Postpartum depression is something that most mothers go through straight after delivering their baby. It is the weeks after birth when the physiologic changes related to pregnancy return to the nonpregnant state. It could last somewhere between a few hours to a few weeks and sometimes even months. It is only but a natural phenomenon and can therefore be assessed and treated in the most natural ways.
Influence of the environment
Healing architecture is the design of spaces that cater to the physical, spiritual, and psychological needs of the people while considering the healthcare settings. It involves creating spaces that provide a feeling of calmness, relaxation, and rejuvenation. The healing architecture uses minimal concepts and provides simple flowing plans while having a calming mood board in the environment.
The physical place and environment have a profound influence on the mothers and should be considered as a microelement. Patient-centered care is seen as key to achieving quality in health care. Paying close attention to interior and furniture details, lighting, and visual and audial stimuli, a healing environment is something that will help them be relaxed and calm during the entirety of the process. Positive physical distractions such as warm lighting, artwork hung on the wall, soft materials, and calming audio playing in the background, are such that make us feel comfortable even in a chaotic environment, They balance out the discomfort being caused during labor and help accentuate and obtain physical comfort.
Modernized architectural restoration at Kai Suites
Located in Singapore, Kai Suites is designed in a Japanese aesthetic giving out a zen-like and calming feeling, providing pre and postpartum care. This low-rise red brick building exudes calm from the onset. The original charming state of this building was restored to match its central ethos. The building’s brass accents and curvilinear motifs are inspired by the logo. The sense of luxury is brought out by the beauty of the materials coming together. The suites are elegantly designed giving importance to the aesthetic and comfort at the same time, using a subtle material mood board for them including wood, whites, greys, mood lighting, soft materials, and an emphasis on greenery. With amenities such as a spa, salon, clinic, etc this space is designed in a way for mums to heal and be free of the immediate stress and responsibilities after birthing.
The zen-inspired design feels seamlessly flowing with the delicate and simple materiality. Kai Suites boasts a separate nursery that mothers can monitor remotely when they are away from their child to rest and recover. The care center’s collaboration with Canon has developed it to be a structure for care whilst balancing luxury, security, and technology. On the first floor, the terrazzo floors meet the humble architecture where the lounge and dining emerge from an internal courtyard. The second and third floors hold the suites that are designed like a home to get the required comfort needs of its occupants. The clinic and spa are aesthetically designed with grey wall coverings and black metal trimmings whereas the nursery is designed using the Japanese shirasu interior wall plaster that uses volcanic soil that purifies the indoor air.
Aiyue – where architecture & technology collaborate with branding
Another great example of a built healing environment for postpartum care is Aiyue. Located in the high-end residential area of Chengdu, China, Aiyue is brought in as a brand confinement flagship store. While half of this building is a professional brand for postpartum care, the other half is a professional baby care center. The design concept focuses on shutdown time. With the flowing and harmonious shape, the blurred light and shadow, the soft choice of materials, etc, tranquility, and calmness are brought in for the mothers to enjoy a genuinely relaxed healing environment. Being 12,000meter square in area, this center provides a diverse set of amenities from yoga, spa, golf, fitness, hairdressing, baking, photography, studios, boutique art shops, etc, for the wellness and rejuvenation of the mother’s health as well as a nursery and clinic. The 3 story inner courtyard atrium is its main feature and is washed by the sun using the CoeLux technology. A CoeLux skylight uses LEDs and nano-materials to create a startling facsimile of sunlight. It is one where the sky and the sun are experienced in contemporary architecture characterized by high-tech systems. The entrance welcomes you with a brush of air and calming visuals to see an atrium drizzled with greenery and uniquely shaped columns. The auditorium, the cafeteria, the clinic, the spa, etc are located on the ground floor whereas the accommodation is provided on the first and second floors. There are three types of rooms here – standard, deluxe, and premium. All the rooms are of the same material mood board with shades of whites, greys, and browns.
The need for postpartum care centers is the striving need to provide mothers with a free and rich experience in confinement. It is for them to be calm and relaxed after giving birth.
REFERENCES:
Jingmei. L. Tatler Asia. Kai Suites in Singapore: K2LD architects on the Luxury Confinement Centre’s design elements. 2021
https://www.tatlerasia.com/homes/architecture-design/kai-suites-singapore-luxury-confinement-centre-k2ld-architects-design-features.
Anita. Mum’s Grapevine. Luxury post-birth hotel opens just for mums and newborns. 2024
https://mumsgrapevine.com.au/2021/01/luxury-hotel-mums-newborns/
Facebook. Let the sun shine in! Coelux ls ice skylight make it possible!by renovating the existing building of Aiyue postpartum care center the BDD design in…: By coeluxfacebook.
https://www.facebook.com/CoeLux/videos/let-the-sun-shine-incoelux-ls-ice-skylight-make-it-possibleby-renovating-the-exi/669033343953144/
Archdaily. Aiyue postpartum care center / BDD design.
https://www.archdaily.com/941843/aiyue-visual-bdd-design
IMAGE REFERENCES:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/healing-architecture-planning-hospitals-dr-salil-choudhary
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/kai-suites-singapore-postpartum-hotel-wellness/index.html
