Healing Environment: Paediatric Wards – Status and Design Trend

Based on a pilot study, this paper attempted to chart the current status and design trend of paediatric wards in the Klang Valley. Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) studies were conducted in three hospital wards built five-years apart. Data collection involved NHS (2008) evaluation toolkits for healthcare buildings – the AEDET Evolution and ASPECT, interviews, and personal observations. Overall, a positive design trend towards healing environment was charted in the newer paedetric wards built. However, lacking were paediatric ergonomics considerations and the utisation of audio therapies. Implications of the findings were discussed and several design best practices suggested.