Lauren Thompson

Interior + Spatial Design

Deciding to do my project on a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stemmed from at the time finding out I was expecting my own baby. Wanting to choose something that there could be a connection to was important. And having no experience in a hospital or healthcare setting, it was difficult finding a focus. However, due to pregnancy “baby brain”, the only thing on my mind was babies. Leading me to focus on NICU. The fear of my own baby ever needing to go to a NICU was scary, therefore research came easy and obsessive. Going through what was the biggest and best life experience, I wanted to design a NICU that every baby and family deserves. Finding that many current NICU’s don't provide the best environment for its users' needs was frightening and frustrating. I took it as my job as a future Interior Designer and mother to fix the weaknesses in current NICU designs and create a flawless NICU design. Changes in lighting control, temperature control, acoustics, privacy and layout is what will create better experiences for families who are going through their toughest of days, and for infants who deserve better outcomes.