This article brings to light various elements incorporated in the design of PZP that not only provide patients with a peaceful and healthy ambiance, but also have a positive impact on their healing.
Hospital spaces and environment greatly impact inpatients, especially if they are admitted for a long time. Therefore, AKUH prioritizes patients’ comfort and serenity, as well as both physical and mental health, all of which influence health outcomes and effectiveness of medical treatment.
According to research, some of the design elements found within PZP which impact patients’ healing include:
Incorporation of Nature: Incorporating nature in hospital design, also known as “Biophilic Design,” has incredible benefits on patient health. Natural elements not only decrease stress, but also speed recovery from illness. PZP has incorporated these elements in its two courtyards in different ways. One of the two courtyards has a covered walkway that provides sheltered seating spaces to visitors but also invites patients to come out of their room and spend time in fresh air. In this way, nature provides a natural healing system that simultaneously enhances patients’ immune system. Additionally, the shaded walkway allows patients to connect with nature through interaction with birds, flowers in bloom and the changing cycle of nature.
The courtyard acts as a healing garden, with a fountain in the middle which generates a continuous calming sound of flowing water. These spaces are also used to carry out physiotherapy, as the smell of flowers, sound of flowing water and even the feel of wind appeal to multiple senses.
The peripheral landscape design within the courtyard allows visibility of the courtyard from patient rooms from the upper floors of the pavilion.
Interiors and windows: Private rooms in PZP are strategically designed to convey the feeling of being at home. This is exemplified by the lounge area designated for visitors to create a space that offers psychological support.
The windows of these rooms are well proportioned and sized to allow natural light to enter.
Roger Ulrich’s well-known study from 1984 discusses the importance of natural light in healing spaces. The study revealed that patients in rooms with a window that offered a view of nature had shorter hospital stays, complained less and required less pain medication than those who looked out onto a brick wall. Also, the scarcity of natural light leads to depression and has a negative impact on patients’ immune system.
Choice of building materials: The facade of PZP is cladded with bricks that allow the building blocks to blend with the nature and landscape around it, and create a feeling that is domestic in nature. Not only do these earthly materials bring down the scale of the building, but they also improve the quality of the environment around it. Bricks are good at sound absorption and add to the aesthetics of the building as well; most importantly they maintain the consistency of natural elements used in the design.
Patterns and their psychological impact: The design of PZP is intentionally consistent with the use of patterns. Patients’ response to organic patterns (designs influenced by natural elements) is gratifying as the brain associates with the rhythm, harmony and proportions of these patterns.
One of the patterns used in the design is the 8-pointed star, or the octagram, an important symbol for fullness and regeneration in Islamic architecture. According to Archnet, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s search engine on Islamic design and visual culture, the octagram signifies wholeness, rebirth and cyclical infinity.
The consistency of the octagram symbol can be seen in the PZP floor plan and in the design of the fountain in the courtyard. Also, a similar pattern is seen in the center of the PZP reception lobby on the second floor and is inlaid in the dado rail. Patients connect with this natural pattern and subtly benefit from its underlying
stress relieving properties. Moreover, these patterns create a sense of balance and rhythm which enhances the experience of people interacting in these spaces.
In conclusion, the PZP’s design has subtle, yet, deliberate design features and strategies to improve the patient healing process. Some of these features include courtyards, outdoor walkways, brick cladding, proportionate windows and the octogram pattern. The Aga Khan University’s Princess Zahra Pavilion may thereby serve as a source of inspiration for other hospitals, as they can emulate its strategic healing design elements.
Anshul Rathore is a Project Architect Intern at the Aga Khan University.
