Relaxation room Animal Hospital UZH
Initial situation:
Veterinary professions are particularly demanding. The Vetsuisse Faculty therefore promotes measures to support the mental health of its employees. This includes the provision of health-related infrastructure and recovery resources (cf. Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz), such as indoor and outdoor break areas conducive to recuperation or a relaxation room for the employees of the University Veterinary Hospital.
A former office room (21m2) with natural daylight is available for repurposing for the relaxation room within a closed-off floor and above an established staff room in a central location on the animal hospital site. The room has space for 4 people to use at the same time.
Physical built environment resources / challenges: Daylight, view from the window of the sky, trees and distant buildings, building in a central location, unisex WC with washbasin near the relaxation room / wayfinding for users as the room is at the end of a corridor shared with an institute, traffic noise when the window is open, no individual privacy in the relaxation room.
Social-organizational environment resources / challenges: Staff room is located one floor below, adjacent offices offer social control, there is already a quiet room with defined rules at another location in the organization / adjacent office uses vary from concentrated individual work to group discussions with customer contact, to get to the relaxation room, which is accessible to all employees, you "feel" you have to walk through the institute area.
Aims:
- Promote recovery during breaks: Retreat, power nap, put your feet up, lie down, quiet mediation
- Low construction and furniture costs, manageable operating and maintenance costs, cost-effective future reuse
Procedure:
User Needs Analyse
Utilization concept including policy and materialization
2 variants of the new colour concept
Redesign
Initial-Signage
Change communication, Signage, Post-Occupancy-Evaluation are coordinated and implemented by the client.
Client:
- R. Stephan, Dekanat Vetsuisse-Fakultät
- B. Gasser, Universitäres Tierspital
Project members:
- Nutzungsmanagement Campus Irchel (B. Degenhardt)
- Bauprojektmanagement, Ausstattung (A. Zingg Bernecker)
- Hausdienst VSF (R. Zehnder)
- Betriebsdienst Irchel VSF (Th. v. Mühlenen)
- Assetmanagement (S. Morach)
Initial situation 2023: An office room available
and an unisex toilet room across the floor
Measures: Development of a relaxation room utilization concept for employees of the animal hospital and corresponding redesign
The new color concept is intended to support mental processes that promote regeneration during the work break, radiate safety and security and visually enlarge the 21m2 room.
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The relaxation room offers space for 3 self-brought mats and provides a deck chair as well as storage racks for the mats and valuables of the employees.
Pleated blinds on the windows, a ceiling light and a dimmable floor lamp allow users to regulate the brightness in the room themselves.
A floating carpet insulates and absorbs impact sound. The door frame was sealed to minimize noise from the hallway.
The lock to the room is digital and is only available to employees at this location.
The relaxation room and wardrobe are located on the same corridor as the One Health Institute UZH.
New wardrobe in the restroom
A wardrobe has been integrated into the existing unisex restroom. Storage facilities for the shoes and jackets of animal hospital staff are provided. A washbasin and a large WC where staff can easily change are already available.
Initially, an analog seat booking/reservation option is provided in the wardrobe area.
Fotos: B. Degenhardt.