Work

Lying architecture: Experiencing space from a hospital bed

Year: 2011

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Patients experience a hospital from a particular perspective—lying in a hospital bed—which is highly under researched. To gain a better understanding of the spatial experience from this perspective, we combined a literature review with exploratory fieldwork and in-depth interviews with various stakeholders. Through qualitative data analyses, three major themes were identified that characterize this perspective: a hospital bed is a material object; it has a social dimension; and it is used to move a patient through the building. The combination of these three aspects suggests that the perspective of lying in a hospital bed, with its implications for social interaction and movement, may give important new insights in how hospital buildings could be designed.

Source: Lirias

Authors: Margo Annemans, Chantal Van Audenhove, Hilde Vermolen, Ann Heylighen

Institution: KU Leuven

Language: English

Topic: Healthcare Facilities Design and Sustainability

Subfield: Urban Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Vlaamse regering, FP7 Ideas: European Research Council

Award: Architectural design In Dialogue with dis-Ability Theoretical and methodological exploration of a multi-sensorial design approach in architecture