Monday Motivation: A Day at the Spa, Doctor's Orders

"I love going to the doctor’s office.” Unless you’re a medical provider that loves his or her job, you won’t hear those words from anyone else—especially not patients.

The reception and lobby areas combine color, texture, and multiple seating options from Coalesse to create a relaxing, hospitality-inspired waiting experience.

But what if the medical facility where you sought treatment looked and felt more like a spa than a clinic? Although it may not alleviate all of the stress associated with treating physical ailments and diseases, a well-designed healthcare environment that emulates the tranquility of a spa would go a long way in helping patients relax and actually become more proactive about their health.

Patients receive robes instead of hospital gowns while they wait in a private dressing room to be led to their appointments.

That was both the goal and the end-result of HMC Architects’ design for the Los Angeles Center for Women’s Health, which has become a new model for the future of women’s healthcare since its opening last year. Created specifically for “HER”—Healing, Education and Research—the building features a calming, restorative environment that responds to the needs of working professionals and residents in downtown Los Angeles.

Employing what the team calls “The Disney Effect,” patients never encounter behind-the-scenes elements such as medical equipment, and physicians enter the exam and treatment rooms through separate entrances.

“The environment itself participates in the healing process by offering a space that’s reminiscent of a calming spa where women go to relax and de-stress,” says Pam Maynard, CID, principal and director of interior architecture at HMC. “We spent a lot of time with potential clients from L.A. and asked them what types of environments they felt would be most comfortable in which to receive medical care. The places that they asked for were places that seemed to be very peaceful,” providing the inspiration for the facility’s spa-like design.

The reception and lobby areas combine color, texture, and multiple seating options from Coalesse to create a relaxing, hospitality-

inspired waiting experience.

The center encourages wellness through screenings and education, and graphic wall art from Omnova Solutions turns clinical spaces into comfortable, calming areas.

Original Article by Interiors and Sources:

http://www.interiorsandsources.com/article-details/articleid/15311/title/doctor-39-s-orders-8212-a-day-at-the-spa.aspx