Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The garden at the National Hospital of Denmark (Riget´s garden) was designed as a soothing garden for patients, patients' next of kin, employees and students. This is a study of how, and if, this aspect of the garden works to its full potential for these individuals. The study is based on semi-structured qualitative interviews, focusing on the respondents' knowledge and usage of the garden and their possible desires for improvements. The interviews are supplemented with the researcher's own observations. An American study and theories of restorative environments are also used to process the results of the study. Furthermore, the results are compared to the landscape architect's initial intentions with his/her design. The study was conducted between April 9 and April 14, 2008.

The study demonstrates that the garden works as a soothing garden, by creating a clear contrast to the hospital. It is the planting and the colors that create this contrast. The majority of the garden's visitors use the garden for eating, coffee breaks or to smoke.
Most of the garden's visitors make use of the garden by sitting at the sunlit café-style tables or in a shadowed corner by one of the entrances. The café's location close to the garden plays an essential part in the usage of the garden.
The weather works as both a prerequisite and an impediment for the usage of the garden. The respondents expressed a desire to have the garden enclosed and roofed over. These installments would work to protect the visual aspects of the garden, as well as create the possibility of social support. Furthermore they would work as a natural protection against bad weather.
The planting of the garden is not viewed as having enough species of plants as well as seasonal variations. Furthermore, the garden comes short of the designer's wish, as well as some of the respondents wish, for an enclosed garden.
The garden provides the opportunity for children to play. Respondents viewed this as an advantage and it seemed entertaining to the apparent healthy children playing.
Clearly marked entrances and accessibility for the frailer group of patients seems inadequate. The needs of this group of patients have evidently not been taken into account. This is expressed through their limited usage of the garden and through the interviews made with both patients and their next of kin.
The employees find it hard to combine the usability of the garden with work; however, many find great joy in looking out over the garden.

Rigets have ved Københavns Rigshospital er planlagt som en lindrende have for patienter, pårørende og personale og studerende. Denne rapport beskriver en undersøgelse, foretaget for at finde ud af, hvordan haven set fra dette perspektiv fungerer for disse brugergrupper. Undersøgelsen tager udgangspunkt i halvstrukturerede kvalitative interviews om brugernes kendskab til, anvendelse af og eventuelle ønsker til forbedringer i haven. Interviewene suppleres med undersøgerens observationer. En tidligere amerikansk undersøgelse og teorier om restorative miljøer er inddraget til bearbejdningen af undersøgelsens resultat, og resultatet er endvidere sammenholdt med landskabsarkitektens intentioner med sit design. Undersøgelsen er foretaget i perioden
9. april til 14. april 2008.
Undersøgelsen viste, at haven først og fremmest virker lindrende ved at fungere som en kontrast til hospitalet. Farver og beplantning skaber denne kontrast. Størstedelen af anvendelsen af haven knyttede sig til spisning, kaffepauser og rygning.
Hovedparten af opholdene foregik siddende omkring solbelyste caféborde og stole eller i et skyggefuldt hjørne nær en indgang. Caféens placering i tilknytning til haven har en helt afgørende betydning for anvendelsen.
Vejret virker både som en forudsætning og en forhindring for anvendelsen. Respondenterne udtrykte et ønske om overdækkede, omsluttende haverum. Disse skulle beskytte visuelt og skabe mulighed for social støtte. Endvidere skulle de beskytte mod vind og vejr.
I forhold til beplantningen blev årstids- og artsvariation oplevet som mangelfuld i haven. Endvidere honorerede den ikke landskabsarkitektens ønske samt nogle brugeres behov for en have, der kan karakteriseres som omsluttende.
Muligheder for leg blev oplevet som en fordel og virkede underholdende for tilsyneladende raske børn.
Tydelige adgangsforhold og tilgængeligheden for de svageste af patienterne fungerede ikke optimalt. Patienternes behov er tilsyneladende ikke tilgodeset tilstrækkeligt i haven. Dette gav sig blandt andet til udtryk gennem denne gruppes begrænsede anvendelse af haven og gennem interviews med både pårørende og patienter.
Personalet havde generelt svært ved at kombinere jobfunktion med anvendelse af haven, men flere fandt stor glæde i udsigt til haven.