Whānau rooms acknowledge the essential role whānau play in a patient’s hauora. In 2018 the Whānau Room Rejuvenation project was initiated to explore the condition and intended purpose of the 45 inpatient whānau room spaces across Auckland District Health Board sites. Six of the whānau rooms have now been fully refurbished, with the remaining 39 to be completed over the next 2-3 years.

When Auckland City Hospital's main building was constructed in the early 2000s the hospital became one of the first in the world to have a whānau room in each adult inpatient ward. These spaces were designed to manaaki whānau and meet the needs of tikanga Māori, especially around death and dying. They provided an important culturally safe and private space for whānau to gather and grieve with their tūpāpaku.

Group touring refurbished whānau rooms during opening event in July 2021

Over time these spaces became rundown and in 2018 a project was initiated to rejuvenate them, sponsored by the Chief Nursing Officer and funded by the Auckland Health Foundation. A policy was written to honour the existing kauapapa of the rooms and protect them going forward, and the Ara Manawa team started to explore the condition and intended purpose of the spaces.

An extensive co-design process was undertaken, bringing patients, whānau, community and staff together with designers, Māori specialist architects and hospital architects. The group explored how to redesign these spaces, starting with eight wards with complex/high needs. The findings can then be rolled out to the remaining rooms as funding becomes available.

We heard what people wanted and needed from these spaces and worked hard to integrate these with the hospital’s infection control requirements.

A connection to nature was re-iterated throughout the research, and we integrated this through wood-look vinyl, a natural colour palette and textured wallpaper. In small spaces we used ceiling scape panels to bring in elements of nature, and in larger spaces we included nature zones in the room.

Including a tactile element in a sterile environment is an important way to signal that a space is not clinical and is for whānau. We worked hard to bring in furniture that met infection control requirements but was still comfortable. One of the main ways we did this was by using a textured vinyl that feels like fabric but can be wiped and sterilised.

“I always take my family over to the domain, just to hear the water, just to get away from the hospital, just to decontaminate themselves. Just to sit and… relax.”

One of the key design challenges of the whānau rooms is that they are very small spaces, often internal and lacking natural light. Patients and whānau told us how distressing this is, and how it disconnects them from the outside world.

“There’s no light, I find it a really big problem on all of the floors”

“The importance of a connection to day, night, winter, clouds, they become anchors… You’re still a part of the world.”

We worked to address this by using a diurnal lighting system. Fluorescent lights were replaced by LED lights where the tone and temperature of the light aligns with the time of day from sunrise to sunset.

Lastly, one of the most important features of the rejuvenated whānau rooms is the entrance mural shown below. Designed by Matekitātahi Rāwiri-McDonald of TOA architects, the artist drew inspiration from the story of Te Ara a Tāne-Te-Waiora and the healing properties of nature, wairua and whānau. This piece of art is applied to the entrance wall of each whānau room in a textured weave wallpaper, becoming the most prominent piece of artwork across Te Toka Tumai. It is both an artwork and a wayfinding guide, marking the space as non-clinical, honouring te ao Māori, and welcoming whānau of all patients regardless of ethnicity.

Emma Wylie pictured in front of refurbished whānau room mural

Where we are now

As of July 2021, the first six whānau rooms have been refurbished and the Auckland Health Foundation is fundraising for the remaining 39 rooms to be refurbished over the next 2-3 years. The re-establishment of the whānau room purpose demonstrates Auckland DHB’s adherence to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in action. It acknowledges the essential role whānau play in a patient’s hauora, and by providing facilities for them to spend time together in often highly stressful hospital stays, health outcomes for our patients are improved.

August 2021

THANKS TO

The co-design participants, patients and whānau who so generously shared their stories. The Auckland DHB staff who shared their wisdom. TOA and Chow Hill for their technical expertise; and the donors to the Auckland Health Foundation who funded this work.

AUTHOR

Emma Wylie - Consultation and Co-design Manager

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