In the past, only modest attention was given to providing surroundings that calmed patients and addressed their emotional needs. In recent years, research has shown that conventional hospital designs can heighten stress, diminish satisfaction with care, reduce safety, worsen medical outcomes, diminish staff morale and decrease overall effectiveness in delivering care. Additional research supports the view that the improved design of hospital environments can play a role in reducing stress , making patients safer, promoting better outcomes and enabling staff to do their jobs more effectively and with less strain.1