Zest, based in the Estates Department, work on the design of new and refurbished healthcare buildings as well as projects within the day to day provision of healthcare. The aim with all of their work is to transform the healthcare experience, at key moments in people's lives, into a positive one. Nearly nine out of ten people say that better quality buildings and public spaces improve their quality of life, according to MORI research published by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) September 2009. Good healthcare environments have been found to lead to:

• faster patient recoveries
• reduced pain
• fewer cases of infection
• greater patient satisfaction
• reduced stress levels among staff
• easier recruitment and retention of quality staff

One example of Zest's work in 2010 was a project where the team worked with designers Neil Tinson and Chris Haughton to create bright and colourful images that are now installed in both the main and pharmacy stairwells at Derriford Hospital, an example is shown below. They were commissioned to help make the stairwells more attractive and encourage patients, staff and visitors to use the stairs more frequently.

  
Stairwell between level 3 and 4 at Derriford Hospital

For more information about Zest projects, past and present visit our website Zest website.