Atelier PRO worked on a new psychiatric ward on behalf of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). In addition to care, education and research had to be housed in the building, which we designed together with Vakwerk Architects; in addition, it is important that patients feel as little as possible that they are staying in a psychiatric hospital and that they remain connected to society. That is why three principles play a central role in our design: that people wake up to the sun; that they are surrounded by meaningful spaces, and that they experience 'normality' as much as possible.

Psychological care in the middle of society
The new University Center for Psychiatry (UCP) replaces existing, outdated housing from the 1960s, and is part of a larger innovation operation - “UMCG builds”. The new building consists of an outpatient entrance building with therapy and research rooms and a clinic for day treatment and patient rooms, which are connected by two “cloisters” around a green patio. We deliberately designed the clinic with the rooms, where patients may stay longer, on the city side of the complex, next to the Oosterpark neighborhood and facing east - and thus the sunrise; the polyclinic, where people - whether from outside or not - come for an appointment, is located just on the side of the UMCG Central Medical Complex.

“Waking up with the sun”: daylight through the day
“Daylight is important for everyone, but even more so for vulnerable people, especially people with a mental illness; daylight is therefore the strongest leitmotif in our design”, Dorte Kristensen, architect director atelier PRO.

The patient rooms in the UCP all have morning light, so that when they wake up, people can sit on their window sill, with the sun on their faces. However, light is not only important in the morning, but throughout the day, because it influences the human biorhythm throughout the day; that's why the light “follows” UCP patients, with afternoon and evening light in the living rooms and plenty of daylight in the corridors.

The public patio: outdoor space is a basic right
It is important that people experience daylight indoors, but it is just as important that people, wherever they are, have access to good, spacious outdoor space, with lots of daylight, lots of greenery and lots of atmosphere. That is why the central part of the building is a spacious patio, a pleasant garden with a large terrace in the sun. This space is accessible to everyone in the UCP: both for patients and their visitors, as well as for medical staff and researchers; the patients in the four closed wards have their own, more private courtyards — but they also have access to outdoor space.

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Connection to the world: a view of greenery and the city
In addition, the patio provides a view of the greenery throughout the building. Not only from the grand café, but also, for example, from the two cloisters that connect the entrance to the clinic. In these corridors, we have designed seating areas that offer a nice, informal place to read or meet with visitors. The patient rooms deliberately do not have a view of the “hospital world”, but rather of the residential area — on the coots in the canal, of parents on their way to school with their children, and of the daily things in the city. For example, the often vulnerable patients at the UCP stay in an environment where - remotely - they are still in the middle of life.

More than an interior: meaningful space
For psychiatric patients, it is also important that space is meaningful, that it offers distraction and is pleasant to stay in. We have applied this principle throughout the UCP, from the entrance hall with the grand café to the patient rooms, from the therapy rooms to even the corridors. For example, throughout the clinic, we used appropriate colors that adapt to the nature of space. We also provided logical and minimal wayfinding, making the building feel less “medical”. By cleverly using light, window sills, views, materials and color, we control the way people experience and feel in a space.

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Architecture as a form of 'normality'
There is something comforting about normality, especially for vulnerable people; that is why we chose to give the building the appearance of a hospital as little as possible. We provided curtains in all areas, including the patient rooms, so that people can control their own day; we often opted for fixed furniture - to create a warm, decorated atmosphere -- and designed window sills that are so wide that they can even be used for “rooming-in”, allowing partners and family members to stay overnight - unique in psychiatric care.

“The new UCP is an ode to the window sill: the window sill as an informal place to sit. A window niche is a small space in a large space that gives you two things at the same time: security and choice — a choice to retire or participate. And it's a place between inside and out: you can be part of the people in the space, or dream away to the world,” Dorte Kristensen, architect director atelier PRO

The new UCP thus has more the feeling of a 'home' than the 'heavy' feeling of a psychiatric institution.

Care and research in one hospital
The building has space for patient care, but also for research and education. Indeed, the UCP wants to give people with a psychiatric illness the best diagnosis and treatment, and scientific research plays an important role in this. By combining knowledge development and its clinical application, the prognosis of psychiatric patients can be significantly improved. The design therefore supports care and research processes. The new UCP is a safe and friendly home environment for patients, where employees and researchers can do their work in a safe and streamlined way at the same time.