Flysolo and UNStudio combine forces to create the design for a dedicated pediatric medical centre in Beijing. FlySolo’s mission to empower children of all abilities to take an active role in society was brought to life by the UN Studio in 2022 in Beijing, China. A unique approach to rehabilitation in China that reinvents the medical experience from the perspective of children and their parents, the design is home to flexible physical, occupational, and speech therapy rooms and shared doctors’ and consultation offices. The key feature to the success of designing a medical centre is to use design to give back to society and to be able to improve the experience in health care and various clinical environments as much as possible.
Guiding Light
FlySolo’s identity as a place for elevating children is reflected in the uniquely designed facade. The wave-like graphics of the interior are reflected in the curved facade that frames the entrance. The pearl white aluminium frame at the entrance displays an inspiring message of new possibilities for children and their families that begin an emotionally challenging journey. Creating a welcoming gesture for children is important, as it encourages them and provides them with some solace that they kindly need. Inspired by nature and favourite children’s book illustrations, UN Studio provides the centre with a soothing palette of colours and sweeping imagery to promote positive mental health.
Interiors
The two pillars on which the centre’s interiors are based are Sustainability and Flexibility. Including sustainability in your designs is an important step, as it not only improves the health and well-being of the built environment but also reduces client costs. Most of the materials used in the interior are LEED-certified building materials. It encourages a warm and humanised rehab experience, especially focusing on every child’s journey, from diagnosis to treatment. Everyone goes through a very different process, so it is sincerely important to always cater to all needs.
Flexible functionality was a key feature of the design. To achieve this, UNStudio, along with FlySolo’s Physician, Therapist, and Family Advisory Board, has used the entire space to balance physical, mental, and social discovery. Elements such as flexible partition walls have been added in the centre, allowing a future scope of re-adjusting room layouts as required. Curved walls and hallways with ample space to double as therapy rooms make navigation simple and frictionless, especially for people in wheelchairs or with functional disabilities.
The well-thought interiors, inspired by children’s book illustrations, ensure a pleasant experience for the children and their parents. Not only was it aimed to help everyone with wayfinding, but also to create a fun and exciting space inside for the children. UN Studio has taken steps to create an inside that sparks children’s imagination and helps them help themselves grow to as many possibilities as they have the potential. The waiting area at the centre has been designed with mini slides and interactive seating, which leads to children engaging and energised during the time they are waiting. This step keeps the children engaged and their parents’ minds partially occupied, relieving them of some of the tension, fear, or anxiousness they might be feeling. The separation that occurs during therapy sessions is another potential source of stress for the kid patient and their parents. In order to prevent the child from feeling too watched while the parents may see in, wave-shaped windows that resemble the undulating wall designs are put at a specific height in the walls of the therapy rooms.
Along with soft and bright colours, soft lighting is used across the centre, calming a person. A well-lit area has phycological benefits for one’s development.
Revival Sanctum
The UN Studio centrally caters to the needs of child patients first and foremost. A keen focus is placed on the colour palette, where soft, bright, and natural colours are used to increase engagement. UN Studio has chosen colours to represent the centre as a kid’s therapy centre and stand out and differentiate it from regular medical centres. Every decision about materials, space, scale, light, and circulation incorporated is to address a child’s need to play, explore, move, and discover. The goal achieved by designing this centre is to provide a humanising and warm experience for the children and their parents.
The 550 square meter space incorporates FlySolo’s mission to empower children of all abilities to take an active role in society and as part of UNStudio’s diverse efforts to give back to the community with a unique and encouraging lens.
A full range of rehabilitation treatments, including the treatment of speech, language, cognitive, motor, sensory, social, and emotional developmental impairments, will be made available to children between the ages of 0 and 13 at the FlySolo Rehabilitation Medical Centre.
Citation
UNStudio. FlySolo Rehabilitation Medical Centre. [online]. Available at: https://www.unstudio.com/en/page/16469/flysolo-rehabilitation-medical-centre [Accessed 20 April 2023].
DesignBoom (2022). soothing colors and sweeping designs paint the pediatric medical center by UNStudio. [online]. Available at: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/soothing-colors-sweeping-designs-unstudio-flysolo-rehabilitation-medical-center-08-05-2022/ [Accessed 20 April 24, 2023]
UNStudio (2023). Garett Hwang Shares UNStudio’s Design for FlySolo Rehabilitation Medical Centre in Beijing [YouTube video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjyIAzW3xZI&ab_channel=UNStudio [Accessed 22 April 2023]
