Snøhetta Designs Forest Retreats for Hospital Patients in Norway

On June 8, the first Outdoor Care Retreat cabin was inaugurated at Oslo University Hospital by Norwegian Minister of Health Bent Høie. Designed by Snøhetta, the project is initiated by the Friluftssykehuset Foundation in collaboration with the Department of Psychosomatics and CL-Child Psychiatry at Oslo University Hospital. Two cabins have been built: one 100 meters from Oslo University Hospital, nestled among trees by a stream, and another by a lake near Sørlandet Hospital Kristiansand in southern Norway. The 35-square-meter cabins feature oak-clad walls, large windows, and accessible design allowing patients in beds to enter. They include a main room, a smaller treatment room, and a bathroom, with colorful cushions for children. The project is funded by private and public sources including Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, Gjensidigstiftelsen, Bergesenstiftelsen, the Children's Foundation OUH, and the Norwegian Parliament, with materials donated by Kvadrat, Kebony, and Lindal Gruppen. Child psychologist Maren Østvold Lindheim of Oslo University Hospital stated that nature offers spontaneous joy and helps patients relax, motivating them to endure treatment.