Boston, Massachusetts, USA
In Boston’s Longwood Medical District, the Boston Children’s Hospital gardens rise like a living tree from street to sky, revolutionizing healthcare design through neuroinclusive spaces that heal.
The green design provides a framework for the BCH landscape, weaving biophilic and human-centered design practices throughout.
Rather than focusing on a single, central open space or a kit-of-parts strategy, as is often the case in healthcare facilities, a collection of gardens deploys uniquely designed landscapes that are more readily accessible and tailored to meet specific user needs.
Boston Children’s Hospital Healing Gardens by Mikyoung Kim Design won a 2026 Green Good Design Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design, and Urban Studies.
The design’s materiality weaves a narrative of healing across seven distinct levels, where gardens serve as branches of this metaphorical tree reaching skyward.
Natural elements ground the experience: sculptural benches crafted from reclaimed site wood honor the site’s history while creating intimate gathering spaces.
Throughout these gardens, animal sculptures create moments of wonder and connection – some reclaimed from the original hospital site, others newly crafted to reflect the diverse cultural backgrounds of patients.
This dialogue between past and present, nature and architecture, creates personal connections to these healing spaces.
Sustainability drives every design decision. The gardens feature over 4,000 native and adaptive plants spanning 39 species, selected to support pollinators and migratory birds while thriving in challenging urban conditions.
Dark-sky compliant lighting systems create intimate, sensory-sensitive nighttime environments.
This transformative project adds 150 new beds while increasing campus green space by 25% in a dense urban setting – an achievement in form and function.
The project’s impact is profound and measurable. Post-occupancy studies reveal that 90% of visitors describe the gardens as “calming and relaxing,” with 77% reporting improved well-being after visits.
Healthcare providers particularly value these spaces, with staff members noting their importance for processing the emotional demands of pediatric care.
Each garden space is thoughtfully calibrated to accommodate different stimulation thresholds and social preferences, from active play to quiet reflection.
While meeting ADA requirements, the design goes beyond conventional accessibility to create a truly inclusive healing environment.
Integrated with the hospital’s art program, these sustainable, adaptable landscapes demonstrate how strategic green space can transform healthcare delivery through careful attention to the full spectrum of human experience and need.
Project: Boston Children’s Hospital Healing Gardens
Architects: Mikyoung Kim Design
Lead Architect: Mikyoung Kim
Collaborating Architects: Elkus Manfredi Architects and Shepley Bulfinch Architects,
Design Team: Ian Downing, Bryan Chou, and Emmett Gregory
Client: Boston Children’s Hospital
Photographers: Robert Benson, Robert Benson Photography and Anton Grassl, Anton Grassl Architectural Photography
