Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 1

Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center

Ashani Warusavitharana

Ocean Lakes High School

Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 2

Author’s Note

This paper was written by Ashani Warusavitharana as part of the senior project at Ocean

Lakes Math and Science Academy. It was made possible with the guidance of Dr. Sampath

Jayarathna, the computer science assistant professor at Old Dominion University, Dr. Ratnasiri

Gunawardena, an endocrinologist working for Sentara, and Mrs. Graves, the Ocean Lakes’

academy advisor. For any questions about my senior project, I can be contacted at

ashaniw27@gmail.com, and my mentor can be reached at sampath@cs.odu.edu. For any

questions about the senior project, contact Mrs. Graves allison.graves@vbschools.com. After

graduating from Ocean Lakes High School, I plan to attend a four-year college for a physics

degree on the pre-health path.

Introduction

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that affects some individuals after the

pregnancy and labor time period. It is usually characterized by feelings of extreme sadness,

anxiety, and exhaustion which may interfere with an individual's ability to care for themselves

and their newborn (Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data From Maternal Mortality Review

Committees in 36 US States, 2017–2019 | CDC, 2022). In comparison to the postpartum

depression (PPD) rates in the United States compared to other countries, the United States is

prevalently high. The global prevalence of PPD was found to be approximately 17.22% however,

in the United States, the average percentage of PPD is 17.01% (Yang, 2024). Taking into

consideration the technological, social, and medical advancements of the US, I expected the

percentage to be a lot lower than it currently is. Considering this information, I looked at how

other countries dealt with this issue and South Korea was the one that specifically caught my

eye. South Korea introduced a concept called sanhujoriwon which is a postpartum care center
Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 3

where mothers and their children are cared for six to eight weeks postpartum in their homes with

an individual, a sanhujorisa, tasked with caring for and educating new parents and families

(Kim, 2020). This service puts new parents at ease and less burdened with responsibilities.

Socially and medically addressing PPD begs the question of how the design and function of

healthcare facilities impacts the accessibility and desirability of individuals to seek professional

care before, after, and during pregnancy. The effect of postpartum care facilities has not been

studied in the United States since these facilities do not exist within the country. In general,

environmental design interventions aim to create spaces that are more supportive, therapeutic

and conducive to the well-being of people such as people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease

and other forms of dementia. Some key considerations in designing Alzheimer's care include

safety, guidance, motivation, and overall quality of life.

The main problems with traditional hospitals are that they are artificial, self-contained,

lack cohesion with the environment, produce excess waste, and are energy intensive. All of these

factors combined with an overall sterile environment places a discouraging facade on the

healthcare system. Even though architects and medical professionals share a mission to protect

and promote health, the means in which they attempt to do so haven’t matched the cultural needs

of society.

This project will include the main concepts of architecture and medicine. Architecture

specifically utilizes physics to understand the impacts of force, tension, and compression.

Additionally, some architects use chemistry to recognize material composition and determine

which products would be best effective in certain situations. The medicine part of this project

will mainly analyze the social needs of patients within a facility. Our goal is to design a spatially
Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 4

effective maternal-fetal/postpartum care facility that utilizes sustainable resources and introduces

the foreign concept of postpartum care.

Story

The COVID-19 lockdown inspired me to try strange and extraordinary hobbies and one

of these included interior design. I downloaded Live Home 3D and designed my dream home for

weeks. I scouted Zillow and other real estate sites for inspiration as well as Pinterest for interior

design ideas. Through these weeks, I fell in love with Victorian-style homes from the 1800s.

From sash windows to the characteristic wrap-around porches, each aspect had its role in the

house's overall design. During the following few years, I began touring houses with my family as

we prepared to move from our smaller home into one where I’d hopefully have my own room.

We toured homes built in the 1820s, with their distinctive symmetrical shape and columnar

detailing, as well as modern homes featuring open floor plans and emphasis on natural light.

Through my junior year class, Magnet Biochemistry, I was again given the opportunity to

research a topic of my choice. I chose to focus on biomimetic architecture and phase-changing

materials (PCMs). Biomimetic architecture is a scientific approach to design that crosses several

disciplines in order to apply principles found in natural systems and species into construction.

Generally, the utilization of naturalistic features into architectural design would be classified as

bio-inspired. This form of design only uses nature’s aesthetic forms and symbolic associations

without accounting for biological knowledge or sustainable development. However, biomimetic

architecture incorporates both of those aspects as well as attempts to develop a closer

relationship between the biological and architectural fields. Designing with biomimicry in mind
Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 5

allows for a more symbiotic relationship with nature with less waste production and increased

efficiency. This project showed me the connection between biology and architecture.

Near the end of junior year, I approached Kate Rotolo with a proposal. I had a wide

variety of interests in the medical field from women’s health to psychology, but also an interest

in interior design. Kate knew that they would pursue a future in architecture and therefore

understood a considerable amount about sustainable architecture. I wanted to design a healthcare

facility using my medical knowledge and their architecture knowledge. My driving questions

behind this revolved around the prevalence of disease transmission within a healthcare

environment and design features that cater to those requiring the use of a healthcare building,

such as children, the elderly, or neurodiverse individuals.

Throughout the summer before senior year, I shadowed two professionals in two different

fields that ultimately gave me unexpected insight into my ultimate question: how does

architecture impact the success of healthcare professionals and patients. The first professional I

shadowed was Dr. Sampath Jayarathna, the computer science assistant professor at Old

Dominion University. His specialty lies in the development of data science, information retrieval

as well as machine learning techniques for adaptive information access. The main project he was

working on at the time of my shadowing was gathering and reviewing data concerning the eye

tracking of individuals with ADHD and Autism. My goal in shadowing Dr. Jayarathna was to

determine whether or not the environment an individual was in, impacted the amount of time

they strayed from their main point of focus. Additionally, I shadowed Dr. Ratnasiri

Gunawardena, an endocrinologist working for Sentara. My main purpose for shadowing with

him was to determine a layout for a general healthcare facility as well as get input for how space

is utilized within such a facility. I was able to analyze patient-doctor interactions and visually
Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 6

determine efficient spatial usage on a day-to-day basis within a healthcare facility. On top of this,

I took two online courses on a platform called “edX”. The courses I took were named “Intro to

Color Fundamentals” and “Intro to Architecture”. Through these courses, I learned about color

psychology and the basics of architecture in order to understand both the medicinal and

architectural aspects of the project. Through this course, I was able to find the answer on how

specific interior design choices affect the quality of care received by patients. Through

independent research I was able to figure out the importance of prenatal and postpartum care as

well as what could be done to improve the quality of the care and support that new families

receive. My main concern included ways to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of developing

postpartum depression.

Product

After my experience over the summer, I dove into product planning. I knew I wanted to

design a structure that combined everything I learned through my summer shadowing and

personal research.. Kate and I met with each other, committed to our original proposal of

creating a healthcare facility.

After Kate consulted with their mentors, Todd and Mike at Tymoff + Moss Architects

about beginning our project, they advised us to begin by identifying our project’s purpose,

function, site, and program. We defined our purpose as creating a comforting space for before,

during, and after labor. Our goal was to use our research in gynecological health, psychology,

and sustainability to create an effective architectural product. In order to determine what rooms

and facilities were necessary, Kate and I interviewed Denise Lassister, a postpartum nurse at

Sentara General Hospital. We had her describe the perfect facility that would offer new parents
Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 7

anything they would require and from that created a program, or list with each room and an

estimate of its dimensions (see Appendix A).

Following the interview, Kate, along with my input, drove straight into designing a floor

plan. Keeping the program in mind, we divided the rooms into three categories: postpartum care,

prenatal care, and staff areas. After the initial floor plan was drafted, Kate sent me a DWG file

which I imported into SketchUp. As this was my first time working with this software, the

process went by excruciatingly slow, but after a few days I had a rough design for the staff

bathroom (appendix number 1).

As I worked in SketchUp, I also dove into research on several key elements that shape

the aesthetic and functionality of healthcare facilities (8 Healthcare Interior Design Trends for

2022 - 200 Pemberwick Rd, Greenwich, CT 06831, USA, n.d.). Custom acoustic paneling has

emerged as a solution to control noise, employing a wall-cladding system that incorporates

custom panels to diminish the sounds of play and conversation. The inclusion of biophilic design

that emphasizes natural elements allows for a calm and serene feel to a space. This can be

achieved by adding living elements like potted plants or offering views of nearby parks to offer

distraction to patients, as well as using earthy colors, nature-inspired art, green walls, and

stabilized moss to bring nature into a hospital setting. In general, walkable cities and parks

encourage contact with nature and increase immunity. Having an interior that mimics a healthy

natural environment can impact a patient's overall health and well being as they reside within a

healthcare facility. Glass partitions, not only providing separation between spaces but also

offering easy cleaning, have become more popular due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

(Biophilia As An Ally To Hospital Design, 2020). Customized frosting on the glass adds a layer

of privacy to healthcare interiors. Innovative seating solutions respond to the increasing demand
Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 8

for spaces promoting rest and relaxation, considering patients of all sizes and shapes to enhance

comfort.

Selecting vibrant color palettes tailored to the facility's needs is a crucial trend, with

pediatric offices opting for bright and energetic hues like turquoise, brick red, and sunflower

yellow to create a friendly atmosphere. For an overview on color, I turned to several sources for

information. Red, famous for its warmth and passion but associated with tension and danger,

should be used with caution to avoid unpleasant tensions when combined with strong green.

Orange, a muted variation of red, can be a useful modifier in neutral or cool color schemes.

Yellow, being the warmest color, radiates joy and humor with less tension than red and orange.

Green is considered a cool color adjacent to warm colors, and conveys calm, comfort and

reassurance. Blues connotes comfort, calm and dignity, but excessive use can lead to feelings of

depression; however, when used strategically, they can act as accents in small areas. Although

violet suggests uncertainty and precision, it can also evoke tension and depression, making it

expressive but requiring careful application. Neutral colors, including gray, brown and tan,

provide versatility in creating specific backgrounds or ambiance, and browns and tans contribute

to a cozy home atmosphere. White, associated with cleanliness and light, can convey modernity

when combined with the right accents. Black, which suggests weight and formality, should be

used sparingly, especially in spaces intended for temporary use (Pile, 2003, 294-295). Specific

interior design aesthetics utilize different variations of colors in order to enhance a person’s

visual experience. Drawing inspiration from various sources, ocean-themed designs create a

soothing ambiance, while Japanese influences emphasize light, calm atmospheres with ash-wood

surfaces, sage green walls, and warm lighting. Bohemian and Mid-Century Modern inspirations
Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 9

aim to transform waiting areas into welcoming living spaces, alleviating patient anxiety and

contributing to a more comfortable healthcare environment.

Keeping all of this research in mind, I started on my final task for my portion of the

product: an interior design mood board. As SketchUp was not getting where we needed to get

within the time constraints we had, both Kate and I decided to pause the progress I had made for

now and come up with a plan on how to communicate my ideas for the interior, to an audience. I

decided that I wanted to focus on an earth-toned palette throughout the entire building. This

meant that I incorporated greens, beiges, and browns into the overall look. I hoped that this type

of palette would invoke feelings of calm and comfort in patients as they utilized the proposed

facility. In order to add the Bohemian feel I had read about, I added in hints of red and orange.

As for materials I took into consideration that sterilization would be a high priority within a

medical facility, therefore I chose leathers and easy to clean fabrics as I picked out furniture and

decorations. With all of this in mind, I created a mood board that utilized all of my research.

Results

To evaluate the success of our project and to receive feedback, Kate and I presented to the

employees at TMA two times prior to our final presentation at Ocean Lakes. We presented

during two different stages of our presentation to receive feedback before moving on in our

project. Kate created a google form for the audience to scan which included questions such as:

“What are some improvements regarding the building design/floorplan/interior design?” and

“What are some suggestions for improvement regarding our presentation

skills/slideshow/flow?”. A free response for any additional comments was also provided. We

gathered these responses after each presentation to inform improvement decisions for the next

stage of our product. After the first presentation, we received suggestions to explore generalizing
Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 10

the plan, considering storage when designing, and presenting without flashcards. After the

second presentation, we received suggestions on how to choose a location and the importance of

exploring the outdoor spaces. My personal suggestions included: being mindful of word choice

when trying to get a point across, consider “timeless” styles or styles that will carry throughout

the years, avoid the use of large amounts of red, and finally, to think about the visual color

proportions of colors in the interiors and how the presentation can reflect that.

Although I think our product was successful overall, there are a few things I would

change if I were to do it again. Even though the artistic freedom during the early stages of the

product was exciting, it caused several spirals into dead ends that wasted time and energy early

on. I would have liked to meet more with Kate’s mentors and gotten more opinions from current

healthcare professionals to see whether or not my ideas were realistic.

All things considered, this project caused tremendous growth in my presentation skills,

confidence, and ability to share my thoughts succinctly. Prior to the summer before senior year, I

could never imagine delivering a presentation to a group of professionals in their fields on a topic

that I have been studying for almost a year. Being able to be confident in my knowledge and

having the understanding that professionals want to see initiative as well as commitment and

dedication to a craft is what convinced me to dedicate hours to this project. I believe that this

knowledge will stick with me for a lifetime.

References

Biophilia As An Ally To Hospital Design. (2020, December 22). YouTube. Retrieved February 1,

2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4qGu9IU4Lc

Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 11

8 Healthcare Interior Design Trends for 2022 - 200 Pemberwick Rd, Greenwich, CT 06831,

USA. (n.d.). New products and trends in the medical sector. Retrieved February 1, 2024,

from https://trends.medicalexpo.com/project-440175.html

Kim, T. (2020, April 16). Effects of a maternal role adjustment program for first time mothers

who use postpartum care centers (Sanhujoriwon) in South Korea: a quasi-experimental

study - BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. Retrieved

February 1, 2024, from

https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-020-02923-x

Pile, J. (2003). Interior Design. In (pp. 294-295). Prentice-Hall and Harry N. Abrams.

Postpartum depression - Symptoms and causes. (2022, November 24). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved

February 1, 2024, from

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/symptoms-causes

/syc-20376617

Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees in 36 US States,

2017–2019 | CDC. (2022, September 19). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Retrieved February 1, 2024, from

https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternal-mortality/erase-mm/data-mmrc.html

Yang, B. X. (2024, January 13). (PDF) Mapping global prevalence of depression among

postpartum women. ResearchGate. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355442238_Mapping_global_prevalence_of_de

pression_among_postpartum_women

Appendix
Diving Into Healthcare Architecture: Designing a Maternal-Fetal Retreat Center 12

1. A photo of our written program.

2.