Healthcare Design - April 2023 - 26

BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER
make sure the environment was welcoming
to everyone.
For example, after hearing from one family
that the sound of a click made their daughter
think she was being locked up, the project team
worked with hardware consultants to pick door
and lock fixtures that minimize triggering noises.
" There are all these things that seem like such
a small comment that a family member made,
but it had such a big impact into how we thought
about the space and having that sensory kindness
for everyone who came into the space, "
Thorsen says.
It also meant approaching safety considerations
through the lens of its specific patient
population while ensuring the environment
wouldn't feel institutional. For example, when
the project team discussed with parents the
original design of an enclosed garden to provide
access to natural materials and positive distractions,
such as loose rocks and a water feature,
they got feedback and concern on how their
child would interact with those features. Parents
worried their children might throw rocks or
drink dirty water. So instead of removing the elements
entirely, the project team proposed embedding
them into the concrete to deliver a safer
and tactile experience and modifying the water
feature to prevent the build-up of stagnant water.
" A lot of thought went into making sure the
safety perspective didn't compromise the design
in the sense of making it institutional or taking
away those sensory and welcoming elements, "
Minjarez says.
The same focus was considered within clinical
spaces regarding the location and placement
of medical equipment. For example, supplies,
sharps containers, soap, and handwashing sinks
in the exam rooms are enclosed in a floor-toceiling
cabinet for safety and to minimize distractions.
Additionally, furnishings such as love
seats and chairs are used instead of exam tables
in most rooms to create an environment that
would feel comfortable and less like a doctor's
office. " We got a lot of feedback from families
that their kid is fearful of the doctor ... so those
kinds of features during treatment sessions are
really important, too, " Minjarez says.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Seattle Children's expects its new clinic, officially
called Seattle Children's Magnuson and
26
APRIL 2023
TOP: A main corridor runs
the length of the building
to provide clear sight
lines to clinical spaces.
Pause areas with dappled
lighting offer moments of
sensory grounding to help
families transition into
care rooms. ABOVE: The
quiet waiting room offers
semi-private seating,
calming artwork, and
space to transition into
the clinic.
opened in December 2022, to allow the organization to provide familyfocused
care to 25 percent more children over the next five years. Additionally,
the location features research, outreach, and training spaces to further
drive efforts to improve access and outcomes.
Through its tailored environments and intentional design features,
the clinic also offers a space where patients and families of children on
the autism spectrum can feel that they belong. " It was heartbreaking to
hear the struggles that they had to go through out in the everyday world, "
Thorsen says. " So to be able to have spaces that met their needs was such
a huge driver. "
" The idea of feeling unwelcome is not a thing here, " adds Minjarez.
" Here, we are ready for whatever behavior your child is having. " 
Anne DiNardo is executive editor of Healthcare Design. She can be reached at
ANNE.DINARDO@EMERALDX.COM .
HCDMAGAZINE.COM
http://www.HCDMAGAZINE.COM
Healthcare Design - April 2023

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