Creating interiors for a pediatric hospital can be a tough prospect. As Betsy Beaman, AIA, principal-in-charge, and director of design at Stanley, Beaman & Sears says, "We don’t design for one age group; what is interesting to a toddler is not interesting to a teenager.”

In order to appeal to this broad age range among a very select audience, SBS employs Environmental Graphic Design-a strategy that facilitates an environment of wellness by incorporating color theory and considering the primary needs of the audience, in this case, pediatric patients.

SBS' work with Children's Hospital of Atlanta is a great showcase for the philosophy. The interior features custom-designed interactive video aquarium walls with six interactive buttons, 18 high definition plasma cube displays, and IMAX film footage.

The choice to incorporate the video walls was underscored by research into the impact of video on this patient demographic, which demonstrates that images of nature may reduce the perception of pain by as much as 50%.

Other features incorporated into the design include an educational, interactive "nature wall," and colors selectively chosen to soothe or energize-a sedate and calming palette in the Sleep Center and a vibrant mango-fuchsia in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, designed to accelerate heart rate in patients recovering from surgery.

For additional information see Stanley, Beaman & Sears.