The Princess Margaret Cancer Center Lodge is a patient treatment lodge in which my team set out to create an honest, calming and friendly environment. The redesigned living room, kitchen and sleeping accommodations create a rejuvenated space for patients to heal comfortably.
In the public health care system it is very rare for buildings to be renovated, resulting in run down facilities which are often repurposed and no longer suit the occupants. This is the case for The Princess Margaret Cancer Center Lodge, a longterm care facility for patients undergoing radiation treatment. The challenge for us was to redesign the lodge into a comfortable and improved housing experience without removing any existing infrastructure (walls, power, water). Acting as a co-lead on the project, I was in charge of the cohesive design strategy as well as living room space and furniture.
The redesign was thought out from a holistic standpoint and so it delved past aesthetics, into experience design, accessible design, emergency systems and many other factors. The space consisted of a living room, kitchen, patient and nurse quarters. The process began by testing traffic flows on several different layouts and determining which had the best accessibility for low mobility patients.
Based on the feedback we received from previous patients, the past lounge needed more storage room. This custom piece is meant to provide ample storage space for large items such as pillows and bedding but also allocates room for smaller items such as books and plants.
The middle section meant for books, games, plants was made to be accessible with the lowest reach at 2ft and highest at 5.5ft. On the other hand the top and bottom drawers which patients are not meant to use, are located slightly out of reach.
In order to create a hopeful and alleviating space for the patients, I decided to incorporate birch wood for the shelves. The colours were chosen in consideration of the rest of the room, white for hygiene and a pastel orange highlight which bring warmth and cheer into the room
Lessons Learned
Naturally being a large project, we experienced challenges regarding timeliness, work allocation and coordination. These challenges taught me not only how to co-manage a team but more importantly how to listen to my peers and help harmonize ideas so that they line up with our task at hand.
Team Members
Genevieve Zoratto
Jason Wong
Dawson Clark
Sereen Bizri
Bilal Dahro