Interior Design: Institutional Design

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An institution may be anything from a hospital to a museum to a courtroom

building, but just as with any other space, the interior design sets the mood and
tone. Especially for an institution, though, the design makes it seem welcoming
or threatening.

Institutional design has been used to create many moods over the years – not all
of them pleasant. For example, Victorian workhouses, for the destitute poor, were
designed to be deliberately forbidding. And the institutions that have taken over
the buildings have had to work to eradicate the somber atmosphere.

Even today, institutions are often more concerned with budget and practicality
than promoting ease or happiness; however, good lighting and cheerful décor can
promote wellbeing among staff and visitors.

In some areas, certain colours or styles are associated with poor quality
institutional design. For example, in the UK there is ‘hospital green’, which
refers to a shade of paint used by several large National Healthcare Service
facilities.

What are institutions?

In this context, an institution is differentiated from a corporation. Corporate

design focuses on offices, boardrooms and other business premises while
institutional design includes:

 Hospitals and hospices

 Care homes and residential care facilities
 Schools, universities and other educational facilities
 Museums and libraries
 Prisons and remand facilities
 Courtrooms, registry offices and other municipal buildings
 Police and military buildings, including barracks
 Religious buildings and places of worship

What are the key issues for institutional design?

 Institutional design has to deal with many of the same issues as corporate design,
however the following may also be considerations:

 High volumes of people

 Special needs

1. Such as child-sized toilet facilities in schools

 Durability

1. Many institutional areas can expect high wear and tear as people come and go
through the day

 Accessibility

1. As institutions are typically open to the public, in one form or another, they
need to be accessible to all members of the public

 Security

1. Institutions may be dealing with people at risk or people who are risks to
others

 Health, safety and hygiene

 Restricted budgets
 Large spaces

1. The designer may be outfitting dozens or hundreds of rooms of varying sizes

but similar purpose