The beautifully refurbished Wolfson Ward at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability has been re-opened to patients living with Huntingdon’s disease.
Designed by architects IBI Nightingale, the curative and enriching environment is influenced by healthcare research and the changing seasons.
The ward has been completely opened up to create a spacious, colourful, light and sensory therapy space to cater for its 14 inpatients that are completely dependent on carers for 24-hour assistance, with many confined to wheelchairs.
Creating a homely and calming atmosphere, IBI has applied colours, textures and vary-tone lighting based on the ‘changing seasons’ to help users to make connections with the past and the present and feel a greater sense of belonging.
This theme is reflected by the inclusion of an indoor ‘garden room’ that looks out onto an external courtyard garden, where patients can pot plants and carry out holistic therapies. This is something that has proven to enhance people living with Huntington’s quality of life, according to research by the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability.
“By blurring the boundaries between the inside and outside, a more warm and inviting atmosphere has been created in the ward,” said Lynn Lindley, Senior Interior Designer at IBI Nightingale.
People living with Huntington’s are prone to varying changes in mood. The design therefore features two completely different therapy spaces: a contemplative and relaxing lounge area that includes a built in fish-tank and sensory room; and a bright, stimulating multi-use area that encourages therapeutic engagement and social interaction.
“We involved IBI Nightingale in our initial work shop and we can see how it influenced their designs,” said Geoff Day Head of Estates at Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability. “But it’s not just the architecture – that level of detail is evident everywhere. IBI truly understood the importance of bringing light, colour and texture to our ward.”
The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability was founded in 1854, and is the oldest independent hospital and medical charity in the UK. The hospital is famed for its specialist therapies, working with profoundly disabled adults with acquired brain injuries, as well as degenerative neurological conditions such as Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
