Space for Recovery
Research, including by Gortemaker Algra Feenstra (1), on the relationship between architectural space and human behavior contributed to the final construction plan. The result is one large department with more freedom of movement and many more possibilities for patients to find their own place. In addition to more spacious private rooms, patients in the new clinic also have access to an active lounge, a quiet lounge, a workshop, a fitness room, a comfort room, a safe garden, and an extra secure patio. The design therefore deviates from a traditional layout in psychiatry.
Family Close to the Patient
Patients who need a low-stimulation environment can find five additional places in the new building of the Bouman Clinic that offer extra calm and security: separate from the group in the quiet lounge, in their own room, in the comfort room (which is furnished more safely than the private room), in the secure apartment (consisting of a living room, a bedroom, and sanitary facilities), and finally, if all other places do not have a favorable effect, in the extra secure room. The adjacent living space has a workspace for a caregiver and even offers the possibility of letting family members stay close to the patient when intensive care is needed.
The extra secure room is not an empty space like a traditional seclusion room. In a specially designed wooden piece of furniture – secured with unbreakable glass – there are compartments for personal belongings. There is also a touchscreen that functions like a large iPad, intended for playing music, controlling lights and blinds, operating the television, and contacting the care team. From the green patio, plenty of daylight enters through floor-to-ceiling windows. The room has sound-absorbing wooden ceilings, and the skylight can be darkened.
The existing clinic, of which the new building is now a part, is partially renovated. A large family room will be added, where patients can have, for example, a birthday party with family and friends, separate from the group.
(1) “Open the last door” [BNA Bond of Dutch Architects, 2010]
