Hospital SENSUM – Simón Bolívar Hospital Renovation: Redefining Healthcare Architecture Through Sensory and Biophilic Design | Bachelors Design Thesis

Site Context

SENSUM is located in northern Bogotá, Colombia, within the Simón Bolívar Hospital campus, one of the city’s most important public healthcare complexes. The intervention responds to the growing demand for specialized burn care services and the limitations of existing healthcare infrastructure in providing environments specifically designed for long-term physical and emotional recovery.

The project occupies a strategic site that allows integration with the existing hospital network while introducing new therapeutic spaces connected to nature. Its urban context is characterized by accessibility, healthcare services, and opportunities for future expansion.

The architectural program includes emergency care, outpatient consultation, hospitalization units, intensive care areas, rehabilitation spaces, family support facilities, administrative offices, educational areas, and therapeutic gardens. Beyond fulfilling clinical requirements, the program is organized to promote healing experiences through sensory stimulation, visual connections to nature, daylight access, and restorative environments that support patients, visitors, and healthcare professionals throughout the recovery process.

Design Process

The design process began with research into the physical, psychological, and emotional needs of burn patients, identifying the limitations of conventional healthcare environments in supporting long-term recovery. Through the study of evidence-based healthcare design, biophilic architecture, and sensory environments, key design criteria were established to improve patient well-being and reduce stress throughout the healing process.

Site analysis and programmatic studies guided the organization of functional areas, ensuring efficient clinical operations while creating opportunities for interaction with nature. The spatial concept was developed around a sequence of sensory experiences that connect patients with natural light, vegetation, water elements, and restorative outdoor spaces.

The project evolved through iterative sketches, zoning diagrams, volumetric studies, and BIM-based digital modeling. Particular attention was given to circulation systems, environmental comfort, visual permeability, and the integration of therapeutic landscapes. The final design balances technical healthcare requirements with human-centered architectural strategies, transforming the hospital into a healing environment that supports both medical treatment and emotional recovery.

Final Outcome

SENSUM reimagines the hospital as a therapeutic environment where architecture actively contributes to the healing process. The final proposal integrates specialized healthcare functions with sensory, biophilic, and human-centered design strategies to create spaces that promote physical recovery, emotional well-being, and dignity for burn patients.

The project combines efficient clinical planning with generous natural lighting, therapeutic gardens, visual connections to nature, and carefully designed circulation systems that reduce stress and improve the overall user experience. Public, clinical, and private areas are organized to balance operational efficiency with moments of comfort, contemplation, and social interaction.

Developed through a BIM-based workflow, the project demonstrates how evidence-based design principles can enhance healthcare architecture beyond functional requirements. Rather than serving solely as a medical facility, SENSUM proposes a new model for specialized hospitals—one that recognizes architecture as an essential component of treatment, recovery, and human care.

Conclusion: Ultimately, SENSUM demonstrates that architecture can become an integral part of healing by combining specialized healthcare with sensory, biophilic, and human-centered design to foster recovery, dignity, and well-being for patients, families, and healthcare professionals.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]