A healthcare building designed for children
The Pediatric Emergency Department at Örebro University Hospital
To reduce stress for children and parents visiting the hospital, Sweco’s architects have been tasked with designing a dedicated pediatric emergency department. Locating the facility in a separate building will also ease the work of healthcare professionals.
Facts about the project
Client
Örebro läns landsting och Regionservice
Place
Örebro, Sweden
Status
Completed
Photographer
Tim Meier, Jan Lindahl
The location provided the opportunity for a playful design
The building, located in a small park on the hospital grounds, was designed by Sweco’s architects, who were involved from the initial sketches to its completion. The playful design is a result of the site’s shape and considering that the spaces will be used by children. The facade is covered in gold-coloured anodised aluminum panels, and the roof is covered with the plant sedum.
Considering a child’s perspective
The design of the spaces in a healthcare building is crucial for a smooth patient flow. To achieve this, the connections with other facilities on the site, the placement, size, and furnishings of the rooms, as well as the workflow, have been considered. This is done in consultation with the medical, operational, and functional requirements. Since the primary purpose of the building is to care for children, this has influenced the design. For example, there are low windows in certain rooms, deep window sills for sitting, painted fruit stencils, a glowing starry sky in the waiting room, as well as images and glass art that children can touch to distract them, when they are not feeling well.
Multiple entrances to reduce infection risk and transmission
Around the pond in the park, there is decking with direct entrances to the examination rooms of the building. This way, patients can avoid going through the main entrance, to reduce infection risk and transmission, when appropriate.
Carefully selected materials
All materials have been checked against the Swedish Building Products Assessment, which means that the materials are non-toxic.
Learn more about Sweco’s offer within healthcare architecture.
