Healing Garden at Tōtara Haumaru
Category:
GREEN NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE AND ON GRADE PROJECTS
Project general details
Nominator
Investor
Supplier
Architect
Outside In
Outside In
Jasmax
Outside In
Location (City)
GPS
Country
Region
Year of nomination
Auckland
New Zealand
data
Oceania
2024
Project specifications
Tōtara Haumaru is a new hospital building, designed by Jasmax, at North Shore Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. An awe-inspiring 110m2 planted interior atrium is nestled at its centre. Created by Outside In, it is called the Healing Garden. The brief from the client (the Well Foundation charity) and the architect (Jasmax) was for this community garden to provide a space for relaxation and tranquillity within the hospital. Research (by Roger Ulrich and others) shows that views of nature help improve patient recovery outcomes. The Healing Garden replicates these benefits, in a way that is uniquely New Zealand. Patient well-being was a key purpose. Patients feel immersed in the Garden from the comfort of their hospital room. There is a special area for medical staff to take a break during their busy day. The project was entirely funded by donations from the local community, through the efforts of Well Foundation charity. Please view the video here: https://youtu.be/_gXk21hDQRs
Object type
Roof area (m2)
Year of completion
Project in operation?
community garden
0
2024
YES
Project details
Innovation
The Healing Garden is the first of its kind in New Zealand. Planting an authentic forest canopy inside a hospital presented a significant challenge. We responded by developing the Forest Form® product. It successfully achieved the desired visual impact, met the demanding hospital specifications, and was cost-effective. Waterproofing was critical. There are operating theatres directly under the Healing Garden, so the Forest Form® has a steel sub-frame under the ply planted substrate to capture any (albeit unlikely) water overflow. Materials are hospital-grade and ply timber is fire-proofed. The design uses minimal joins to achieve continuity in planting. With planting at such height, ladders are typically needed to reach the greenery (resulting in potential health and safety issues). Instead, our engineers created a hidden access path in the tallest Forest Form®, concealed behind a hatch. In the other Forest Forms®, we added hidden weight-bearing walkways.
Maintenance
A comprehensive maintenance programme, and meticulous quality standards, ensures that the Healing Garden thrives. Our horticultural technicians are specially trained to maintain plant health – developing individual watering plans and pruning for each plant specimen. This commitment to care naturally minimises the need for pest control and plant replacements. All the plants are weekly monitored by our horticultural experts and cared for using organic methods, including the use of beneficial insects. Using our own proprietary soil mix maximises plant health, as well as minimising fertiliser use and the need for plant replacements. We check soil moisture for each plant before watering and chose to hand water most plants using a tailored programme. We can also use a proprietary watering robot for precisely watering the larger planted areas.
Project ecology
This project was entirely locally designed and manufactured. Our considered approach to engineering and project management streamlined the construction process and allowed for a simple and structure install without the need for special equipment – and only four people per day. We prioritised the use of sustainable materials and ensured any waste generated was managed responsibly – including opting for recyclable protective packaging to transport the materials to site. Our design of the garden beds was purposefully integrated and used lightweight aluminium to reduce total material input. By choosing to use simple curves and geometry, we could manufacture the garden beds locally and to budget. Our engineering allowed all elements to be pre-finished before coming to site, largely pre-assembled and sized to fit through the main entry. Every effort was made to simplify the considerable project complexities and our carbon footprint.
Biophilic design
We applied key biophilic design principles including visual and non-visual connection to nature, refuge, mystery, dynamic and diffuse light, connection with natural systems, and biomorphic forms. Allowing a visual connection to nature was fundamental to this project. Density in planting maximises views of nature for patients and screen these recovery rooms from the public space. There is a private space where medical staff can relax. The garden beds use natural shapes, forms, curves and asymmetry. All planting is recessed within the garden beds, disguising the plant pots. The central garden bed ‘island’ separates the atrium into two proportional halves. The curving walkway encourages you onwards to explore the mystery around each corner. Seating areas nestle you within the greenery. Planting extends overhead to offer privacy. Materiality and finishes mimic nature. LED lighting under the garden beds echoes the natural light overhead. This truly is a one-of-a-kind biophilic project.
Users
This community garden prioritises people. By achieving a lush density and height in the planting, hospital patients can easily enjoy and experience the benefits of nature. Medical staff have a private area in the Healing Garden, with extra height in this space to give offer a private, nature-filled space for respite. The local community funded this project, so it is a green asset which the public can use and enjoy. We built seating into the garden beds where people are cocooned amongst the vibrant greenery. This also ensures the maximum occupancy of 50 people in the Healing Garden was achieved. The scale of planting encourages friends and family to take a moment to relax when visiting loved ones in the hospital. Jasmax has designed all four-storeys of the hospital offer views of the Healing Garden. Its position, at the heart of Tōtara Haumaru, ensures all users experience the beauty of nature.
Users
public
Source of funding description
Doing a lot with a little was crucial to bring the Healing Garden to life. The project was entirely funded by donations from the local community, through the efforts of the Well Foundation charity. Cost-effectiveness was critical to achieve the desired vision within the budget. We also worked closely with the Well Foundation to amplify their fundraising efforts. We value engineered and refined the original architectural concept to ensure the Healing Garden could be delivered to the required budget, without compromising on the aesthetic outcome. Detailed planning meant we could overcome the unexpected without additional costs. This included needing to achieve a four-week installation in a busy site, working around multiple contractors.
Source of funding
private
Please describe aspects of the project contributing to sustainable urban development?
The Healing Garden shows how sustainability can be prioritised in interior greenscaping projects. Our proprietary product, the Forest Form®, which provided the garden bed structure. Its design ensured no polystyrene was used for staging – which is a common (and high-volume) material in most indoor planting projects. The Forest Form® uses simple curves, instead of free-form shapes, to simplify the manufacturing process. This allowed us to use local manufacturers, reducing the project’s carbon footprint. We opted for lightweight, recyclable aluminium structures and minimised material use where possible. Plants are potted in recyclable pots. The plants are in their own individual receptacle. Each plant’s soil moisture is tested and only watered as required. This greatly reduces the water requirements of a typical garden, allowing for minimal water usage and zero impact on stormwater run-off. The plants were grown locally in order to reduce the amount of carbon producing freight.
How the project contributes to climate adaptation?
The significant scale of planting helps filter the air and cool the temperature of the atrium, which is flooded with natural light from a glazed ceiling above. It also provides an important education tool for users about the benefits of nature. The scale and beauty of the Healing Garden is such that you cannot help but respond to it with positivity. This inspiring space also encourages users to stay within the site, rather than travel outside of it to seek relaxation. The specimens chosen by our plant designers are eye-catching, durable and long-lasting. Each plant is carefully positioned for the available natural light. In lower-light areas, we installed of photo-synthetic grow lights. This attention to detail ensures consistent and long-term plant health. The plants were selected and planted by our horticultural experts, guaranteeing the quality of the greenery used.
How is the project supporting local biodiversity and urban ecosystems?
The Healing Garden uses true-to-life layering to authentically create the New Zealand forest indoors – achieving a forest canopy, sub-canopy, and forest floor. At the canopy, planting reaches over two-metres tall. The sub-canopy weaves native species into the planting scheme. Preserved moss emulates the forest floor. The scale of planting in the Healing Garden is significant, covering over 110 square metres. More than 500 plants from over 15 different species are placed within the undulating garden beds, which form the curving, central walkway. We have maximised the amount of greenery within the space through a density that averages four plants per square metre. New Zealand native plants were used where possible. As many native species do not thrive indoors, non-native species were included that still look in keeping with the New Zealand bush to ensure the biodiverse planting scheme will thrive. Plants were grown for up to 1.5 years off-site to achieve the desired impact at install.
Project video
Documents
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