Sensing Spaces of Healthcare

I remember… The view from the window of my wife’s room, following the birth of our second child.

I remember… The light – bright & welcoming. The atmosphere – busy but efficient & always friendly.

I remember… When I woke from the general anesthetic that I had when my second son was born I opened my eyes to see the silvery wallpaper in front of me swirling around in the most psychedelic fashion-most unnerving! Then I looked out the window to see a green hillside with small shrubs that were definitely moving up and down the hill! This went on for quite a while and I told my visitors that they couldn’t leave me till everything stopped moving around!

I remember… I spent a lot of time in hospital with severe asthma as a little kid. What I remember most is the brightness (colours) and chatter of the playroom, and the sense of excitement at all the toys (it was a VERY good playroom!). There was a particular little wooden village I loved to play with that was almost worth getting ill for. I don’t remember any of the tubes, etc. I would have been hooked up to, or any of the staff who would have had to help me get down the corridor. Just the toys and the colours!

I remember… Possibly link to trauma of visiting someone after a serious accident – walking in to a long, dark ward (green?) with metal framed beds (cream) in long rows either rise. Small windows up high making it feel depressingly like a prison.