Trauma and place: Avoiding triggers in design and engagement

What It Covers

Alide Oboe discusses applying trauma-informed design principles to the London Cancer Hub development, the largest cancer research and treatment center in Europe, after training with charity One Small Thing on creating healing environments.

Key Questions Answered

• •Safety and Transparency: Design spaces with clearly visible exits and transparent sightlines so patients experiencing trauma can maintain visual control of their environment, reducing fight-or-flight responses triggered by enclosed clinical corridors without clear wayfinding.
• •Practitioner Trauma Recognition: Healthcare workers treating cancer patients daily experience secondary trauma from delivering bad news and witnessing suffering. Design must support both patient and staff healing through dedicated spaces for emotional decompression and peer support beyond clinical treatment areas.
• •Engagement Without Retraumatization: Focus conversations on how patients felt and what would improve their experience rather than asking them to recount traumatic details. Use varied engagement methods like social gatherings and informal conversations, not just formal focus groups, to accommodate different comfort levels.
• •Healing Versus Treatment Spaces: Create distinct environments for healing that include private spaces for crying, peer support areas, biophilic elements, natural light, and accessible amenities. Separate these from clinical treatment zones to reduce stress associated with cold, policed medical environments and support family members accompanying patients.