Healthy by design
For too long, doctors’ offices have been equated with sterile décor that not only looks cold, but also causes patients to feel anxious, like they’re in a hospital. Several clinics around town now boast spiffy, homey interiors that help patients feel more at ease when it comes to medical appointments — all in an effort to make them feel healthy, not sick.
1. Soft colors
According to a study in the Health Environments Research & Design Journal, lighter colors have a pacifying effect in hospital rooms. “Blues and grays are calming,” says Andy Grover, senior director and head of real estate and development at One Medical Group, a chain of clinics with nine NYC locations. Grover also is a proponent of using natural woods in offices, for both flooring and furniture, and plush rugs to make the spaces feel “welcoming,” he says.
2. Cushy seating
“When you go to a doctor’s office and you see a row of 12 vinyl chairs, you [can] feel like a number,” says Grover. Upholstered armchairs and sofas covered in “fabrics you would probably have in your home” outfit the Tribeca office of One Medical Group. According to a 2002 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, subjects associated waiting rooms that had warm furnishings and décor with higher quality of care.
3. Windows
“Natural light is incredibly important,” says architect Jonathan Schloss, who designed the lightfilled space of Extend Fertility, an egg-freezing clinic in Midtown with oversize windows. According to a 2006 study published by the Center for Health Design, “adequate and appropriate exposure to light is critical for health and well-being of patients, as well as staff in health care settings.”
4. Open space
Labyrinthine spaces can contribute to patient stress in a medical setting, according to a 2016 report on hospital circulation zones in Health Environments Research & Design Journal. Even more crucial is medical transparency through design — having meeting rooms and lab spaces within view of common areas, with glass walls instead of solid ones.