Last week I was talking by phone with Gabi Heras and he told me what fantastic day he lived on April 13th in the 21st Conference of the Universitary Nursing School of Lugo at the Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti. An excellent organization by the school: 21 years old is not every day.

Before his talk, they led him to visit the hospital: the hall, wards of hospitalization, the ICU, the environment, light, colors, materials, spaces…

While he was talking, he repeated several times the same phrase: “It shows that they have thought of the space”. I loved that Gabi said that because this is the clue and a space to work and be efficient it´s necessary to be deeply thought.

Certainly this is a very thought project.

Architects have departed from this premise: “It must be a open scheme to supports transformations and movements of areas and each area can grow independently”.


So, for that movement could naturally happend, they have used a modular system. 
 


They have gotten a great result in this way:

The concept of the interior from a modern architecture is very interesting. Although we tend to think that modern architecture is cold, as you can see the result is warm, a friendly and comfortable environment for all people who interact in the hospital: patients, staff and family.

– Wide and open spaces where Gabi told me that everything and everyone flow. It is very rewarding to feel that you have “your space” and the circulations are efficient. The great distances to be covered on the staff have been resolved with the use of electric mobile elements such as subways.

-Natural light from the large windows which take advantage of it to the maximum.


 
– Colors, which properly add warmth and dynamism to the space.

– Nature is very integrated through open spaces for everybody, with spacious green areas between the blocks and the nearby landscape. It is very comforting for patient having views from the bed and be able to use the interior courtyards to spend time on them or walk; this has a very positively influence in their recovery. It is also of great help for staff to exit, take a break and breathe.
 
 

– Privacy. 42% of the rooms are singles, obstetrics and Pediatrics having 100% of individual character.

Rooms also have been hardly thought: they have toilets, windows with electrical shutters that are managed from the headboard, individual tv, music, radio, telephone, ambient light, light reading and in the case of shared room has been given more space between beds.

– Nursery and playroom for kids who have to spend long periods, specially decorated  for them, where painting murals have been doing by the students of the Art and Design School Ramón Falcón

– Library with corner to think, a space for professionals working or resting.

-Staff has day care for their children and a day centre for the elderly if they have dependent people in their care.

Lucus Augusti is without a doubt a hospital with personality. It has the best technical tools, with a versatile and efficient architecture where a friendly environment has been created for the benefit of all the people who are in it every day.

As Gabi said, “With all the human and structural conditions to become a reference in the humanization of care, because Lugo also exists!”.

Congratulations for this lovely project!

Mónica Ferrero
Interior Designer in Lab In Action