Beyond landscape: development of a major healing garden.

Healthcare in China is expanding faster than anywhere else on the planet and the impact of multiple, mega-medical centers on their communities, their culture and their general way of life is substantial. Through the lens of a 5.5 million square foot hospital located in the Hunan Province of China, this article addresses the factors design teams must consider when integrating nature in to hospital design. The Fifth Xiangya Hospital, designed by Boston-based architecture firm Payette, features a major public park, which is fully integrated in to the hospital design. The public park serves as connective tissue for the medical complex, extending its role beyond that of a traditional healing garden and embraces a much deeper purpose for the overall hospital campus.