Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2011 - (Page 17)

t the St. Louis Children’s Hospital, a special green roof is an integral part of the healing process. In fact, the hospital’s Olson Family Garden is one of the finest living examples of a horticultural therapy garden today. Residing in an unexpected place – the 8th floor rooftop of the St. Louis, Missouri-based hospital – this 8,000-square-foot green roof is not only a respite for hospital staff, but also serves as an outdoor oasis enjoyed by patients and their families during times of great need. Gary Wangler, HTR, is the brainchild of the garden. Formerly at the world-renowned Missouri Botanical Garden, Wangler has been the hospital’s horticulturalist since 1999. By 2005, he started the hospital’s Horticultural Therapy Service program, bringing patients to the Olson Family rooftop healing garden to engage in plant and plant-related activities to achieve specific treatment objectives. Through horticultural therapy, otherwise underutilized spaces such as roofs and courtyards can be transformed into healing gardens to improve the cognitive, physical, social, emotional and spiritual well-being of participants in a variety of settings. Through the years, the practice has evolved to become a respected therapeutic methodology conducted by trained professionals throughout North America. As is the case in St. Louis, the horticultural therapist has an especially important role to play in rehabilitative and healthcare environments such as hospitals. “Horticultural therapists are specially educated and trained members of rehabilitation teams (with doctors, psychiatrists, psy- A “This garden is the most important part of the hospital. It lets in the healing power of nature during our long, long stays here [and] reminds us to count our blessings, however unfortunate we feel.” – Comment from visitor to the Olson Family Garden on the roof of St. Louis Children’s Hospital chologists, occupational therapists and others) who involve the client in all phases of gardening – from propagation to selling products – as a means of bringing about improvement in their life,” according to the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA). With so many empty rooftops on everything from nursing homes to hospitals, green roof professionals have many opportunities to design and install therapeutic landscapes – yet another potential benefit of green roof technology. SCENTS & TEXTURE In St. Louis, Wangler works directly with the children’s hospital’s young patients, utilizing horticultural therapy as a complementary approach to their medical treatments. The Olson Family Garden is natural medicine for his patients, an escape from the sterile patient rooms and hospital corridors. He engages sick children in gardening-related activities “offering relief from physical and cognitive limitations which reduces stress, stimulates memory and inspires hope.” There have been many horticultural therapy success stories, including seven-year-old Evan, who lost his eye sight and speech due to a brain injury. Wangler worked with Evan in the healing garden on numerous occasions, leveraging the boy’s natural curiosity and inherent sense of discovery to help him exercise all of his senses using the garden’s therapeutic ecology and landscape. AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO HORTICULTURAL THERAPY GARDEN DESIGN KEY OUTCOMES OF THE DESIGN CHARRETTE FOR THE OLSON FAMILY GARDEN AT ST. LOUIS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL PURPOSE Enhance the healing environment by providing a place for children and their families to experience their connection to nature. OBJECTIVES Provide a sense of acceptance of life’s rhythms through images of healing and wellness. Provide families with a private place to converse with caregiving staff or simply reflect in quiet solitude. PROGRAM ELEMENTS Provide a place of solace for very sick children and their families away from the stress of the hospital environment. Provide opportunities for children to connect with nature such as smelling plants, interacting with sculpture, touching water, etc. Provide opportunities to increase a child’s interest level through discovery. Gazebo Small, open lawn Raised beds Small fountain Greenhouse or conservatory Moveable tables and chairs Potting area with accessible table Shaded and secluded areas Wellness and healing sculptures Hummingbird feeders Flower beds with colorful and perennial varieties Meandering paths Low-level night lighting Goldfish pond Stream with a bridge Space for gathering Place for viewing with a telescope Birthday markers Swing bench Celestial plaza with sun dial Maintenance storage room LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR WINTER 2011 17

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2011

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2011
Contents
The Living Architecture & Health Connection
Picnic Perfect
Green Roof Sight-Seeing
A Sacred Space
On the Roof With… Judith H. Heerwagen
A Spiritual Oasis
Therapeutic Landscapes
Active Living Walls
Lifetime Achievement Award: A Legend Remembered
Civic Award: Kelly Luckett
Research Award: Jeremy Lundholm
Fieldnotes From Greenbuild 2010
Toward Net-Zero Water Use
Learn Online
New Corporate Members
Welcome New GRPs
Cents and Sustainability

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2011

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