어린이 호스피스 공간 디자인 제안

(Background and Purpose) Pediatric palliative care spaces aim to provide compassion, comfort, and support to children and their families from severe or incurable diseases. However, most existing research and practical applications have focused on hospice environments for the elderly or adults. By contrast, hospice environments tailored to terminally ill children—who undergo unique physiological and emotional changes—remain significantly underexplored. These differences, influenced by age-specific traits, are particularly evident in how children perceive space and interact with their environment. Such changes manifest as significant differences from adults in terms of spatial perception and interaction with the environment. This study reviews domestic and international research and case studies related to pediatric palliative care, aiming to explore the impact of space environments on terminally ill children. Based on these insights, a set of spatial design strategies is proposed to address the physiological and psychological needs of children while creating a therapeutic and supportive environment for their families. (Method) The research begins with a review of theoretical studies in pediatric palliative environments and relevant psychological disciplines, systematically analyzing the distinct spatial needs of children in the terminal stage. On this basis, a framework of key design elements for pediatric palliative care spaces is constructed. Two representative case studies are then selected and analyzed in depth to identify spatial and environmental design issues and areas for improvement. (Results) Based on a theoretical review and case analysis of the spatial and environmental elements of terminally ill children, this study organizes the basic components of pediatric hospice spaces into four categories: emotional and psychological experience, spatial cognition and behavioral induction, environmental elements and physical support, and family and support system evaluation. The proposed design utilizes a continuous spatial structure inspired by the Mobius form to achieve dual goals of emotional stability and spatial guidance. Furthermore, by utilizing exterior envelope design to integrate natural lighting and outdoor environmental systems, it effectively organizes the environmental configuration of each interior functional space and successfully implements the four key components of pediatric hospice spaces. (Conclusions) This design proposal reanalyzes and evaluates the psychological and physiological needs of terminally ill children and, based on four aspects—emotional and psychological experience, spatial cognition and behavioral induction, environmental elements and physical support, and family and support system—proposes a children's hospice space that provides a continuous experience through a Mobius-inspired structure. This proposal will be significant in providing meaningful grounds for the future planning of related children's hospice spaces by presenting an alternative design centered on the sensory experience of terminally ill children.