diana nobrega
journalist
The patients of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the ‘Evangelisches Konigin
Elisabeth Krankenhaus’ Hospital (KEH) in Berlin will never feel alone again. In addition to
doctors and nurses the youngsters are, since October 2009, hosted by Princess Elise. She is
the protagonist of the story told to the children when they arrive at the institution: when she
was young, Princess Elise invented her own island, with golden sand, palm trees, rocks that
kiss the waves and shelters where she could rest when she needed to. Here she was always
safe. Now as a grown-up lady, Elise does no longer need to live on the island and therefore
dedicated it to her young patients in the hospital.
The legend was created and transferred to reality by the German creative agency dan pearlman,
who worked closely with the hospital’s psychiatrists and doctors to develop a holistic
approach to a new communication and spatial concept. The ‘Isle of Elise’ project is based on a
concept where design and architecture play a central role, thus forming a completely new approach to child and adolescent psychiatry.
Each room in the hospital was designed in terms of shape, color, materials, light and air, with
the aim of promoting a positive atmosphere of security and shelter, empowering children’s
imagination and positive emotions. The new concept meets the demands of young patients
and therapeutical staff at the same time. The obligations of therapeutic professionals and the
emotional needs of young patients are now balanced.
And the response has been positive: According to KEH psychiatrists and doctors, the young
patients are more calm and sensitive and the level of aggression amongst adolescents has
been significantly decreased. "The original objectives and the results that we see now fit perfectly," says Alexander Eberle, project manager of dan pearlman.
It is the first time that the agency is involved in a social sphere project. Gathering a group of designers, architects and experts in communication and strategy, the company is generally directed to the development of brands and brand architecture.
This time, dan pearlman used its experience to make KEH hospital "shine, with the values and behavior of a brand”.
The dan pearlman professionals noted, from the outset, that this perspective on design can be
adapted to other scenarios in which the environment influences the development and healing
process of the children involved, for example in kindergartens or social institutions. "Companies
should engage in social responsibility," said Alexander Eberle, "The design should not only
focus on good looks, but on doing good."
The value of shapes and colours
The ‘Isle of Elise’ jumped from sketches to a spatial plan divided into three units: the ‘Sandburg’
(sand castle), dedicated to the smallest patients, the ‘Palmenhutte’ (palm hut) for preteens
and the ‘Klipper’ (clipper ship) for adolescents.
The youngest patients, between three and six years, find their homes in the "sand dunes."
‘Kalle’, the crab, becomes their mascot, colors like blue, beige and orange dominate areas for
playing and relaxing thus creating a protected and cosy atmosphere.
Children between seven and thirteen are in the green zone, the ‘Palmenhutte’. This area is
overflown by ‘Coco’, the parrot. Metaphorically, this influences young people to take risks, to
value their skills and reach new heights.
The teenagers, between thirteen and eighteen years, have the ‘Klipper’ reserved. Here the
character mascot is ‘Rocko’, the dog. His friends, the teenagers, will become his fellows. His
character represents the search for independence and individuality.
The story that is been told to the young patients is a genesis of symbols, mascots, colors, an
intelligent room layout and communication concept based on the knowledge of doctors and
shaped and constructed by the skills of architects and designers. Its use in clinical environments
has a multitude of benefits: it promotes the sense of direction and motivation, in the
case of green, helps to heal, such as orange, or reduce stress levels in the case of the blue.
"The design of a modern therapeutic environment, 'patient friendly' is the priority of our concept,"
says the director of the KEH, Dr. Rainer Norden, "we expect that a reference project has
been created."
The ‘Isle of Elise’ project was since the beginning a very important project for dan pearlman
due to the fact that children with special needs and problems are involved. Especially since statistical studies indicate a rise in suicidal behaviors, anxiety, eating problems and psychological
disorders resulting from abuse or neglect younger children. dan pearlman supported the
project and will be pleased to further encourage child-friendly designs and environments.
Design does have to have sustainability. With actual issues such as economic crisis and climate
change, among other problems, it is quite obvious that there is a need for improvement for
the society we have created for ourselves. At the same time, our world reaches a whole new
era of design, creating a new role for companies, with endless opportunities to improve society.
This new role does not substitute traditional ones, but rather works side by side, creating
and opening new fields of activities. It gives designers the opportunity to create networks with
individual people, enterprises, non-profit organizations, local and global institutions that together
generate tangible steps to sustainability and balance. Lets start thinking on how a specific
system can be improved using design-thinking as the key. Creativity is an attitude that
can certainly be used as a social resource.
Elisabeth Krankenhaus’ Hospital (KEH) in Berlin will never feel alone again. In addition to
doctors and nurses the youngsters are, since October 2009, hosted by Princess Elise. She is
the protagonist of the story told to the children when they arrive at the institution: when she
was young, Princess Elise invented her own island, with golden sand, palm trees, rocks that
kiss the waves and shelters where she could rest when she needed to. Here she was always
safe. Now as a grown-up lady, Elise does no longer need to live on the island and therefore
dedicated it to her young patients in the hospital.
The legend was created and transferred to reality by the German creative agency dan pearlman,
who worked closely with the hospital’s psychiatrists and doctors to develop a holistic
approach to a new communication and spatial concept. The ‘Isle of Elise’ project is based on a
concept where design and architecture play a central role, thus forming a completely new approach to child and adolescent psychiatry.
Each room in the hospital was designed in terms of shape, color, materials, light and air, with
the aim of promoting a positive atmosphere of security and shelter, empowering children’s
imagination and positive emotions. The new concept meets the demands of young patients
and therapeutical staff at the same time. The obligations of therapeutic professionals and the
emotional needs of young patients are now balanced.
And the response has been positive: According to KEH psychiatrists and doctors, the young
patients are more calm and sensitive and the level of aggression amongst adolescents has
been significantly decreased. "The original objectives and the results that we see now fit perfectly," says Alexander Eberle, project manager of dan pearlman.
It is the first time that the agency is involved in a social sphere project. Gathering a group of designers, architects and experts in communication and strategy, the company is generally directed to the development of brands and brand architecture.
This time, dan pearlman used its experience to make KEH hospital "shine, with the values and behavior of a brand”.
The dan pearlman professionals noted, from the outset, that this perspective on design can be
adapted to other scenarios in which the environment influences the development and healing
process of the children involved, for example in kindergartens or social institutions. "Companies
should engage in social responsibility," said Alexander Eberle, "The design should not only
focus on good looks, but on doing good."
The value of shapes and colours
The ‘Isle of Elise’ jumped from sketches to a spatial plan divided into three units: the ‘Sandburg’
(sand castle), dedicated to the smallest patients, the ‘Palmenhutte’ (palm hut) for preteens
and the ‘Klipper’ (clipper ship) for adolescents.
The youngest patients, between three and six years, find their homes in the "sand dunes."
‘Kalle’, the crab, becomes their mascot, colors like blue, beige and orange dominate areas for
playing and relaxing thus creating a protected and cosy atmosphere.
Children between seven and thirteen are in the green zone, the ‘Palmenhutte’. This area is
overflown by ‘Coco’, the parrot. Metaphorically, this influences young people to take risks, to
value their skills and reach new heights.
The teenagers, between thirteen and eighteen years, have the ‘Klipper’ reserved. Here the
character mascot is ‘Rocko’, the dog. His friends, the teenagers, will become his fellows. His
character represents the search for independence and individuality.
The story that is been told to the young patients is a genesis of symbols, mascots, colors, an
intelligent room layout and communication concept based on the knowledge of doctors and
shaped and constructed by the skills of architects and designers. Its use in clinical environments
has a multitude of benefits: it promotes the sense of direction and motivation, in the
case of green, helps to heal, such as orange, or reduce stress levels in the case of the blue.
"The design of a modern therapeutic environment, 'patient friendly' is the priority of our concept,"
says the director of the KEH, Dr. Rainer Norden, "we expect that a reference project has
been created."
The ‘Isle of Elise’ project was since the beginning a very important project for dan pearlman
due to the fact that children with special needs and problems are involved. Especially since statistical studies indicate a rise in suicidal behaviors, anxiety, eating problems and psychological
disorders resulting from abuse or neglect younger children. dan pearlman supported the
project and will be pleased to further encourage child-friendly designs and environments.
Design does have to have sustainability. With actual issues such as economic crisis and climate
change, among other problems, it is quite obvious that there is a need for improvement for
the society we have created for ourselves. At the same time, our world reaches a whole new
era of design, creating a new role for companies, with endless opportunities to improve society.
This new role does not substitute traditional ones, but rather works side by side, creating
and opening new fields of activities. It gives designers the opportunity to create networks with
individual people, enterprises, non-profit organizations, local and global institutions that together
generate tangible steps to sustainability and balance. Lets start thinking on how a specific
system can be improved using design-thinking as the key. Creativity is an attitude that
can certainly be used as a social resource.
