Chelsea And Westminster Hospital Sky Garden, UK Healthcare Building Interior, Green Architecture Photos

Chelsea And Westminster Hospital London Sky Garden

New London Health Building, Westminster Bridge Rd design by Hopkins Architects

8 September 2021

New Indoor Garden Opens At Chelsea And Westminster Hospital

Design: Jinny Blom

Address: 369 Fulham Rd, London SW10 9NH

Chelsea And Westminster Hospital Sky Garden in London

Sky Garden Designed By Jinny Blom To Support Physical And Psychological Needs Of Intensive Care Patients

6th September 2021, London. Today, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and its charity CW+ have unveiled a new indoor botanical Sky Garden at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, designed by award-winning landscape designer and CW+ Artist in Residence, Jinny Blom. The Sky Garden will bring the outdoors inside, supporting the cognitive function, wellbeing, and rehabilitation of patients in intensive care.

CW+ aims to improve the patient environment and experience in the hospital, and research has shown that incorporating elements of nature into healthcare environments can improve healing. The Sky Garden is part of the redevelopment and expansion of the recently opened Adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on the top floor of the hospital, and has been installed adjacent to the ICU, with Jinny creating a transformative experience for both patients and staff, where they can escape into nature and feel transported away from the clinical environment.

Jinny, who was appointed by CW+ to design the garden, is a former Psychologist and Psychotherapist, and knows only too well the benefits of biophilia (meaning ‘love of nature’) in healthcare and the impact of nature, plants and landscapes on patient recovery and wellness. Developed through consultation and design workshops with former patients and ICU staff, Jinny’s idea was to create a space with multiple zones responding to the many differing needs of the ICU. As a result, one side of the garden is more active with a physiotherapy ramp for recovering patients, but there is also a sociable space for conversations or just some peace and quiet.

With first-hand experience of working in a stressful NHS environment, Jinny has also incorporated sleep pods, which were funded by NHS Charities Together, and are in a quiet corner of the garden for medical staff who need to work long hours caring for patients with complex needs. There is also a quiet zone where a patient can be brought on their bed and spend precious private time with their family.

The design of the garden takes its cue from Modernist architecture. The garden is very low toxin in its makeup as it is principally timber. Furniture has been designed with a calming colour palette and uses soft-to-touch yet hard-wearing lino, another natural product made of flax. Abundant planting ameliorates the air and sound quality within the garden. The tree canopy will shade the garden from its bright natural light, and the plants within the garden have been chosen for their suitability to this demanding environment and will be cared for organically, without chemicals or pesticides.

Jinny Blom, who also created a Greenhaven Garden at the rear of the hospital several years ago, says: “Gardens, quite simply, improve our lives. To go and sit amongst plants and nature, especially in the context of a bustling hospital, has an immediate positive impact on stress levels. The Sky Garden will provide an irreplaceable source of respite to those in need”.

Trystan Hawkins, Director of Patient Environment at CW+, says: “We are thrilled with the Sky Garden which Jinny has so carefully designed. There is a wealth of research which demonstrates how natural environments have a real impact on patient’s wellbeing, recovery and mood. Many of our patients, especially in ICU, are unable to leave the hospital, often for prolonged lengths of time, so having this space of tranquillity and nature will be invaluable”.

The new, world-class adult and neonatal intensive care units which opened last month at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital provide unique patient-centred care, and the latest innovations and digital solutions to improve patient experience and recovery.

Lesley Watts, Chief Executive of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, says: “We are delighted to open the Sky Garden which will be a welcome green space to so many patients, and being located outside our new state-of-the-art ICU, will complement our patient-led approach to care in the unit. We are very grateful for the generous donations from patients and our supporters. Their unfailing kindness, support and interest that they have shown led to the creation and funding of this marvellous indoor garden, which will provide a therapeutic and relaxing space for our patients and staff.”

CW+ works throughout the hospital, transforming and improving the patient environment and experience. The Sky Garden is one of only two green spaces in the UK designed specifically to incorporate the physical and psychological needs of intensive care patients and their families.

For more information, please visit www.cwplus.org.uk

CW+

CW+ is the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust including its hospitals and clinics. The charity’s generous supporters and partners enable it to:
– Build and enhance clinical facilities to create an outstanding healing environment for patients and staff
– Deliver a unique arts in health programme to transform the experience and wellbeing of our patients
– Invest in health innovation to deliver exceptional patient care

The CW+ arts in health programme combines digital, visual and performing arts with innovative design to transform the hospital experience and environment for patients, their families and the staff who care for them. The CW+ visual and digital arts collection, displayed in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, is made up of over 2,000 artworks, many of which are bespoke commissions.

CWPLUS Registered Charity No.1169897

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top ranked and top performing hospital trusts in the UK. We employ more than 6,000 staff over our two main hospital sites, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, and across 12 community-based clinics within Northwest London. We were rated Outstanding for Well-Led and Use of Resources by the Care Quality Commission.

Both hospitals have major A&E departments, treating over 300,000 patients in a typical year. (1) The Trust is one of the largest maternity services in England, delivering 10,000 babies last year. (2) Our specialist care includes the world-renowned burns service, which is the leading centre in London and
the Southeast; we run Chelsea Children’s Hospital with paediatric inpatient and outpatient services;
and our specialist HIV and award-winning sexual health care services.

In partnership with CW+ our hospital charity we build and enhance clinical facilities to create an outstanding care environment for our patients and for our staff.

We are an emerging leader for innovation within the NHS. Our CW Innovation programme is led jointly by the Trust and CW+ and has led to a number of successful projects adopted elsewhere in the NHS.

Jinny Blom

Jinny Blom set up her design practice in 2000 and has since been accumulating an extraordinary range of commissions in the UK, Europe, Africa, Middle East and the USA. Jinny is completely self-taught and doesn’t confine her creative output simply to the built landscape- more, she tailors her skills to suit the very varied commissions she receives ensuring each is given a unique and specific response.

Jinny is an accomplished plants woman, having studied plant habitats meticulously over the years. She has a strong inclination towards landscapes being part of an ongoing therapeutic debate. Her first career as a transpersonal psychologist used landscaping extensively and with startlingly positive results. Her sensitivity to places and people allows her to respond thoughtfully to commissions. She is a Board Member of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network in NYC and a Brother of the Artworkers Guild.

Location: 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9NH, England, UK

Phone: 020 3315 8000