Inside the confines of a sterile environment like a hospital room, you see white all over. You look up and you see the white fluorescent bulbs on the white ceiling; you look to the sides and you see white walls; you look around and you see all these different contraptions—painted white, of course. And the curtains, they hide natural lighting. The monotony is broken only when you go to the nursery. Does the gay atmosphere of nice wallpaper and posters, and the sight of bright toy mobiles and infants bundled warmly in color-coordinated blankets have anything to do with the change in mood?
Color in the hospital setting
Architect Prosperidad “Hedy” Luis, a prime mover of many United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) projects and a specialist in health-facilities planning, design, and building points out that all parts of a patient’s room need to be color-treated. The ceiling is important for patients who must stay on their back all the time. Corridors should not have direct lighting because direct light is too harsh for the sick. Corridors, instead, should have reflected light that is soothing and that creates cheerfulness. Inside the room, lights must be hidden in a ceiling cove to prevent glare. Wallpaper and organic materials like bamboo or plants put nature and color in the room.
Arch. Prosperidad “Hedy” Luis sets the colors straight for coordinating hospital space
Arch. Luis says that some hospitals have not only used color as a healing aesthetic but also as a classic positive distraction. This means including specific features in the room design that make patients forget their illness, even for a while—a practical and useful strategy for cancer patients.
Beyond colors
Arch. Luis agrees with the current trend of incorporating things which are familiar and culturally relevant to the patient, as long as they are consistent with sanitation and other functional requirements. “There should be like a home model, parang nasa bahay,” she says. Arch. Luis was responsible for the new ambience at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) and the refurbished Manila Central University Hospital (MCUH), among others. 
For the rest of the article, please see the July – September 2008 issue.