Architect Cristiane N. Silva and nurse and public health specialist Renata P. Freire propose design guidelines to enhance the ambience in obstetric care within Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS).
When strategically conceived, architecture can be a powerful tool to promote the wellbeing, safety, and autonomy of individuals during the birthing process. Here, architect Cristiane N. Silva and nurse and public health specialist Renata P. Freire propose design guidelines to enhance the ambience in obstetric care within Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS), focusing on humanisation, diversity, and the accommodation of everyone’s specific needs.
Obstetric care in Brazil has been the subject of intense debate and transformation, seeking to align with international best practices and the needs of individuals who gestate and give birth. The Unified Health System (SUS) — a fundamental pillar of Brazilian public health — plays a crucial role in this scenario, being responsible for most births in the country. However, the quality of ambience in health services, especially in labour and birth spaces, still represents a significant challenge.
Hospital ambience, particularly in birthing spaces, transcends mere functionality — it encompasses sensory, emotional, and social aspects that directly impact the birth experience. A welcoming and humanised ambience is one that respects the physiology of birth, offers privacy, comfort, and safety, and allows for free movement and choice of positions.
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