At the new SoHum Health campus, the landscape is designed to be a welcoming, accessible, and ecologically sustainable environment that supports the hospital's therapeutic functions while integrating with the adjacent Playhouse. The design creates a network of functional outdoor spaces intended to enhance the experience for patients, staff, and the wider community.
The site is organized into three distinct outdoor rooms. A thoughtfully designed Entry Plaza serves as the hospital's first impression, using distinctive paving and integrated seating to create a safe and inviting welcome. The southeast-facing Dining Plaza offers a flexible, sunlit amenity space for visitors and staff, featuring moveable café tables and curved seating pockets surrounded by lush planting. Along the wall, planters with green trellises and vines bring more layers to the space. Connecting the new building to the Playhouse is the serene Meditation Garden, a therapeutic shade garden designed with a water feature, textured planters, and custom seating to provide a quiet retreat for reflection and conversation.
The planting strategy focuses on a diverse palette of climate-adaptive, native trees and understory plants, selected in consultation with the hospital's gardening team to ensure long-term success. These plantings soften the architecture, provide privacy, and reduce noise. Sustainability is central to the design, with integrated stormwater management strategies like bio-retention areas and a high-efficiency, low-water-loss irrigation system.
Accessibility was paramount, guiding the design to ensure an equal experience for all users by creating seamless circulation and providing accessible furnishings throughout. The result is a high-performance landscape that is both functional and beautiful, playing a significant role in enhancing the site’s character and fostering a strong sense of community and well-being.
