In this latest video from MedCram, Dr. Seheult examines the history of hospital architecture and the new hospital in Melbourne. When it comes to hospitals, we often think about cutting-edge technology, highly trained staff, and complex procedures—but what about sunlight and fresh air? It might sound old-fashioned, but recent developments show that these simple elements are making a comeback, and they could have a profound impact on patient outcomes.
Take the new Footscray Hospital in West Melbourne, Australia, for example. Just across town from the old hospital, this $1.5 billion facility is redefining what it means to care for patients—especially in the ICU. Every ICU bed is in a private room designed to maximize natural light, and patients can actually be wheeled outdoors while still tethered to oxygen and IV pumps. Imagine feeling a breeze on your face while recovering from a critical illness, all while nurses remain fully connected and attentive. The hospital has even planted over 55,000 trees and plants along balconies and gardens, creating lush, green spaces that enhance the healing environment.
Does sunlight matter?
Why all this attention to sunlight and fresh air? Because decades of research show that natural light and exposure to nature matter. Patients near windows tend to have shorter hospital stays, lower distress levels, improved heart and respiratory rates, and even better infection outcomes. Recent randomized control trials focusing on infrared light—a major component of sunlight—found remarkable results. In COVID-19 patients, daily exposure to infrared light reduced hospital stays by about a third and improved oxygenation, respiratory function, and overall strength. In other words, patients not only left the hospital faster but left stronger than when they arrived.
Historically, hospitals were designed with light and air in mind. Florence Nightingale, in the 1850s, insisted that fresh air and sunlight were essential remedies for recovery. Health reformer Ellen G. White echoed this philosophy, emphasizing the life-giving power of sunlight and vegetation. Hospitals of the early 20th century, like the Battlecreek Sanitarium or Loma Linda’s early facilities, incorporated large windows and verandas to bring patients closer to the outdoors.
But as modern medicine advanced, hospital design shifted. With new procedures, technology, and a focus on efficiency, fresh air and sunlight became secondary. By the 1940s, innovative designs like Charles Neergaard’s “double pavilion plan” prioritized centralized service areas and efficient nursing workflows over natural light and outdoor access. By the 1960s and 70s, some patient rooms were even windowless. Hospitals became efficient but often sterile, monotonous, and disconnected from the healing benefits of nature.
Moving towards the future
Thankfully, the pendulum is swinging back. Since the 1980s, studies have consistently demonstrated that patients with windows, daylight exposure, and views of nature recover faster, have shorter lengths of stay, and experience lower mortality. Southeast-facing rooms, for instance, have been shown to reduce post-operative hospital stays by nearly 30%. These findings reinforce what modern architecture is now embracing: the hospital building itself can be a therapeutic tool.
This shift isn’t just academic—it has real-world implications for hospitals and communities. Shorter lengths of stay mean lower costs for medications, nursing, and bed usage, while patients recover more quickly. Hospitals that integrate sunlight and outdoor access demonstrate care that goes beyond procedures—they show that they’re listening to the evidence and prioritizing patient well-being.
At MedCram, we’ve seen the benefits firsthand. Bringing patients outside into sunlight and fresh air has helped improve oxygen requirements and expedite recovery. It’s a simple intervention with profound impact, and as hospitals like Footscray illustrate, architecture can play a central role in patient healing.
Hospitals are no longer just places to endure treatment—they can be places that actively enhance recovery. By embracing sunlight, fresh air, and nature, we’re seeing a return to a philosophy that prioritizes human experience alongside modern medicine. For hospital administrators, this isn’t just good care—it’s smart care, improving outcomes while reducing costs.
If your hospital hasn’t explored these possibilities yet, now is the time. Patient rooms with windows, outdoor access, and sunlight aren’t just nice—they’re backed by overwhelming evidence. And as new hospitals like Footscray open their doors, it’s clear that the future of healthcare architecture is one where healing begins not only with medicine, but with the very environment patients inhabit.
For more on continuing medical education and the science behind these practices, visit medcram.com, where physicians, nurses, PAs, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals can explore evidence-based medicine in depth.
LINKS / REFERENCES:
The science of sunlight: why the Footscray hospital is built differently 
https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/the…
New Footscray Hospital (Cox) | https://www.coxarchitecture.com.au/pr…
New Footscray Hospital Project – Learn about the design (Vimeo) | https://vimeo.com/616622574?fl=pl&fe=sh
When Fresh Air Went Out of Fashion at Hospitals (Smithsonian) | https://www.smithsonianmag.com/histor…
Rise of the Modern Hospital: An Architectural History of Health and Healing, 1870-1940 (Amazon) | https://a.co/d/0649gZrB
NEW PLAN TO RAISE HOSPITAL EFFICIENCY (Architectural Record) | https://www.usmodernist.org/AR/AR-194…
The Effects of Natural Daylight on Length of Hospital Stay (ResearchGate) | https://www.researchgate.net/publicat…
Cardiopulmonary and hematological effects of infrared LED photobiomodulation in the treatment of SARS-COV2 (Journal of photochemistry and photobiology) | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36495…
Photobiomodulation therapy (red/NIR LEDs) reduced the length of stay in intensive care unit and improved muscle function: A randomized, triple-blind, and sham-controlled trial (Journal of biophotonics) | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38262…