Creating a Child Friendly Environment for Children’s Health and Wellness

Abstract

Abstract: The thought of spending time in a hospital as a patient or visitor is stressful and scary for anyone, and more so for children. Children’s hospital should be child friendly and safe, thus creating a “small world in itself”. The aim of this paper is to understand how children’s hospitals can be designed to make the hospital experience for children less stressful, while attempting to accomplish a building more pleasant and child-friendly. The research explores ways to integrate elements and principles in children’s hospitals by studying child psychology to create a child friendly environment where the children will forget their pain and will not be scared of hospitalization. The first part of the research is based on literature review, exploring the Children psychology according to age and their perspective towards built environment. In second stage, a set of guidelines were compiled addressing the factors that influence healing environments. In a third stage, three case studies are being done.Survey has been done of Primary users (children between 6 to 18 years) Secondary users (Parents of children below 6 years), as this age group are unable to express or answer and understand the questions. Data collected has been analyzed and parameters found, sense of control, social support, positive distractions, sensorial dimensions and age appropriate environment to determine the elements and spaces for children’s hospital environments that can be used to strengthen the designs.