
The role of landscape design in medical and retirement facilities
was a hot topic addressed last October at the American Society
of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Annual Meeting and Expo in Ft.
Lauderdale, FL. There, Carman, President of Design for Generations
LLC and Annie Kirk, founder of the Acer Institute, facilitated
an all-day session on therapeutic garden design.
The demographics in the sector are staggering. "At 76 million,
the baby-boomer will change the face of senior housing," Carman
says.
Traditional hospitals are expanding in nearly every metropolitan
area. Others are popping-up in the form of private hospitals,
continuing care retirements communities, and specialized assisted
living centers such as Alzheimer residences.
During this expansion growth spurt, some hospital administrators
are taking medical facility design to new levels that embrace
the mind, body, and spirit.
Curative Benefits
Therapeutic gardens are spaces created to benefit a specific
user, such as residences in cancer center. The gardens are designed
for both mental and physical relaxation.
According to the American Horticultural Therapy Association,
the benefits of therapeutic garden environments have been understood
since ancient times.
In the 19th century, Dr, Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration
of Independence and considered the "Father of American Psychiatry,"
asserted that garden settings hold curative effects for people
with mental illness. Some benefits include reduced stress, lower
blood pressure and exposure to vitamin D from the sun.
Many hospital spokespeople say gardens are an escape for patients
to reclaim their dignity, noting that nature provides universal
familiarity and comfort.
Mental health plays a big role when medical facilities decide
to build a therapeutic garden, this is because it is universally
recognized that hospital environments by nature are mentally
taxing.
"At Stanford we get the most desperate [terminal] cases," says
Andrea Smith, a sposkeperson for the Stanford University Hospital
and Clinics. "It is a heavy stress on patients, families, and
health professionals."
The gardens at Stanford University Medical Center allow them
to escape the stress and pain.
Smith compares the joy of the garden to the stark contrast of
reality. The vibrant gardens represent live in comparison to
the "ebbing of life that occurs in so many hospitals."
As the majority of the patients are terminal, the vibrant gardens
represent life in comparison to the "ebbing of life that occurs
in so many hospitals."
Funding for the medical center's garden was a gift from philanthropist
Helen Bing. Philanthropy is probably the most typical funding
source for healthcare institutions' therapy garden projects.
Interestingly, some of the largest proponents of therapeutic
garden design are those who've worked in the traditional medical
fields. Earl Bakken, founder of Medtronic and inventor of the
pacemaker, is a case in point. He donated the funds to build
the North Hawaii Community hospital in Waimea, HI. This is no
ordinary hospital, led by Bakken's vision, the facility is designed
to the therapeutic in every possible way, from ocean views to
lush gardens.
Therapeutic Interiors
The same principals of exterior therapeutic gardens apply to
indoor gardens often built in dense urban areas and colder climates.
I asked experts Carman, who is responsible for designing 75
medical and retirement communities throughout the United States,
and Naomi Sachs, Executive Director and Founder of ASLA's 200-member
Therapeutic Landscape Resource Center, for the top elements
that should be considered in interior landscapes for medical
facilities.
"First, the garden must meet the needs of the user," Carman
says, "not generic design." He suggests if the garden is in
a mental hospital, all plants must be non-toxic, if it is in
a retirement community, the design should provide lots of shade,
as the eyes of the elderly take longer to adjust to brighter
light.
Sache echoes these kinds of consideration for patients based
on the medical oath, "Do no harm." The landscape must be safe
for the population "the more plants the better," she says. The
lusher the garden, the more likely patients will be able to
mentally escape.
Flexibly and water are the next suggestion on Carman and Sachs'
list. The garden should be able to evolve and adapt to the needs
of the users. Carman acknowledges that some facilities have
budgeted for changes better than others, and having good donors
can certainly help.
Based on "our primordial relationship" with water, Sachs suggests
adding a water feature. Even adding a small fountain in the
waiting room can calm patients by helping to mask the unpleasant
sounds sometimes associated with medical facilities.
Residential appeal is an important therapeutic element. It's
not like corporate landscaping, where elements are often cold
and sparse, Sachs says. In therapeutic gardens, designers should
include characteristics that are familiar to the users. She
suggests this can be done by using outdoor elements, such as
iron furniture and terracotta pots, indoors. The reverse is
true for the outdoors, by placing weatherproof sofas outside
to make the experience most comfortable, for example.
Finally, bring in experts Carman says. Consulting with horticultural
therapists, specialized landscapers, and retirement home activities
planners can contribute to a more successful end result. What's
more, meeting with stakeholders, such as nurses, doctors, and
donors, can further develop a sense of ownership in the project
and help generate ideas.
Spiritual Spaces
As a place of life and death, hospital systems have a long tradition
of incorporating spirituality into their programming.
The planning of therapeutic gardens and spiritual garden spaces
"is more than a visit from the priest or rabbi," says Hitesh
Mehta, of EDSA Landscape Architects in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Kenyan born and of Indian ancestry, Mehta designs spaces by
applying the techniques of Vaastu Sasstra. "I am not talking
about God or religion," Mehta says. "Vaastu Sasstra addresses
the fourth bottom line - the core of that is the spiritual side."
Mehta presented his design techniques at the ASLA Annual Conference
in a seminar title "Pushing the Environlope." He discusses the
metaphysical attributes of the garden and open land.
"The underlying philosophy is that everything has an energy
field," Mehta says. "We are all connected to it. Even a rock
has energy."
Mehta describes his attention to energies by "paying attention
to what I can't see. When I start a project, the first thing
I do is smell." Modestly, Mehta considers himself a student
of Vaastu Shasstra rather than a master. His work, however,
is far reaching: his latest project is the Crosswaters Ecolodge
in southern China.
Although Mehta is unique in his approach and not necessarily
religious by traditional definitions, others are embracing faith
as a major component in their design business. Sharon Hanby-Robie,
an interior designer in Lancaster, PA was recently profiled
in The Wall Street Journal for her specialization in Christian
design. She offers clients the option to etch passages from
the Bible onto walls and convert closets into shrines. She also
suggests decorating with plants that are mentioned in the Bible,
such as holly and monksbood, and says the colors found in amaranthus
- deep red, yellow and green - can symbolize Joseph's multi-colored
dream coat.
"Every site has energy," Mehta says.
Whether it is Mother Nature or a divine force, the aim is the
same: creating gardens which therapeutic qualities. The garden
can provide peace, an escape and a place of contemplation. ###
Shane Pliska is an interior landscape design consultant and
business development manager at Planterra Corporation, West
Bloomfield, Michigan. He writes a monthly column for the trade
journal Interiorscape Magazine. For more information visit http://research.planterra.com
Photo Ids: Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo, Michigan Fourth
Floor Atrium in the University of Alberta Hospital Therapeutic
Gardens at Standford University Hospital and Clinic
Shane Pliska is an interior landscape design consultant and
business development manager at Planterra Corporation, West
Bloomfield, Michigan. He writes a monthly column for the trade
journal Interiorscape Magazine.
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