Kansai Rosai Hospital Park: Sharing the Experience in Every Way
Yoshisuke Miyake, Landscape Architect, Architect, SEN, Inc., Japan
Fusayo Asano Miyake, Ph.D., HTM, Professor, Laboratory of Horticultural Therapy, Institute of Natural and Environmental Science, University of Hyogo, Japan
The physical design is important in universal design, but it is not the only thing to be considered: a system that makes the design work all the time is important as well, especially when it is designed with natural elements as in landscape architecture. This project is to create a universal design hospital park to provide healing through natural elements to various people, including the patients, their family members and the staff, and to organize the operating system to promote the use of the park. In this session, we will introduce several designs as well as plans for education and maintenance of the space, including volunteer education.
Five Key Considerations of Universal Design
The Hospital Park in Kansai Rosai Hospital, Japan, is not just an exclusive hospital garden; it is open to the public. Universal design for all is basic in hospital garden design for the patients, their family members, and the staff, who may be in poor physical or mental condition. Universal design in this kind of setting is usually required if it is to work at all times. The following five key considerations of universal design, as well as accessibility to the whole area, were taken into account.
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Providing comfortable and attractive surroundings to all people.
Universal design must be used by as many people as possible to give a meaningful contribution to society. -
Providing multiple choices for people who use this space.
Since the users of this place vary in mental and physical abilities, several settings and devices along the main path, such as different inclines of slope settings, and devices that show the distance walked, have been included. -
Providing the same conditions all the time.
Universal design must not have a short life cycle; it must be kept usable/accessible and risk-free at all times. In order to maintain optimal conditions, it is essential to set up a maintenance system. At this park, selected and trained volunteers maintain plants and service facilities. -
Providing the scale of recovery.
Several settings and devices along the main path, such as different inclines of slope settings, devices to tell the walk distance, etc., are installed to indicate the level of patients' recovery. -
Being a source of information and education on Universal Design.
Promoting universal design at every possible opportunity helps take down barriers between people. The park was introduced in TV programs and in newspapers and attracted a lot of attention.
Design
Kansai Rosai Hospital is an acute care hospital built specifically for treatment of industrial injuries. These hospitals are often located in industrial areas. This hospital is not an exception; it faces a heavy-traffic road in a highly dense mixed-use area and is totally different from the quiet settings suitable for hospitals, sanatoriums, and hospices. For this kind of environment, it is necessary to create a space moderately secluded from the environment, which will then not be noticed.
Entrance Gate (above)
The gate stands with trees and flowers in the foreground. Its decorative design gives a feeling of relief in contrast to the functional design of the hospital. It plays a role in inviting hesitant patients to the hospital.
Garden of Four Seasons (above)
This is the entrance zone to the hospital park. Four trellises are covered with four different vines representing the four seasons of the year. The trellises rise from raised flowerbeds, which have flowers corresponding to the season of the vines and give a positive and natural image to visitors. The raised flowerbeds are designed so that flowers and greenery can be viewed from wheelchairs.
Flower Canal (above)
This provides a well-loved scene, with a small river, small bridges, and shade. In order to protect patients, plants which are often seen near water are planted in the riverbed instead of in the water. Bridges are equipped with handrails, steps and slopes which can be used for walking practice.
Garden of Sunshine (above)
This was designed to resemble the image of a meadow, which is a bright space full of sunshine. A boardwalk and pillars with hanging flower baskets lead people to the next space. Bed-sized benches, attractive to wheelchair users, have handles to help to transfer them from wheelchairs.
Water Garden (above)
Passing through trees of seasonal colors, the highlight zone of the park appears. A series of wall fountains gives a pleasant sound of water, and a water table penetrating the wall links the inside and outside of the garden visually. A gazebo with a translucent roof is divided into four booths to provide private space to be alone, to enjoy conversation with family or friends, or to be used for serious talks about illness. The position of the benches is designed to give space to wheelchair users.
Private Corners (above)
This area consists of private spaces separated by trees and a path in a small grove. The wall on one side of the area separates the park from a heavy-traffic road, but not many users detect this.
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Lawn of Sunlight (above)
The open lawn space contrasts with the above-mentioned functional gardens. From the background hill with cherry trees, the whole area of the park can be seen. There are slopes with different inclinations which can be used for wheelchair training. The lawn area is gently slanted to the stage. This board-decked stage is accessible by people with disabilities and they can play major roles on the stage.
Memorial Garden (above)
A special small garden with a small fountain and white flowers is surrounded by a trellis and a wall. This space is designed to ease the pain of loss or other grief.
Holistic Application of Universal Design: Universal System
People relate to plants in a variety of ways. The sense of "Hospitality: friendly behavior to others" is essential to link people with plants. Universal design in outdoor space naturally links people with plants and allows for designs that are people friendly. However, as I mentioned earlier, it is meaningless if not used by people. The point is that the system supporting park access is as indispensable as the physical design of the park. We call it a "Universal System," and it was implemented in the hospital park by organizing volunteers called "Hospital Park Gardeners."
The applicants for Hospital Park Gardeners were asked to submit an essay on their reasons for being hospital volunteers. Their essays were used for volunteer selection, and eight training classes in four months were held to share our mission.
Many volunteers have a strong motivation for work because many of them want to repay the hospital for their own reasons, such as, "my late husband was treated well during his stay in the hospital," "a volunteer got the best treatment at the hospital," and so on. This was shown in the high attendance rate (93%) at the training classes as well.
Now forty volunteer gardeners take turns working six days a week, taking care of flowers, supporting patients in wheelchairs, and guiding visitors. Hospital patients, their families and staff visit the park repeatedly because of the Hospital Park Volunteers.
Conclusion
As landscape design cannot be attempted without consideration of the natural environment, incorporating universal design in landscaping means providing access to nature. "People's access to nature" not only means physical access to nature, but also involves exploration of the realm of healing of a person's soul and spirit, including the therapeutic effects of nature. However, this has no meaning unless people have continuous access for a long time. The use of universal design of a space is maximized by the coexistence of both aspects of universal design: physical design and the system supporting the design. We call this a "Universal System."