Description

As part of the modernisation of Hvidovre Hospital, the existing four-bed rooms were to be turned into two-bed rooms. The architects, however, went a step further and developed a flexible, functional room type that works for both single and double occupancy. In view of the projected decline in demand for inpatient treatment, a trend towards single-bed rooms is emerging, but hospitals still need to be prepared for high occupancy scenarios. In this case, the hospital is well equipped for both situations.

Hvidovre Hospital near Copenhagen is one of the largest hospitals in Denmark, catering for more than 40,000 patients annually. When it opened in 1976, it represented a departure from the typical bed skyscraper as its four main buildings are only three storeys high.

As part of the reconstruction of the nursing wards, C. F. Møller Architects were asked to renew the patient rooms within the existing structure to make them more user-friendly in various ways.

One of the main tasks was to convert the existing four-bed rooms into single and two-bed rooms. The new flexible room type is designed as a single room in which relatives can also stay overnight. For this purpose, a bench that can be folded out into a bed is provided in the same room as the patient. Each room also has a second set of supply lines and connections to accommodate an additional patient as required. As such, Hvidovre Hospital can respond flexibly to a possible rise in the number of patients.

The design of all the rooms is determined by the outboard placement of the bathrooms along the façade. This has the advantage that the beds are easily visible for the staff from the entrance area, and even from the corridor thanks to an additional glazed strip next to the entrance. When more privacy is required, the glass can be made opaque at the touch of a button, obscuring the view into the room from the corridor. A pull-out screen between the beds can provide additional privacy where necessary when one room is occupied by two patients.

At the entrance to each room is a supply point with a washbasin and glove dispenser as well as storage space for necessary materials for the patient, and a ceiling-mounted patient lift system helps nursing staff raise and move patients more easily.

As part of the modernisation, the patient bathrooms were optimised and redesigned to be barrier-free. Additional handrails around the oval-shaped washbasin can be used as a grip and handhold and, together with height-adjustable WCs, enable older or mobility-impaired patients to be more independent.

Wooden surfaces and wood decor on the walls and floor lend the rooms a homely atmosphere, as does the dark upholstered bench next to the window.

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Originally published in: Wolfgang Sunder, Julia Moellmann, Oliver Zeise, Lukas Adrian Jurk, The Patient Room, Birkhäuser, 2020.