Healthcare Design - August 2022 - 52

AWARD OF MERIT
IN HARMONY
Waldkliniken Eisenberg orthopedic hospital's unusual
building shape, natural materials, and cutting-edge
construction create a forest retreat By Anne DiNardo
BUILDING ON THE role that nature can play in improving the health and
well-being of staff and patients, the Waldkliniken Eisenberg orthopedic
hospital, opened in October 2020, stands out for a variety of reasons. For
starters, the 177,600-square-foot hospital is designed in a circular shape
with large openings that direct views outward toward nature and its forest
setting in Eisenberg, Thuringia, Germany. From there, the project
breaks the mold in biophilic design with an extensive use of wood materials,
both in the structure and the façade as well as in interior spaces.
Additionally, operable windows and verandas off the patient rooms provide
access to nature sounds and fresh air, while green roofs and a central
courtyard with plantings help maintain comfortable temperatures and
further connect the facility to nature. Jurors lauded the project for its
integration into the surrounding landscape and use of natural materials,
which together lend the feel of a " wellness spa, " in the words of one juror.
The project was submitted by HDR and Matteo Thun & Partners. Here,
Johannes Kresimon, director of health for Germany at HDR (Dusseldorf,
Germany), and Matteo Thun, founder of Matteo Thun & Partners (Milan),
share insight on some of the project's stand-out features.
Healthcare Design: What inspired the facility's circular shape and
how did it help you deliver on goals to create a hospital that's " within
and part of nature " ?
Matteo Thun: Waldkliniken is surrounded by the forest of the
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AU GUST 2022
HCDMAGAZINE.COM
The hospital uses a
timber-hybrid construction
method. On
the façade, horizontal
wooden battens
and vertical " pilaster
strips " will turn gray
over time, allowing
the facility to further
blend into its forest
surroundings.
Saale-Holzland district in Thuringia. The circular
façade, wherever you are, gives the same
relaxing view of the forest outside. We wanted
all patient rooms to have views toward the
green outdoors. Nature itself takes part in the
healing processes.
Together with HDR, we planned the building
as a " three zeros " concept-zero distance,
zero carbon dioxide, and zero waste-employing
local materials such as regionally sourced
larch wood and labor when possible, optimizing
energy loads and emissions, and using or
reusing renewable materials. For example,
where possible, we have tried to use wood not
only for the façade, but also in the public areas
such as parquet natural oak in the restaurant,
piazza, and lobby.
Johannes Kresimon: The aim was to develop
a hospital that puts people at the center. The
new building is influenced by the surrounding
nature: a lot of green for the interior and exterior
spaces, natural materials, daylight as well
as color compositions of flora and fauna.
Because the immediate environment plays
a major role in the healing process of the patients,
it was important that the large window
openings create a strong connection to the
forest with its weather and seasons. Additionally,
the windows can be opened so that inside
the hospital patients and staff can also listen
to the sound of the wind and smell the damp
forest floor.
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Healthcare Design - August 2022

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