Augmenting Rejuvenation

The presence of gardens can literally work wonders in spaces where people are at their most stressed and undergoing the process of healing. In hospitals where there is no other respite from the sterility of the wards, being seated in the lap of nature can definitely work wonders by augmenting the progression of cure and rejuvenation.

- Kanupriya Pachisia

Walking through the corridors of most medical institutions, we often experience the electronic whirr and buzz of instruments. We are surrounded by an artificial symphony composed of fluorescent lighting, featureless walls and maze-like layouts.

Collectively these tend to confound the senses, creating a sense of disease that can even compound patient symptoms. In this milieu, as a quiet counter revolution hospitals are being designed to promote healing and restoration via spaces that soothe the senses and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.

Drawing on several decades of research that people can heal more quickly and with less pain when in the realm of greenery, CedarsSinai Medical Center, located in Southern California, Los Angeles adopted this concept of natural healing whole heartedly. With AHBE Landscape Architects on board, they successfully executed a prime example of healing gardens.

Known for their expertise in designing thoughtful evocative landscapes that allow for contemplation and reflection, AHBE Landscape Architects share, “We believe in creating a beautiful and above all, a healthy environment. The pursuit of greater good is what drives our firm.”

Since the site was located atop a building AHBE had to develop a multi-layered landscape solution that would protect the existing building’s structural and mechanical integrity while accommodating a series of four lush planted gardens. “The Cedars-Sinai Healing Garden Plaza project presented several constraints that encouraged innovative thinking,” says AHBE.