Root And Erect facilitated a workshop during the Royal London Hospital’s Sustainability Day to reimagine an unused internal space within the outpatient physiotherapy department. Known as the Therapy Garden, this space presented an opportunity to create a healing environment that supports patient recovery, particularly for those rehabilitating hand injuries. The workshop invited staff, patients and their visitors to contribute ideas and engage in creative expression, using everyday hand tools as a medium for making artwork. This approach connected therapy methods of using ordinary hand tools and the lived experiences of users to create an immersive environment for the therapeutic garden.

Feedback gathered throughout the day helped shape a brief for the garden’s transformation, drawing on the science of recovery and reflecting the needs of healthcare workers and patients. The collective input culminated in the installation titled Garden of Everyday - a temporary artwork that both animated the space and announced the forthcoming changes. The participatory process highlighted the importance of involving users in the design of healthcare environments to promote wellbeing and empowerment. The project set the stage for a therapy garden that is not only functional and accessible but also resonant with the healing narratives of those who use it daily.