Snøhetta Launches Outdoor Care Retreats in Norway
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Oslo and New York-based architectural firm Snohetta has launched two wooden outdoor care units in the vicinity of two of Norway’s largest hospitals. Nestled in the peaceful ambience of the woods, only a short walking distance from the hospitals, these elevaSnøhetta Launches Outdoor Care Retreats in Norway
Oslo and New York-based architectural firm Snohetta has launched two wooden outdoor care units in the vicinity of two of Norway’s largest hospitals. Nestled in the peaceful ambience of the woods, only a short walking distance from the hospitals, these elevated wooden cabins aspire to make hospitalization easier for patients and their families.Designed on behalf of the Friluftssykehuset Foundation, “the Outdoor Care Retreats offer ‘physical and psychological respite’ for patients, and are designed by Snohetta to contrast with the two hospitals,’’ reports dezeen. In Snohetta’s own words, “The space can be used for treatment and contemplation, and for spending time with relatives and friends away from the hospital corridors. The cabins are open to every patient connected to the hospitals regardless of disease group, and reservations are managed through a booking system.”The first cabin is situated one hundred metres from the entrance of the capital's Oslo University Hospital, while the other is in south Norway by the Sorlandet Hospital in Kristiansand. The cabins are donated as gifts by the Friluftssykehuset Foundation to the two hospitals. As mentioned by the architect firm, “The project has received funding from private and public supporters, including Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, Gjensidigestiftelsen, Bergesenstiftelsen, the Children's Foundation OUH and the Norwegian Parliament. In addition, a number of suppliers sponsored the first cabins with building materials, amongst others Kvadrat, Kebony, and Lindal Gruppen.”Describing the outdoor care cabins, dezeen writes: “The angular forms of Outdoor Care Retreats were modelled on the "playful construction of wooden tree cabins typically made by children. Elevated off the ground, both 35-square-metre cabins are made from skewed blocks of wood that will turn grey over time, helping them blend in with their surroundings. They each have a main room, a smaller side room for conversation and treatment, and a bathroom. They are accessed by wooden boardwalks that lead onto a small terrace. Both cabins are accessible for wheelchair users, and have angled entrances clad in black zinc, which are large enough to accommodate hospital beds.The interiors of the Outdoor Care Retreats are lined with oak, echoing the natural materiality of the neighbouring forests, and feature fold out tables in the walls.” The large glass windows and skylights of the cabins allow visitors to have a “peek into the woods, smell the damp forest floor, and listen to the sound of trickling water while still being inside the cabin.”Talking about the project, Maren Ostvold Lindheim, a child psychologist at the Oslo University Hospital and one of the initiators of the project said: “The Outdoor Care Retreat provides a peaceful space where visitors can benefit from the therapeutic qualities of nature. Nature provides spontaneous joy and helps patients relax. Being in natural surroundings brings them a renewed calm that they can bring back with them into the hospital, and contribute to better disease management.”Snohetta plans to build more outdoor care retreats in vicinity of hospitals in Norway and abroad in the near future. https://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more