Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Eating Disorders Unit, Somerset, New Jersey: 2024 HCD Remodel/Renovation Competition Bronze Winner
Jeffrey Totaris
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Eating Disorders Unit (after): Nature symbolism and landscape-inspired imagery help create a calming environment.
Courtesy of NK Architects
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Eating Disorders Unit (before): Prior to the renovation, the group therapy room lacked biophilic design elements.
credit: © Jason Laste
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Eating Disorders Unit (after): Patient rooms are outfitted with patient-controlled lighting and shades to foster a sense of independence and personal control.
Courtesy of NK Architects
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Eating Disorders Unit (before): Recognizing a surge in demand, the hospital expanded the unit’s capacity from 12 to 20 beds. [credit: ]
This article was originally published on December 18, 2024, and is among Healthcare Design’s project awards roundup of 2024. To see a full list, click here.
As part of a campus-wide revisioning for behavioral health services, the renovation of the Eating Disorders Unit at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset (RWJUH) in Somerset, N.J., emerged as an opportunity to design a state-of-the-art facility that aligns with the esteem of the organization’s nationally recognized program.
During the planning and design phases, RWJUH and architecture firm NK Architects (Morristown, N.J.) used data and case studies of biophilic design patterns and biological responses and evidence-based design principles to address patients’ physical, psychological, and social needs.
The approach led to transitioning the unit from a closed layout to an open, flexible environment. The design also features improved sightlines, natural light, and age-specific zones for adults and adolescents to enhance therapeutic outcomes.
The 18,400-square-foot project, submitted by NK Architects to the 2024 Healthcare Design Remodel/Renovation Competition, earned a Bronze Award.
Maximizing biophilic design in clinic settings
The project team utilized biophilic design elements throughout the interior design, including curved forms in lighting fixtures, floor patterns, and ceilings in patient rooms, nature-inspired imagery, and an adaptive color palette based on color theory principles. For example, greens are used in day spaces to evoke feelings of peace and calm, and blues are used in patient rooms to promotes restfulness and comfort.
The color tones and saturation also slightly vary between the adult and adolescent zones of the unit, which help foster stress reduction, mood stabilization, and cognitive performance.
Circadian lighting systems in common areas help synchronize patients’ biological rhythms, while patient-controlled lighting and curtain systems in rooms promote comfort and dignity.
Expanding eating disorders treatment spaces
Through the project, RWJUH expanded the unit from 12 beds (in the former unit) to 20 beds in the renovated unit. The facility is one of only two hospitals in New Jersey providing inpatient care for this increasingly prevalent disorder.
One of the jury members lauded the project’s use of biophilic design elements as setting a new standard in behavioral health design: “By addressing the physical, biological, psychiatric, psychological, and social needs of patients, the design enhances therapeutic outcomes.”
For more on the 2024 Remodel/Renovation awards, go here.
