MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.– When Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota planned its new space, the design team tapped into some of the foremost authorities on pediatric hospitals: the children themselves.
The planning process included monthly sessions with a “Family Advisory Committee” and a “Youth Advisory Council” of patients between the ages of 10 and 16.
“We affectionately call them our 'frequent fliers' – kids that are in there a lot, ” said Alan Goldbloom, president and CEO of Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. “They are all volunteers and they devote huge amounts of time to this.”
During a Saturday morning “youth advisory” session, for example, architects showed slides of a wide range of hospitals and other buildings to get a sense of what the kids found appealing, Goldbloom said.
The design team, led by Minneapolis-based Ellerbe Becket, then passed out drawing materials and asked the kids to sketch the ideal patient room. Some ideas made their way into the ultimate design.
Ideas ranged from more green space inside and out to flat-screen TVs in each room.
Other observations from the family and children advisors were surprisingly practical and simple, like “how many doors do you expect us to go through” while moving a wheelchair or stroller?
“Seeing it through their eyes can be very, very important,” Goldbloom said. “They have been wonderful partners in this project and it’s not tokenism. They are integrally involved and tell us a lot about what works and what doesn’t work for them.”
Goldbloom said the hospital has involved its family and youth advisors in every recent construction project it’s done.
“Part of the uniqueness of designing a children’s hospital is that you design every single element of it, not just for the children, but recognizing that the members of the family want and expect to be there, integrally involved, every step of the way.”
Previous construction at Children’s Hospital includes a $33 million expansion at the Minneapolis campus in 1992 and a state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s St. Paul in 2003.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering, interiors and the construction industry, with office locations worldwide.
Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com
