KLARMAN CENTER HEALING GARDEN
McLean Hospital
Belmont, MA
A Community
Outreach Group for Landscape Design project:
Project Goal
Design a healing garden for fragile young women suffering from the effects of
severe eating disorders. The garden should express calmness and provide
opportunities for patients, family, friends, and staff to relax and enjoy
nature’s beauty.
Description
The Klarman Center for Eating Disorders is a residential treatment program.
The Director of the program seeks a soothing and nurturing green space
dedicated to the needs of the community of adolescent patients who stay here and
the staff who cares for them. The
garden, to be located on a lawn area between a large parking lot and the
program’s building, will be used by the patients for resting and visiting with
family and friends. It’s likely
that over time other hospital visitors will seek out the garden as well.
Technical Details
-
base
maps and plans available through Facilities Dept.
-
phased-in
plan to ‘grow’ the garden as the program expands and new funds become
available
-
opportunities
for patients to take part in gardening activities if desired, e.g. container
gardens
-
siting
of donated teak benches in the garden a priority
-
screening
from large parking lot desired
-
low
maintenance garden with detailed maintenance recommendations for Facilities
Dept.
-
cost
estimating needed with attention to limited budget
Community
The girls and young women, 13-23, living at the Klarman
Center for Eating Disorders all suffer from severe eating disorders like
anorexia or bulimia, as well as other diagnoses such as depression. They
are physically fragile and physical activity is limited as they regain a more
normal body weight. At the same time, the residents engage with each other
during their stay and develop bonds and relationships among themselves.
McLean Hospital is a private psychiatric hospital
affiliated with Harvard Medical School and part of the Partners’ Health Care
Group. It is a facility in transition as it divests itself of some of its
open space for new construction and development. While the grounds are
well maintained, there are no other respite gardens on the property.
08-05
For more
information about designer opportunities for this or other community-based
projects, please contact COGdesign at 781-642-6662 or info@cogdesign.org
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