Technology: Take a seat
 The Norbury Ward is an Intensive Care Unit for Adult Acute Mental Health patients at St George’s Hospital Stafford. In 2005, the trust were awarded a grant of £35,000 to improve the environment. A design team, including staff and service users worked on the project, a part of which was the design of the Norbury Lounge Chair.
The Norbury Ward had acquired a negative image, resulting in staff difficulties and a sense of stigma amongst service users. The existing material decoration and furnishings of the ward were in a poor state, encouraging further neglect and abuse. The existing furniture had been plastic as this “hurt less” when thrown at the staff. Through client briefings, the ward’s day room was redefined to enable the individual to choose between a sense of privacy or companionship.
 The design team worked in association with Knightsbridge Furniture to develop the Norbury Lounge Chair. The chair’s specification included: a weighted base; non retractable screws; fixed cushion; leather upholstery; toughened inverted stitched seams; reinforced dovetailed joints; materials from sustainable forestry; embracing organic form; difficult to throw.
The new chairs are said to have played a part in fostering a healing experience that has not only aided recovery but also nurtured a healthy respect for surroundings, encouraging a sense of community and social responsibility. www.nightingaleassociates.com
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