Interior design, and the healing environment. New ward designs for Addenbrookes.

Experts in the field of NHS environment design, Sable & Hawkes have created two new interior designs schemes for Wards and staff areas at Addenbrookes, part of Cambridge University Hospitals.

Inspired by botanical illustrations and the meadows and woodlands of the British Isles, and working with our clients, CUH Arts, and writer Hannah Jane Walker, Cambridge-based Design company Sable&Hawkes latest NHS environment design project was for new wards at Addenbrookes, U2 Gastroenterology and U3 Haematology.

Our challenge was to bring a high-level of design and creativity to a new clinical space in order to meet a set of key objectives:

1. Create a calming and distracting environment that positively contributes to the experience and treatment of the patients
2. Reduce stress and anxiety for¹ patients and families and, 
3. Provide staff with a day-to-day environment which they feel at home in, comfortable and proud of. 

Plants and their uses are an important part of human history, medicine and recovery and in the past, botanical illustrations were used by physicians, pharmacists and gardeners for identification and analysis. Using these historical influences and original scientific illustrations as inspiration, designers’ at Sable&Hawkes created over 40 individual plant, flower and grass illustrations that were applied across a combination of ward environments, from corridors to patient rooms, nurses stations to entrance and lift lobbies, staff rooms to stairwells.

What our clients said of the work and results:
CUH Arts was delighted to work with Sable&Hawkes on this project. The team bought energy and dedication to creating an art scheme that worked for the specific requirements of our patient groups. The result was a sensitive, distinctive, and playful design which staff, patients and visitors can enjoy for many years to come.

Rosie O’Donovan, Interim Head of Arts

What was delivered
Across the project we completed the following tasks:

1. Consultation and research to agree the creative brief 
2. Mood boarding a range of concepts and ideas that developed into the overall creative theme
3. Designing that theme into the ward environment using in-house generated, bespoke, illustrations 
4. Management of all suppliers across the project plus procurement of all physical assets of print and production 
5. On-site direction of all aspects of installation and project fulfilment.

The Complete NHS Environment Design Service
Over the past 20 years Sable&Hawkes have become expert in the development and delivery of visual arts projects for the NHS. In that time we have since designed, managed and installed creative installations and environments across a wide number of NHS organisations and environments,  project managing all aspects of the brief, production and installation of NHS art and designed-environment projects. That experience has taken us from chaotic creative workshops to historical timelines, from the depths of the sea to the skies above the highest mountains, from working with the wonderfully heartfelt creations of very ill young children to the art of some of the world’s famous artists.

From personal experience we so clearly understand how our work can and does help alleviate the stresses and fears of patients, parents and staff on a daily basis. And because we understand, because it is personal – our commitment is total, to our clients and the creative solution.  

Sable&Hawkes
Creative Design | Production Management | Installation