Participatory practices for co-designing a multipurpose Family Space in a Children's Hospital

Abstract

This article presents the research and design project undertaken to develop a shared space for families and healthcare professionals in a children's hospital. The project was developed from a model of healthcare space scaled and validated at the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona. Initial research detected the need to gather different care services in one area. The intended use of the space was determined through qualitative ethnographic research and a quantitative analysis. Taxonomization of the collected data allowed us to define a model of healthcare activity that reconsidered the space along with time of use. It also enabled us to redefine health professionals as navigators. The design team created this model according to spatial characteristics and requirements. The model consisted of four types of space which we named hierarchical monodirectional, non-hierarchical circular, intimate proximity, and public proximity. From this model, a series of activities were developed that, through participatory practices and co-design processes, allowed the team to prototype the four space types. The design methodology applied has become the modus operandi of the Design Group for Health and Wellbeing at EINA, Centre Universitari d'Art i Disseny de Barcelona, attached to Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).