We’ve been through several renditions of the plan after meetings with the owner’s focus group.  We got so much great feedback that really helped formulate the design.  The information they provided was really powerful as far as how important this space really is.  We’re presenting our final SD plan tomorrow and I hope to post it after that.  Comments from the prior meeting that really stood out for me were:

• The main users of this garden are going to come from the ICU (intensive care unit) waiting room.  When a patient dies or if there is an unexpected tragedy, the families congregate in the hallway to get away from others in the room.  They really needed a space to move them outside the doors to “process” what is happening or what just happened.  They need something private, yet close; shaded, inviting and enveloping.
• Brack is the regional trauma center; level 2 in the Southwest US.  They get the most severe in 11 counties.  Trauma is 60% of the population.  The big difference is what happens here is that these people weren’t planning on coming here.  These are life changing, family changing events. – this statement really hit me hard. 
• Just as the events are tragic for the families, they are just as stressful for the staff (doctors and nurses) attending to these patients.  They need a separate space to be able to decompress.  These caregivers are under extreme stress and need to be able to be by themselves. 
• The space needs to be both quiet and restorative.  Shade is critical in this area!
• It is a new requirement in ICU patient rooms to have one window to see the changing of time. 
• We are trying to find the balance between open space and private space.  We will provide outdoor gathering and eating areas as well as meditiation “rooms”.

Photo by TBG Partners

Our principal in charge told us a great story about our future healing garden space.  Back in the late 90s, after the construction of the new portion of the building to the east, Brian was out on site assessing everything for the design of the children’s garden.  He remembers it being sometime in the summer and needless to say it was pretty hot.  He happened to notice a mother who had taken her child out to the barren courtyard under one of the two remaining trees on the site.  He marveled at that moment and how a tree and green grass and shade could coax those two of out the hospital.  I think that goes to show just how powerful green grass and green trees can be.  As luck would have it, I actually found a photo of the moment in our archived files of the old project.  That little child looks to be barefoot and tromping around in the grass.  I’m sure this was a relaxing moment for the two of them.  Imagine how a beautiful new garden in this space is going to be?

Graphic courtesy of TBG Partners

We were charged with creating a schematic design for the 125 birthday celebration where they would announce the tranquility garden as the “birthday present”.  We had about 2-3 weeks to come up with a design for the event.  Below is the initial concept.  We are currently working on a new rendition of the plan after meetings with an owner focus group to discuss what was wanted and needed.

Graphic courtesy of TBG Partners

Please join us for our journey on the design and implementation of the Tranquility Garden at the University Medical Center Brackenridge, a Seton Family of Hospitals in Austin, Texas.  I am going to invite you to read though our process and experience the birth of a healing garden. 

About one month ago, we were contacted by the hospital to design a tranquility garden for an open courtyard space.  What is interesting is that this was initially the site of the old Children’s Hospital of Austin.  Back in 2000 or so, TBG had worked on a design for a children’s garden in this space.  (I actually got to be a part of this project when I started back in April of 2000).  We had issued construction drawings on September 10, 2001 (the day before 9-11).  Soon after that, a decision was announced that the Children’s Hospital would be moving and they were to build a brand new facility at our Mueller redevelopment.  As upset as we were, we found ourselves overwhelmingly lucky to be selected to be the landscape architect for the new Children’s Hospital.  This hospital has gone on to become the first LEED Platinum hospital in the world.

So now, we are charged with designing a healing garden to serve the associates of the hospital and the patients and family at UMC Brack and their Intensive Care Unit.  We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work on this space again and to create such an important and special place for all the users.

The space is quite dreadful as it exists now.  I think it just makes for an even better “reveal” at the end – what a blank canvas!