ABSTRACT
A hospital is a stage set for the processes that run inside its walls. The positive, negative, or neutral effects a design can have on these processes are often experienced as side effects rather than the manifestation of clear design intent. This chapter demonstrates the relevance of this concept—establishing an overall project vision—by unpacking the design process for the Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH), formerly the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, in Brisbane, Australia. It exemplifies how replicable strategies can be identified and employed. The project method for designing the QCH allowed a series of opportunities to be imbued into a living brief. The chapter focuses on a few of the core decisions and circumstances within the overall design process of the QCH. To advance toward more therapeutic environments, a project method must identify an informed project vision that creatively challenges the default, function-based approaches prevalent in current design practices.
