GHH Psychiatry Department

Aware of the impact that spaces have on people, the study of interior architecture was a key aspect of this project. Both in the existing structures and the new constructions, the spaces were designed with coherence to offer teams and patients pleasant environments to live in, where orientation is easy. Warm-looking wood is combined with soft colors and rounded shapes to create a soothing atmosphere throughout the building. Natural light, a true source of well-being, is also given special attention.
The façades are designed according to a principle that allows for large glazed surfaces with:

- A low sill height to ensure unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape.
- A great height to allow light to penetrate deeply into the rooms and open views toward the sky.

Bedrooms

The overall atmosphere of the bedroom spaces is inspired by beach tones, combining the warm colors of sand with shades of blue, green, and gray reminiscent of the sea. The view of the outdoors is essential in the layout of these restful spaces. Window niches designed for sitting, relaxing, and letting the mind drift to the shores of Le Havre and the Normandy coast allow residents to experience moments of tranquility in an intimate setting.
The use of a noble material like wood, combined with the blue tones chosen for the bedroom areas, creates a feeling of serenity and calm. This warm and reassuring aspect is enhanced by circular-shaped furniture, ideal for providing patients with a comfortable and caring atmosphere. Some objects, such as the desk lamp, can also be fixed in place to comply with safety standards.

Play Area

The blue cylinder, equipped with portholes, houses the water play area and sparks children's curiosity with its playful shapes. The white circular bookshelf also allows the child inside to recharge in a sort of cocoon—a true protective shelter—offering a confident view of the surrounding space through its large horizontal openings.

Classroom

The classroom, completely open to the outside, is a space conducive to discovery and creativity. Supporting children's cognitive development and self-confidence, it is designed with a “home-like” atmosphere—reassuring, warm, pleasant, and cozy.

The role of signage is essential in an environment like this. It is crucial to develop an effective system through which users can intuitively find their way. These strong visual elements are a creative extension of the building’s architecture, contributing to the overall coherence of the project and making navigation within the site easier. These recurring visual cues help define the different areas and welcome users on each floor, with service segmentation clearly identified by wide, rectangular bands of color.

Highlighting and creating a green space, a landscape, allows nature to be integrated at the heart of the project. It can be a place of rest, retreat, and offers everyone an opportunity for renewal, a journey, a change.

For this psychiatric hospital project, the landscape becomes an element of care. Different inaccessible spaces are intended to be contemplated and to challenge the user. Placing positive images of nature along their path, creating a setting — a meditative and/or pictorial refuge — allows for a momentary escape.[1]

The garden terraces, in continuity with the different sectors, are integrated into the slope of the terrain as natural extensions of the building. A garden designed for children aged 5 to 12 is arranged with several sub-spaces. In a marine-themed environment offering a variety of activities and experiences, it is adapted to the diverse needs of this age group. It includes a vegetable garden area, a minimalist free play zone, a space with a platform, and an area with small vegetated mounds. All of it is visible from the classroom. [2]

This garden is intended to welcome patients suffering from anxiety and depression. It offers a relaxation space that is both stimulating through its activities and soothing through its minimalism and design. The edges of the garden are treated with vegetated screens that draw the gaze outward or upward. It includes a walking area, a tabletop vegetable garden, and other sub-spaces. [3]

This garden is intended for patients undergoing addiction treatment. It is designed in the spirit of a Japanese garden, like a sanctuary. It combines a wooden walkway on stilts with a green core that allows observation of the central garden. [4]