The Restorative Biome - Tutorial and Overview

When most people picture a hospital, they picture the same thing: long white hallways, fluorescent lights, and the smell of antiseptic. For anyone recovering from surgery, this environment is unpleasant and can be compared to solitary confinement. For a child who has been there for weeks or even months, it can be genuinely harmful. The design addresses a well-documented problem: children in long-term hospital care become bored, isolated, and emotionally distressed. This problem arises not only because they are sick, but also because hospitals offer almost nothing to do. My inspiration stems from my social media feed, where patients (including kids) and parents share their experiences with lengthy hospital stays. The environment can lead to problems such as depression, delirium, anxiety, and ptsd. Restorative Biome Wing aids patients with non-traditional therapy.

The Restorative Biome brings art therapy, music therapy, dance and movement therapy, drama and theatre therapy, nature and garden therapy, dog therapy, yoga, and meditation. This brings therapies within the secure parameters of the hospital campus, where patients never have to leave the care zone.

Hello! My name is Adrianna Ho-Faris, and I am a grade 11 high school student in the Greater Toronto Area. I have been looking at applying for an undergraduate degree in architecture next fall.

Digital Design

1. Autodesk Fusion 360
2. Paper, pencil, eraser, ruler (concept sketching phase)

Physical Model

1. Foamcore board
2. PLA filament + 3D printer
3. Super glue
4. UV resin
5. Fake miniature trees and greenery
6. Laser-cut wood pieces

Rendering

1. Google Gemini (AI Rendering)
2. Alcohol Markers
3. Pencil
4. Fine Liner Black Marker
5. Paper

Hospital rooms are usually designed for medical function, not for human well-being. White walls, beeping monitors, restricted movement, and, most importantly, no meaningful activity. This creates a psychologically harmful environment over time, particularly for children, whose development depends on stimulation, play, creativity, and social connection.

The following are the ideas that I kept as principles in my build:

1. Children need activities
2. Children need outdoor or nature access (whether they realize it or not)
3. Children need social spaces to interact with other kids
4. The solution has to stay within hospital parameters
5. The space needs to have an open design to make them feel "out of the hospital."

The Restorative Biome is a therapy wing designed as an extension of Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. It challenges the idea that a hospital has to look and feel like a hospital. Unlike the standard clinical corridors that most patients spend their stays in, this building is circular, open, full of natural light, filled with trees and water, and home to a range of therapy experiences that you would not find in a traditional hospital wing. This is a modern hospital that serves a large and growing community and has an undeveloped parcel of land directly beside the main building.

The Restorative Biome is a three-story therapy wing designed as an extension of Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, created as a safe and stimulating environment that supports the emotional and mental recovery of patients during long-term hospital stays. The wing addresses core needs that traditional hospital environments fail to meet: expression through art and music therapy rooms (listening, instrument, song writing, etc.), physical and emotional release through dance, movement, and drama spaces, social connection through open lounges and group activity areas, and rest and regulation through quiet rooms and meditation spaces.

The concept of the building is inspired by Apple Park's infinite-loop ring, which eliminates dead ends and gives patients a sense of not being in a hospital anymore. The loop also functions as a "running track," which allows patients to get their steps in, as elderly patients may need a place to keep in shape, and young patients need a way to get all of their energy out. In the middle, there is a courtyard with a waterfall, bringing nature, natural light, and the sound of moving water into a space where patients would otherwise never experience any of those things. Together, these design elements create an environment that does not look or feel like a hospital, because for children who spend weeks or months inside one, that difference is everything.

While designing and building my model in Fusion, I wanted to make my drawing and my model as similar as possible.

I started by creating two concentric circles in Autodesk Fusion 360 to create my floor plan for the inside and the base of my building using the Offset tool and then the Extrude tool. I then made sure that the floor plan was split into rooms to make sure that there would be many purposes for the inside of the building, including creating bathroom stalls and music piano rooms. Then I wanted to build up with two outdoor floors because of the fact that hospital patients may not be able to go outside without leaving the hospital otherwise. One has a shaded roof, and the other has cabanas because some medicines may constrain patients' ability to be exposed to sun light.

One of the most important parts of this build is accessibility. This wing has no ground elevation, and it features a large ramp to get from the first to the second floor using the Coil tool in Autodesk Fusion, as well as an elevator for accessibility purposes.

In this step, I finalized the layout of the Restorative Biome to make sure that all of this space was usable. Using a scale of 1:155, I designed the floor plan as an infinite loop inspired by Apple Park. The floor plan is used to split everything into rooms as well as create a purpose for the rooms.

Ground Floor:

1. The Music Wing is used for two different purposes. After research, I found two ways that music may help patients endure their time at the hospital:
2. Learning an instrument keeps patients' brains active while finding a hobby to keep them from being bored during their stay at the hospital. This is great for children who may suffer from being trapped in a room and need to let their energy out. It is also beneficial to the older generation, as when they get older, this keeps their brains active to prevent them from symptoms of dementia. Learning how to play an instrument may also stimulate memory for patients who have recently experienced a stroke, concussion, or brain injury.

1. Listening to music helps long-term hospital patients cope by triggering the release of mood-boosting neurotransmitters like dopamine and reducing cortisol levels. It also serves as a distraction from medical treatments that may put patients in physical or mental pain. It is also proven that music can lower anxiety levels for ICU or cancer patients and promote better sleep.

1. The Social Room is used as a home away from home. It includes a living room to help patients who may feel homesick and lonely. It is an opportunity that allows patients to meet other patients as well as spend time with loved ones in an environment that is not their hospital room. The Social Room will include lots of cozy seating, like beanbag chairs and couches. It may include games such as ping and pool; it will also include sitting-down games for people in wheelchairs, such as foosball and air hockey.

1. The two Multipurpose rooms may be used for the following:
2. Active Therapy may be used in the case of people who need to get out of their beds after an injury; it may also be used by all patients who are in need of some movement in their bodies. Active therapy may include dancing, yoga, working out, etc. Dancing is a good way for patients to express creativity at any level. Whether you are a professional dancer or a newcomer, dance is a proven way for people experiencing depression to find a new hobby or creative outlet. Having a gym is not only a great way to have patients who are stuck in their rooms all day get some exercise, but it is also a great way for patients with physical injuries to practice physiotherapy for their injuries. For example, if someone were to severely break a leg, they could use special gym equipment to start walking properly again after some time off from walking.

1. Meditation could be used in many ways to support patients during long stays. One of the best ways that meditation can help is that it can support patients with pain Management. It is a great "brain exercise" that helps patients observe their thoughts rather than repeating a negative cycle of thoughts. Meditation can also reduce hospital anxiety, as hospitals are high-stress environments.

1. Art therapy provides patients with a creative outlet and a hobby for patients who may get bored in a hospital room. Traditional hospitals typically use art as a way for patients to cope, as it is a proven science that distracts patients from upcoming treatments and stress.

1. Animal-assisted therapy can be used for any patient of any age. Interacting with animals is scientifically proven to trigger the release of oxytocin while significantly lowering blood pressure and heart rate. For a patient experiencing long-term isolation, the non-judgmental companionship of an animal can provide a massive boost to morale.

Second and Third Floors:

1. Mindful outdoor walking can help patients on the second and third floors. The building features wide, naturally lit areas that act as a continuous walking path, allowing patients to get exercise while maintaining a sense of progression and movement.

1. A central waterfall may help patients feel peaceful in a time of stress. It extends the central courtyard on the ground floor up to connect the whole building (on the second and third floors). It creates a nice sound as well as a calm atmosphere for the patient and provides patients with direct access to outdoor air and sunlight without needing to leave the secure hospital perimeter.

1. Gardening therapy is used on the second and third floors for raised-bed gardening. Using vertical planters or tabletop garden beds ensures accessibility for patients in wheelchairs. Gardening provides sensory stimulation (touching soil, smelling herbs) and a sense of purpose as patients nurture the plants throughout their stay.

1. On the outdoor therapy decks, some outdoor zones are fully shaded or utilize UV-filtered glass/canopies so patients on photosensitive medications can still enjoy being "outside."

1. There is an enclosed room on the second floor. To ensure the safety of all patients, there is an enclosed room for those with serious contagious illnesses designed as a Negative Pressure Isolation Suite integrated with advanced air-handling technology. The room utilizes a dedicated High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration system that continuously scrubs the internal air, ensuring that any airborne pathogens are captured before the air is either recirculated through a medical-grade sterilization process or exhausted directly out of the building. This creates a secure "air-lock" environment where patients can freely engage in activities like meditation, yoga, or painting without the risk of cross-contamination. This allows patients to enjoy a sense of normalcy and creative expression, secure in the knowledge that their environment is actively protecting both themselves and the rest of the hospital population.

This step is created by Autodesk Fusion 360 and its rendering feature to create a high-quality picture and representation of the Restorative Biome. These renderings bridge the gap between the initial sketches and the final model. Here is the link to my model! https://a360.co/4f7mGeW

While digital rendering provides the structural precision needed for the build, marker renderings allow for an exploration of atmosphere, material, scale, and light that digital tools sometimes miss. In this phase, I used alcohol-based markers to capture the Restorative Biome’s integration into the real life. The goal of making the marker renderings for the exterior was to bring some character to the build, and by applying the colour in layers, I could visualize how the building's shape interacts with the natural environment. I've attached some progress photos so you can see how my thought process while drawing these!

While the exterior renderings focus on the building's entire structure, the interior marker renderings are designed to highlight the human experience and possible situations within the building. Using alcohol-based markers, I focused on illustrating the "lobby" area featuring a table tennis game and cozy seating, as well as the second floor, where you can see the outdoor environment as well as the accessible ramp and elevator. By choosing a colour palette that emphasizes focus points, I also chose to utilize warm colours to create a warm atmosphere which reflects the warm atmosphere in the Restorative Biome. These sketches visualize how patients would interact with the space, which demonstrates that the interior design is intentionally created to support mental wellbeing.

I constructed a detailed model that demonstrates the online model in real life and the material choices of the design. Using PLA filament printed on a 3D printer, it allowed for the precise creation of the circular geometry. I incorporated laser-cut wood components for the cabanas and structural accents, balancing the modern design with wood textures. For the windows and glass, I used a distinct purple material to represent the glass, while the central waterfall was crafted from resin and blue dye to provide a realistic aesthetic that mimics the water feature at the heart of the building. This physical representation helps solidify the concept of the project, showing how the different materials and circular layout work together to create a structure.

The Restorative Biome is a proposal to rethink how we design spaces for healing. By shifting the focus from purely clinical requirements to the emotional and psychological needs of long-term patients, we can transform the hospital experience from a period of isolation into a journey of recovery and growth. This project has been an incredible opportunity to explore how to design in fusion, create marker renderings, use a 3D printer and to put it all together. My hope is that this design inspires others to consider how small, intentional changes in our built environment, especially in a time of need, like the inclusion of nature, natural light, and space for creative expression. This building can make a profound difference in the lives of those navigating the most challenging times of their lives.