#ravenscroft health

[digiwork-234]

Convenient and Effective: The Rise of Home Physiotherapy

In recent years, home physiotherapy has emerged as a game-changer in the healthcare landscape. This innovative approach allows patients to receive professional care in the comfort of their own homes, enhancing both convenience and effectiveness. At Ravenscroft Health, we are proud to offer top-notch home physiotherapy services tailored to meet your unique needs.

What is Home Physiotherapy?

Home physiotherapy involves a licensed physiotherapist visiting your home to provide treatment. This approach is particularly beneficial for individuals recovering from surgery, managing chronic pain, or dealing with mobility challenges. Ravenscroft Health’s home physiotherapy services are designed to deliver personalized care, ensuring that every session is aligned with your specific health goals.

The Benefits of Home Physiotherapy

Convenience: Home physiotherapy eliminates the need for travel, making it an ideal option for those with limited mobility or busy schedules. With Ravenscroft Health, you can receive high-quality care without leaving your home.

Personalized Attention: Receiving treatment at home allows physiotherapists to evaluate your living environment and recommend adjustments to enhance your recovery. Ravenscroft Health’s physiotherapists are trained to create customized plans that address your unique circumstances.

Comfort and Privacy: Many patients find it easier to relax and engage in therapy sessions in the familiar surroundings of their home. Home physiotherapy with Ravenscroft Health ensures a private and stress-free experience.

Improved Outcomes: By receiving care in your own environment, you’re more likely to adhere to treatment plans and see quicker results. Ravenscroft Health’s expert team is dedicated to helping you achieve your recovery goals efficiently.

Why Choose Ravenscroft Health?

At Ravenscroft Health, we combine expertise with compassion to deliver exceptional home physiotherapy services. Our physiotherapists are highly skilled and experienced in treating a wide range of conditions, from post-surgical recovery to chronic musculoskeletal issues.

We understand that every patient’s needs are unique. That’s why Ravenscroft Health emphasizes personalized care, ensuring that your treatment plan is tailored to your specific requirements. Whether you need rehabilitation after an injury or ongoing support for a chronic condition, our team is here to help.

Take the First Step Towards Recovery

Home physiotherapy is a convenient and effective way to prioritize your health and well-being. With Ravenscroft Health, you can enjoy the benefits of professional care without the hassle of travel. Contact us today to learn more about our home physiotherapy services and how we can support your recovery journey.

[bardic-tales]

Title: Lost

Pairing: Bianca (f!OC) / Sephiroth

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 448

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Setting: FF VII OG

Warnings: Violence, mental health, body horror, dystopian elements, fear / anxiety, paranoia, toxic relationships, isolation, enviromental destruction

Summary: Bianca and Sephiroth navigate the ruins of a decaying city in search of a remnant of Jenova.

Prompt Filled: Lost

Created for: #SephirothWeek hosted by @week-of-silver-winds

Excerpt:

“I think we already came this way,” the short, raven-haired woman craned her neck up and stared at the buildings towering towards the sky.

“We’re not lost. I know where we’re going.” Sephiroth replied. As he walked beside her, the wind whipped his silver hair around his waist and shoulders.

“I think we already came this way,” the short, raven-haired woman craned her neck up and stared at the buildings towering towards the sky.

Metal and other debris fell from the buildings, crashing around them, and kicked up dirt, dusting her darkened wings. Her feathers fluttered, shaking the crud from her velvet wings.

“We’re not lost. I know where we’re going.” Sephiroth replied. As he walked beside her, the wind whipped his silver hair around his waist and shoulders.

Bianca held back her sarcastic remark. His frustration echoed through the bond that tied them together. Clearly, he knew where they were going, as they passed the same bent street sign three times. He insisted he could feel the remnant of Jenova — a cluster of cells that was hidden away by Shinra.

Sephiroth walked further ahead of her now. His boots crunched over the fallen leaves and crumbled cobblestones in the relentless pursuit of his mother’s cells.

“There’s Pestock Ave again,” Bianca pointed out as they passed the green sign another time. They were going in circles — or so she thought.

Except, this sign did not read Pestock Ave. Rust eroded the first half of the name, but if one really squinted, they could make out the letters: est Prestock Ave.

Once again, Sephiroth marched forward. He held Masamune in his hand with the blade of the ōdachi pointed behind them. The black and silver blade gleamed in the moonlight flowing down on them. “This way.”

Fifteen minutes went by before they stood before a dilapidated building with a blinking green cross. Over the decaying arch, Bianca and Sephiroth could make out the words ‘Evergreen Hospital’.

As they stood before the ruined hospital, Bianca looked towards Sephiroth. Her stomach dropped. She couldn’t go in there. Through the bond that linked both of them through time and space, Bianca had been privy to the suffering Sephiroth had gone through at the hands of Hojo, as well as her own vivisections by the hands of the mad scientific and his assistant, Diana Ravenscroft. She was only alive thanks to her demonic regeneration.

No, she thought. I can’t.

“Come, Bianca.”

“Sephiroth? Are you sure it’s in there?”

He didn’t answer her. Instead, he walked to the entrance. She didn’t want to stay out there by herself. Who knew what types of fiends his presence kept at bay?

As she glanced over and stared at the back of his leather coat, which contoured to his body and stopped at his ankles, Bianca took a deep, steadying breath. He held the door open for her. Despite the anxiety rising in her, she stepped inside.

Still, she wondered if they were still lost.

tagging some fellow mutuals: @themaradwrites @littleshopofchaos @serenofroses @megandaisy9 @watermeezer

@nightingaleflow @seastarblue @prehistoric-creatures @creativechaosqueen

@chickensarentcheap

[authorashraven]

The Librarian of Souls Cover Reveal!

It's finally here. I can share the official cover for the first book in my monster romance series!

Pre-order here!

Full blurb with extra goodness below the cut!

Blurb:

Augustine Ravenscroft-

Immortality is stale. For decades, I have been a paragon of self-control, never once allowing my sands to feast on the humans that surround me, tempt me. 

Until her.

Every rule-abiding grain of sand in my body wants to swallow her whole, in her dreams and the mortal world. Her golden aura and honey scent drive me to the brink until I am breaking every order that has kept our monstrous community safe for centuries just to feel her joy and taste her arousal.

Joanna Cole-

My life is stagnating. I’m stuck in a rut of trying to please everyone, but this only leads to more work and sleepless nights. The library is the only place I find solace.

And see him. 

It’s ridiculous to have a crush on the librarian I have never spoken to, but he is the man of my dreams. Until one night, the dark and lustful dreams turn into reality. He wants to claim me, and I want him to own me.

When chance encounters don’t add up and old fae magic threatens my life, my only option is to trust Augustine and the new world of secrets and deception he has shown me.

Quick Facts: M/F relationship, white coded lead characters, plus size female lead, first and dual pov, book 1 of 8 in a series of semi interconnected standalones

TAGS, TROPES, AND MORE:

CONTENT WARNINGS: White coded characters, plus size/fat female lead, blond moustachioed male lead, accidental mating, fuck or die situation, touch her and die, you touched her so you are dead, sand everywhere but make it romantic and sexy, spines and quills

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Dubious consent (while both leads are very interested in one another, the dream state and lack of knowledge surrounding their initial coupling is a bit sketchy), blood/fluid play and consumption, age gap (immortal vs 29), workplace bullying and gaslighting, poor mental health, confronting death, physical assault (on page), assault aftermath, parental death (historical), mention of the foster care system, violence and gore (on page, graphic), gun violence, blood rituals (on page, semi graphic), murder (on page), vomiting, implied homophobia from background character, discussion and descriptions around hunger, eating, and addiction that may be uncomfortable, humans as a food source

SEX RELATED KINKS: Power exchange dynamic, consensual nonconsent, chasing, collaring, pet play adjacent behaviours, ownership, bondage, orgasm denial, aphrodisiac fluids, monster genitals, oral sex, masturbation, p in v sex, minor ass play, spanking, sand play

[aristocraticvision]

Chapter 292: The News Breaks

“Good evening. I’m Martin Sorensen, and this is a TNN special report on the fate of former Emperor George VII, who, in a shocking move by the Torenthian Council of Ministers, was removed from the throne after being found mentally unfit to rule.”

“The council’s unanimous vote, which came as a result of a petition from the former emperor’s son and heir, Edward, and former empress Catherine, represents the first time in the nation’s history the government has invoked Article 28 of the Torenthian constitution, which empowers the council to forcibly remove a sovereign from power.”

“The former Crown Prince Edward – soon to be crowned His Imperial Majesty Emperor Edward IV of Torenth – spoke with reporters earlier today to address growing confusion and unease surrounding the rather unconventional nature of his father's unexpected removal from the Torenthian throne. Let’s go live now to TNN correspondent Tricia Reardon outside the capitol building.”

“The capitol has been bustling today, Martin, as government officials attempt to quiet public concerns and adapt to the sudden change in imperial rule. While a plan has been in place for some time for a transition of power upon the death of the former emperor, George VII, the current circumstances are unprecedented.”

“Torenth’s new emperor, Edward IV, addressed the issue during a press conference earier today, alongside his wife – now Empress Allisthene – and Torenthian Prime Minister Carl Gustavus.”

“The decision to invoke Article 28 was extremely difficult and painful for my mother and I, and we realize how difficult an adjustment the transition has been and will be for both our government and for the people of Torenth. We are fortunate that the council of ministers has been able to adapt the plans already in place for the peaceful transfer of power from one monarch to the next, and I applaud how rapidly and thoroughly the council has responded to ensure Torenth’s government remains strong and consistent throughout this crisis.”

“So tell me, Tricia, has the emperor given any indication of what might happen to his father now that George VII has been removed from power?”

“Yes, Martin. The emperor said that, to ensure a smooth transfer of power and ensure that his father gets the help he so desperately needs, the former emperor has been moved to a secure location outside the capital.”

“When it comes to my father, the former Emperor George VII, my first and only concern is that he receives proper treatment for his illness. As such, I have remanded him to a mental health facility in Ravenscroft. My mother, now the dowager empress, will retire to the Coraline Islands for a brief retreat. The past few months have been extraordinarily difficult for her, and this will provide her an opportunity to rest before taking charge of my father’s ongoing treatment.”

“While Prince Stephen III of Weston has remained silent regarding the attempt on his life ordered by the former emperor, he did issue a brief statement of congratulations to Torenth’s new ruler today, and expressed his wish for continued peace and cooperation between our two nations. To facilitate this improved relationship, the prince called for what he called an Oceanic Summit to discuss ways of preserving the peace between Weston and its neighbors for generations to come. Emperor Edward IV responded with his support of such a meeting, and encouraged other Oceanic monarchs to attend.”

“After George VII’s nearly 50 years on the throne, the accession of a new Torenthian emperor is something that most of our nation’s citizens have not witnessed in their lifetimes. Stay with us, as treasury correspondent Rachel Wright walks us through the process of updating the nation’s currency to reflect a new reign as Torenth prepares for the coronation of its 34th sovereign.”

“This is TNN, and we’ll be right back.”

BEGINNING | PREV | NEXT

Continent of Oceana | History of Weston | History of Corwyn | History of Torenth | History of Allycia

[liquor-decanter-2021]

How to Choose the Right Wine Decanter for your Needs?

Associated with happiness and relaxation, wine constitutes one of the most popular drinks across the globe. The fruit and floral aroma of the wine drive people towards it and enjoy it wholeheartedly. But, if you want to enhance your wine tasting experience, you must walk the extra mile and buy a decanter. To know more about decanters visit here.

Decanters form serving vessels for liquids to undergo decantation. They are mostly used for red wines. When you decant a bottle of wine, it separates from its sediment that contributes to the bitter and astringent flavour that many may have experienced at some point in time. Additionally, the decanting process enables oxygen to mix with the wine and brings out more of the wine’s flavours to make it taste diviner! 

However, you need the right decanter for your needs to enhance the wine tasting experience. So, how do you choose the right one? Ravenscroft, the leading decanter manufacturer, answer this question.

5 Factors to Consider while Choosing the Right Wine Decanter

1.     Type of the Decanter

Decanters are divided into two categories, based on the kind of neck they have.

Wide neck decanters are a popular option, as they favour aeration to let in more oxygen more quickly and effectively. Besides, the wide neck body makes it easy to clean them.

On the other hand, thin neck decanters aim to separate sediment from the wine. It requires you to pour the wine slowly with a light source near you and stop as and when you spot sediments. However, it is a slow process and isn’t right for age-old wines. Additionally, it does not favour aeration and isn’t as easy to clean them either.

2.     The Size of the Decanter

The size of the decanter is another significant factor. If you are about to serve wine to a larger number of people, you can buy a decanter that fits in a higher number of bottles. However, in cases like these, you must not keep the wine in it for a very long time, as otherwise, it will convert into acid.

3.     The Material of the Decanter

Glass is the most popular decanter material. It maintains the existing flavours of the wine. Nevertheless, you may also go for a delicate crystal decanter should you be ready to invest more.

4.     The Aesthetics of the Decanter

Of course, the functionality of the decanter is vital to the health of the wine. But those who prefer to drink wine in style also focus on the looks of the decanter. Fortunately, for the latter who care about both looks and the functionality of the wine, there exist several elegant decanters for a superb wine tasting experience.

5.     The Price of the Decanter

Here, your purpose in buying the decanter is critical. While some buy a decanter for aeration, some focus on separating the sediment. However, style and elegance also form significant factors. Nevertheless, know your purpose well, and invest. It will help you save money and serve the purpose of buying a decanter.

Ravenscroft Crystal – The Top Decanter Manufacturer in the World

Ravenscroft Crystal is the leading manufacturer of premium decanters of varying shapes, sizes and designs. The broad array of decanters available with Ravenscroft help every wine lover to fulfil the purpose of having a decanter and uplift the wine tasting experience.

[ishaanvarma606]

Physiotherapy In Richmond - Ravenscroft Health

Ravenscroft Health is offering best physiotherapy in Richmomd, here you can have one-to-one treatment or group classes, and we are also available at your home. For more details please contact us we will get you soon.

[joshiamit838]

https://ravenscrofthealth.co.uk/harrow-weald-clinic

Physiotherapy In Harrow - Ravenscroft Health

Ravenscroft Health is offering best physiotherapy in Harrow, here you can have one-to-one treatment or group classes, and we are also available at your home. For more details please contact us we will get you soon.

[digiwork-234]

Ostenil Injection | Ravenscroft Health Discover the benefits of Ostenil injection for joint health at Ravenscroft Pharmacy. Ostenil injection is designed to improve mobility and reduce joint pain, making it an ideal solution for those with osteoarthritis or joint discomfort. At Ravenscroft, we provide high-quality Ostenil products to support your active lifestyle. Whether you’re looking for a trusted source or expert guidance, Ravenscroft Health ensures quality and reliability in every purchase. Ostenil injection helps enhance joint function, allowing you to enjoy daily activities with ease.

[bardic-tales]

Hello everyone. As I mentioned yesterday, I wanted to share a personal headcanon about Bianca that I've never revealed before. If you have been following Bia's journey, you know it's a tale about despair, resilience, and the transformative power of connection. This headcanon is no different.

content warning: Abuse, alienation, blood, body mutilation, body horror, death, depression, despair, exploitation, grief, identity crisis, isolation, loss, mental health struggles, PTSD, self-harm, severe emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, supernatural violence, trauma, violence.

In a moment of profound despair after two months of isolation in the North Crater, Bianca attempted to sever her wings with Noctemaris, a symbolic act of rejecting the dual nature that had brought her endless suffering. Her wings symbolize the intricate duality of her celestial heritage: a duality that I already established that Bianca views as both a gift, but, mostly, a curse. Every feather was a testament to the suffering inflicted upon her — by Professor Ravenscroft and Hojo’s experiments, by humanity’s betrayal, and by the torment of her father, Asmodeus.

However, her actions proved futile. No blade or force of will could sever her wings. They were as indestructible as the forces that shaped her. It was a cruel reminder that some aspects of identity are inescapable. This realization broke her further, leaving her bloodied and broken amidst the cold and snow of the crater. The only thing that echoed through the desolation was her despair.

It was in this state of devastation that Sephiroth found her, as he had felt this pain through their soul-bond. He had immediately taken control of SC-X, the Wutain Sephiroth Clone, and searched for her in the vast, desolate landscape, following the trail of bloody, black feathers dotting the snowy ground. He intervened not with force, but with understanding, stopping her self-destructive act with a quiet authority that only he had. As he knelt beside her, he saw beyond the physical scar to the deeper emotional wounds that drove her to such an extreme. He recognized himself in her.

To Sephiroth, her wings are not a curse, but they are a part of her strength: a symbol of resilience forged through suffering. After all, she had grown stronger through the pain placed upon her. With an almost reverent gentleness that he rarely showed, Sephiroth began to heal the deep gashes with his own power, the warmth of his touch contrasted sharply against the bitter cold around them. His actions were more than physical. They were a balm to the deep emotional wounds she carried: a silent promise that she was not alone in her torment.

To Sephiroth, her wings are not a curse, but they are a part of her strength: a symbol of resilience forged through suffering. After all, she had grown stronger through the pain placed upon her. With an almost reverent gentleness that he rarely showed, Sephiroth began to heal the deep gashes with his own power, the warmth of his touch contrasted sharply against the bitter cold around them. His actions were more than physical. They were a balm to the deep emotional wounds she carried: a silent promise that she was not alone in her torment.

Sephiroth’s care extended beyond healing. Once her wounds were closed, he began to preen her wings: an intimate gesture that spoke volumes. Since her wings emerged as bloody, gory appendages seven years and seven months before she had her breakdown, she had only let Mordecai Delacroix and Sephiroth touch her wings. Each touch was deliberate. His fingers smoothed out the bloody feathers with a tenderness that defied his typically cold demeanor as the One-Winged Angel. He explained that the wings were a testament to her endurance. They were not a curse, but a source of power and beauty that humanity couldn’t understand. In Sephiroth’s eyes, they symbolized strength and the indomitable spirit that had survived unimaginable horrors. His words began to shift her perspective, planting seeds of acceptance and cutting through the self-loathing.

That night, Sephiroth took her hand, spreading his own wing and guiding her to spread her own to take flight. Together, they soared above the North Crater. The vast expanse of stars seemed to stretch above endlessly. This flight was brief as Bianca is more susceptible to the cold and develops hypothermia quicker than a normal human. However, it was their first flight together, and the sensation of it was very transformation to Bianca. The weight of her wings, which had always felt like chains, now seemed to lift her past the pain. The cold wind against her skin and the silent vastness of the night sky offered a perspective she had never known: one of liberation but only briefly.

However, this transformation is not immediate or simplistic. Bianca’s wings remained a source of conflict for a very long time after this flight, as they represented the darker realities of her existence. To the world, they are seen as symbols of hope and divinity, yet to Bianca, they are stained with blood and suffering. The humans who once despised her for her ‘deformity’ when she thought she was human started to revere her only to turn to fear and violence when she failed to live up to their expectations, leading to her exploitation by Shinra in a dimension she wasn’t even from. The wings are a physical manifestation of the cosmic forces that have dictated her life, a constant reminder of the chaos and suffering that was inflicted upon her.

Despite Sephiroth’s influence, the journey towards acceptance is fraught with internal struggle. Her wings become a weapon — a tool she wields in her quest to bring about the destruction and rebirth of the omniverse, aligning with Sephiroth’s vision of a world free from humanity.

The symbolism of he wings extends beyond personal trauma. It reflects a broader existential conflict. As a hybrid of celestial and demonic origins, she occupies a liminal space, as she is rejected by both angel and demon. Her afterlife in the Celestial Realm is only offered to her, as it is to all hybrids, but she would have been meant with disdain by pure-blooded celestials. This duality is not a source of balance, but a catalyst for suffering. Her celestial heritage was meant to represent purity and divine grace, but it has been corrupted by alien and demonic influences, as well as human exploitation. Her wings, therefore, symbolize the inescapable burden of her identity: an identity imposed upon her by forces beyond her control. The internal conflict fuels her hatred for angels, demons, and humans, alike, leading her to reject the cosmic narrative altogether as she turned to face her destiny. Her ultimate goal of triggering a kilonova to destroy and recreate the omniverse is an extension of this reject — a desire to erase the pain of her past and forge a future on her own turns.

In the end, Bianca’s journey is one of defiance against societal pressures and embraces transformation and healing. Her wings, once symbols of suffering and loss, become tools of power and rebellion. Under Sephiroth’s influence and their nightly flights through the crater, Bianca begins to see them not just as a reminder of her past but as instruments of her future. They are no longer a ‘curse’ and something that needed to be removed from her body, but a testament to her resilience. They are a weapon to wield against the men and divine who sought to break her. This shift in perspective underscores the complex nature of her character. It highlights the tension between her desire for freedom and the inescapable nature of her identity. Her flights at night is not just just an escape now, but it is a reclamation of identity. It’s a promise that even in the darkest moments, there is a strength to be found in the things we once saw as our greatest weakness. It shows that we can rise above the pain that life has brought upon us.

tagging some fellow mutuals: @themaradwrites @littleshopofchaos @serenofroses @megandaisy9 @watermeezer

@nightingaleflow @prehistoric-creatures @creativechaosqueen @chickensarentcheap @glbettwrites

@seastarblue

[ravenscrofthealth]

London Physiotherapy Clinic London Physiotherapy Clinics | Ravenscroft Health Ravenscroft Health run three specialist physiotherapy and pain management clinics in the London area for a range of physiotherapy conditions #RavenscroftHealth #LondonPhysiotherapyClinic #PhysiotherapyMiltonKeynes https://ravenscrofthealth.co.uk/london-physiotherapy-clinics/

[darrenmelia]

Physiotherapy Milton Keynes Physiotherapy Milton Keynes | Local Clinics | Ravenscroft Health Ravenscroft run three specialist physiotherapy and pain management clinics in the Milton Keynes area for a range of physiotherapy conditions https://ravenscrofthealth.co.uk/physiotherapy-milton-keynes/

[mmadenbattersea]

Welcome to Natalie that will be along Alex running the therapy and sports massage at MMADen Battersea Bio below: Natalie Crosby Graduate Sports Therapist MSST, BSc, MSc The human body is phenomenal, with such a wide-ranging spectrum of physical demands we put our bodies through, how it recovers from such serious trauma time and again, is impressive and this is where my passion lies. My background has always revolved around the sports administrative field where I honed my skills in attention to detail and organisation. This has seen me succeed in both my BSc Sports Therapy (Hons) and MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Sciences with Strength and Conditioning degrees. Along the way I was awarded the Ede and Ravenscroft academic prize for excellence 2016 and nominated and won the Sports Therapy Student of the year award in 2015 and 2018 respectively. I have helped my clients, which include children and adults, I know that a 'one fits all' approach is not only limiting to the client but also to myself as a therapist, each client is an individual and as such I have been trained in a range of modalities as part of my treatments in managing injuries and injury prevention, as well as, planning and implementing appropriate rehabilitation programmes. If you would like to learn more about Sports Therapy please click the link below; https://society-of-sports-therapists.org/public-information/what-is-sports-therapy/ Qualifications Member of the Society of Sports Therapist (MSST) BSc Sports Therapy (Hons) MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Sciences with Strength and Conditioning The FA Level 4 Intermediate Trauma Medical Management in Football (ITMMiF) . . . . . Natalie is available for bookings now: Please call: 0207 720 0688 . . . #physiotherapy #physicaltherapy #physio #physiotherapist #fisioterapia #rehab #fitness #rehabilitation #health #physicaltherapist #backpain #exercise #pain #wellness #fisio #chiropractic #fisioterapeuta #injury #massage #therapy #pilates #healthylifestyle #chiropractor #sport #neckpain #painrelief #recovery #osteopathy #mobility #battersea (at MMADen) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVyGFsws74-/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bestphysiotherapytips]

Physiotherapy Milton Keynes Physiotherapy Milton Keynes | Local Clinics | Ravenscroft Health Ravenscroft run three specialist physiotherapy and pain management clinics in the Milton Keynes area for a range of physiotherapy conditions https://ravenscrofthealth.co.uk/physiotherapy-milton-keynes/

[architectnews]

"Hospitals in drastic, drastic need of innovation" says Reinier de Graaf

Dutch architecture studio OMA has produced a film exploring hospital design as part of its research into its first hospital buildings. Partner at the studio Reinier de Graaf tells Dezeen how he envisions the hospital of the future.

OMA has been commissioned to build hospitals in France and Qatar, despite having no experience in designing medical buildings. This demonstrates that hospital design needs to be rethought, according to De Graaf.

"We were selected precisely because we had never done a hospital," De Graaf told Dezeen. "Therefore, we were unburdened by a lot of baggage."

"They're apparently willing to take the risk to take on a firm that is inexperienced in the sector, I think this is an indication of how much the sector itself feels that it's stuck," he continued.

"The thinking about hospitals is in drastic, drastic need of innovation."

Coronavirus "hasn't changed healthcare"

As part of its design process for the hospital projects, both of which are currently strictly confidential, OMA created a short film on the Hospital of the Future to outline its thinking on hospital design.

Although OMA began designing the projects before the current pandemic, De Graaf believes that the coronavirus has exposed issues with current healthcare provision and architecture.

Top: an image from OMA's Hospital of the Future film. Above: Reinier de Graaf

"In many ways, the whole Covid crisis has accelerated a number of notions that we had about the hospital from the get-go, in a way and it's made them more pertinent," he said.

"Clearly Covid has changed a lot of things, but it hasn't changed healthcare, ironically. I think what it has done is expose a number of flaws, which were latent in healthcare and simply bought into the forefront."

Hospitals obsolete as soon as they are complete

One of the main findings from the studio's research into health facilities is that hospital buildings are lasting less and less time before they become obsolete. According to OMA, this means that hospitals have to be designed to be constantly evolving.

"The more recently a hospital is constructed, the quicker it gets demolished," said De Graaf.

"So one of the things we thought about early on was taking the trend to the extreme. And say the most extreme consequence of this trend is that essentially they are obsolete when they're finished."

"The moment the building is complete, at that very moment, it's obsolete, so it can only ever be obsolete, it's practically obsolete while you're drawing it," he continued.

"This means that we probably need to think about the hospital, not in terms of a finite product, but in terms of a process. And not of a building, but in terms of an organism."

In the future "hospitals will be everywhere"

According to the architect, developments in technology may eventually result in the hospital ceasing to exist as a building, with healthcare being integrated into the city instead.

"Many ideal city concepts are based on disease and based on hygiene to the point that you can see a lot of the utopian urban concepts as giant hospitals, you know, where the hospital is, everywhere," De Graaf explained.

"I think we are encountering a situation, particularly in cities, where the hospital will be everywhere, once again."

Speaking about its current project in Qatar, however, De Graaf explained that its upcoming hospital will still exist in a physical form.

"All I can say is that the appearance will be an extremely interesting mix between tradition and future, between the primordial and the futuristic," he said.

"It almost aims to be a fully autonomous complex. It will look like it could be built on Mars. Nevertheless, it will look remarkably familiar in Islamic culture."

De Graaf also points to 3D printing and mass robotisation as two areas that the studio is looking to incorporate into its hospital designs.

"I think what the healthcare crisis will do is make what until recently was long term future-gazing become a lot more pertinent and imminent," he said.

Read the full interview with De Graaf on the Hospital of the Future below:

Tom Ravenscroft: How did the film come about?

Reinier de Graaf: It is a product of a long interest in healthcare as an architectural subject. In spring 2019 we were asked to develop a number of hospitals – one in France and we got involved in a very large healthcare project in Qatar.

We asked our clients why us, as we've never done a hospital. And we know that hospitals in particular, like prisons, are the domain of architects who specialise in them.

But apparently, we got the reply that we were selected precisely because we had never done a hospital. And that therefore, we were unburdened by a lot of baggage. Apparently, the hospital concept as it was routinely being done was running into certain problems.

We, particularly in the context of Qatar, got a very long research phase before we actually had to enter a design phase. And what we did, I think, in the summer of 2020, we made an initial video, which we put on our website, where we mainly asked questions about the hospital of the future.

That was a very, very short video. We thought more, I started to think about the subject, we have a team of people in the office who work across the different projects that we have on the topic. I wrote a number of articles.

So we've been very active, the project was continuing, then Matadero, the arts Spanish organisation asked us to participate in an exhibition about the hospital of the future, which basically got a lot of traction.

We are working on hospitals as we speak, they're confidential projects, but mainly our thinking about it. And whatever we broadcast about, it gets a lot of traction, a lot of people ask us about it. And that organisation asked us about it, the Venice Biennale asked us to do something on the subject, but clearly, for Covid reasons to be postponed, postponed and postponed.

Then with Matadero, we had the first idea that we would do something virtual. And we would make a film, which is very much of this time, you know, you can go anywhere, you don't need to breathe and other people's faces, you don't need to inhale you, you just make a video. So that's, that's what we did.

Tom Ravenscroft: How have recent events impacted your thinking?

Reinier de Graaf: I think in many ways, the whole Covid crisis has accelerated a number of notions that we had about the hospital from the get-go, in a way and it's made them more pertinent.

In our view, it's not that Covid has changed everything. Well, clearly, it has changed a lot of things, but it hasn't changed healthcare. Ironically, I think what it has done, it has exposed a number of flaws, which were latent in healthcare and simply bought into the forefront.

Tom Ravenscroft: Like what?

Reinier de Graaf: One of the things we found in our research is that the more recently a hospital is constructed, the quicker it gets demolished.

So the evolution of the technology and the evolution of medical science seems to result in an ever-quicker expiry date of the topology and of the design. Up to the point that you have some recent hospitals, which, you know, didn't even live for a quarter of a century. And were then demolished.

Tom Ravenscroft: Did you compare that timeline to other building topologies? Isn't this broadly true for all buildings?

Reinier de Graaf: It's part of a general trend. I mean, it's also part of clearly of a housing trend, but it is a more radical example of the trend. It's almost an extreme example, you have, essentially of hospitals and you have airports.

Airports are too big to demolish, so they're in a permanent state of conversion. And in a permanent state of expansion.

So one of the things we thought about early on was taking the trend to the extreme. And say the most extreme consequence of this trend is that essentially they are obsolete when they're finished.

The moment the completion date of the building at that very moment, it's obsolete, so it can only ever be obsolete, it's practically obsolete while you're drawing it, which means that we probably need to think about the hospital, not in terms of a finite product, but in terms of a process. And not of a building, but in terms of an organism.

So we began to look at that we began in Qatar, we're really very advanced in looking at 3D printing prefabrication and 3D printing. As you may know, also in surgery, 3D printing is a very prominent thing. Organs are 3D printed. So there's an interesting overlap between medical technology and construction technology there.

So we're taking that very far to the point that you would have factories on site. You have industrial, complex enough to produce offspring, you practically eliminate the contractor from the equation.

I mean, that is an interesting thing. And, of course, another thing you see that in the course of the 20th century, we saw the trend that generally acute diseases became chronic diseases, we got to live a lot longer, not necessarily healthier, but acute diseases became chronic diseases.

And with that, you essentially have the whole evolution of the healthcare sector go privatised, it entered a kind of comfort zone where there was ever fewer staff, ever greater efficiency possible, etc.

Because I mean, it's been 100 years since the Spanish flu. And Covid, of course, what it does, is that it makes a lot of chronic diseases, all of a sudden, acute again.

Many people are basically alright, with Covid, but as soon as there's already something wrong with you, it can become acute, in an instance when you contract that virus.

And that means that we are in a way thrown back in time, with a certain amount of urgency. Hospitals sort of pop up in an instant, we saw the Chinese hospital that got there in 10 days. We see stadiums be converted, we see ships converted into hospitals.

It also highlights a problem in architecture anyway, that as a discipline with an ethos of permanence, it is facing a condition of life, which is ever less pertinent.

So the friction between architectural ambitions and that of your ability plays out in the extreme in healthcare. So that's also why we were so enthusiastic to dive into it, because healthcare is a sector where we're certain crisis of architecture becomes very manifest.

Tom Ravenscroft: So as you say in your video healthcare as we know it is dead?

Reinier de Graaf: Of course, that is an attention-grabbing statement in the video. But I guess we mean it of sorts. I mean, at least the way we have thought about the hospital so far is running into a dead end.

I mean, the thinking about hospitals is in drastic, drastic need of innovation. I guess it's the sentence in the film as a short way of saying that.

Tom Ravenscroft: So back to first principles, kind of redefining what the hospital is and how it operates within a current?

Reinier de Graaf: Another thing that's very prominent in the video is that of course, you can rewrite the history of architecture and urbanism completely along medical terms.

I mean, many ideal city concepts are also based on disease. And based on hygiene to the point that you can see a lot of the utopian urban concepts as giant hospitals, you know, where the hospital is, everywhere.

I think we are encountering a situation that particularly in cities where the hospital will be everywhere, once again.

What is modern technology? And that's the latter part of the film that tries to speculate on how that could happen in a number of ways.

Tom Ravenscroft: So the buildings disappear, as the technology enables it to be basically everywhere?

Reinier de Graaf: Yeah, in the most extreme form. But of course, like with any prediction it will never fully come through. So I'm sure there will always be hospitals. But they'll be different.

Tom Ravenscroft: So how does this long-term future-gazing impact on your actual designs?

Reinier de Graaf: I'm not sure if it's long term, future-gazing. I think 3D printing, for instance, has been on the cards for a while. And architects have flirted with it, but always in quite a tentative way. It's been applied in small-scale buildings.

I think what the healthcare crisis will do is that what until recently was long term future-gazing may become a lot more pertinent and imminent.

I mean, if our plans work out we would be building such a thing in the near future.

I think the other thing that you also see happening is mass robotisation. In the course of the hospital. It's also an interesting flight forward, we're incredibly scared of mechanical labour, we are incredibly scared of robotisation.

Nevertheless, it's long been a fact of life in many sectors. And it will also be a fact of life in the healthcare sector. And maybe the benefit of that is that there's more people suffering and burnout in the medical field than almost any other field. And maybe the mass robotisation of certain tasks will allow the hospital staff, again to focus on the things that matter.

I think there you will see another acceleration, clearly, robots cannot become sick.

Tom Ravenscroft: That being said, when you build your hospital in Qatar will it broadly look like a hospital?

Reinier de Graaf: I can't say too much of it, but all I can say is that the appearance will be an extremely interesting mix between tradition and future, between the primordial and the futuristic. It almost aims to be a fully autonomous complex, that also reduces the dependency of the whole hospital system on the supply chains, on external factors, etc.

It will look like it could be built on Mars. Nevertheless, it will look remarkably familiar in the Islamic culture.

Tom Ravenscroft: But this is more than just a mental exercise?

Reinier de Graaf: Something like the video emerges in tandem with us being confronted with all of those things. I mean, it's not like we withdraw in a room and then we come up with a kind of visionary strategy; in a way the video is a form of communicating insights that we gain when we're actually doing this and progressive insights where we're actually doing this.

Tom Ravenscroft: Do you think that hospitals in particular, and healthcare has been stuck in a bit of a kind of rut of continuing down the same path?

Reinier de Graaf: I think the fact that people ask us because of our ignorance is very much a symptom of that.

I mean, they're apparently willing to take the risk to take on a firm that is inexperienced in the sector, I think is an indication of how much the sector itself feels that it's stuck.

Tom Ravenscroft: It's kind of amazing that OMA is being asked to design hospitals because it is such a complex building.

Reinier de Graaf: It really puts architecture to the test because the stakes are so high, you know, people die. And in that sense, any architectural frivolity or any kind of frivolous argument very quickly runs into a very hard test.

The nice thing is when you design a hospital as an architect, you have to be incredibly hard on yourself and also have to really scrutinise your own preoccupations and your own idiosyncrasies in a way because things need to happen a certain way. It's really a functional machine.

Tom Ravenscroft: You've got to take the arrogance of the architect out of it?

Reinier de Graaf: Yes. Which is very good therapy for us.

The post "Hospitals in drastic, drastic need of innovation" says Reinier de Graaf appeared first on Dezeen.

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Saturday, January 2, 2021

Chaotic Congress winds down (AP) Congress is ending a chaotic session, a two-year political firestorm that started with the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, was riven by impeachment and a pandemic, and now closes with a rare rebuff by Republicans of President Donald Trump. In the few days remaining, GOP senators are ignoring Trump’s demand to increase COVID-19 aid checks to $2,000 and are poised to override his veto of a major defense bill, asserting traditional Republican spending and security priorities. It’s a dizzying end to a session of Congress that resembles few others for the sheer number of crises and political standoffs. Congress opened in 2019 with the federal government shutdown over Trump’s demands for money to build the border wall with Mexico. Nancy Pelosi regained the speaker’s gavel after Democrats swept to the House majority in the midterm election. The Democratic-led House went on to impeach the president over his request to the Ukrainian president to “do us a favor” against Biden ahead of the presidential election. The Republican-led Senate acquitted the president in 2020 of the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. When the pandemic struck, Congress rallied with unusual speed and agreement to pass a $2 trillion relief package, the largest federal intervention of its kind in U.S. history. The Congress had few other notable legislative accomplishes, and could not agree on how to respond to the racial injustice reckoning that erupted after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement.

Dollar posts worst year since 2017 (Reuters) The dollar posted its biggest yearly loss since 2017 on Thursday, capping off a manic year that saw the currency serve as a safe haven in March when panic over the spread of COVID-19 in the United States peaked, before dropping on unprecedented Federal Reserve stimulus. The greenback soared to a three-year high of 102.99 against a basket of currencies in March, before ending the year at 89.96, down 6.77% on the year and 12.65% from its March high. An improving global economic outlook as COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out, rock-bottom U.S. interest rates and ongoing Fed bond purchases have dented the dollar’s appeal. “I expect the dollar to depreciate further over the next few years as the Fed keeps rates at zero whilst maintaining its bloated balance sheet,” Kevin Boscher, chief investment officer at asset manager Ravenscroft, told clients. “The magnitude of the twin deficits dwarfs any other major economy,” he said.

Expensive, faulty weapons (Bloomberg) The Pentagon has put a decision on approving full-rate production of Lockheed Martin’s $398 billion F-35 fighter program, the subject of numerous design defects and even a criminal investigation, on indefinite hold. The plane has yet to demonstrate its effectiveness against the most challenging Russian and Chinese air defense systems and aircraft. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy’s plan to deliver on time the first of its $128 billion next-generation missile submarine fleet is at risk because of inexperienced contractors with spotty quality control, a government watchdog warned. And the cost overrun could be as much as $384 million—for the one boat.

Why California’s immigrants are heading back to Mexico (The Guardian) California’s most vulnerable immigrants have faced unprecedented challenges this year, with some weighing whether it’s worth staying in the United States altogether. Ten months of a pandemic that has disproportionately sickened immigrants and devastated some of the industries that rely on immigrant labor, combined with years of anti-immigrant policies by the Trump administration have exacerbated insecurities for undocumented people and immigrants working low-wage jobs across California. For immigrants at the bottom of the economic ladder, it’s never been easy in the US, said Luz Gallegos, the executive director of the immigrant advocacy group Training Occupational Development Educating Communities Legal Center (Todec). “But California was also always a place where my family—my parents and grandparents—believed they could build a better life,” said Gallegos who was born into a family of immigrant activists and organizers. “It was always a place with potential.” Until this year. “There’s been so much fear and trauma—just layers of trauma,” she said. Javier Lua Figureo moved back to his home town in Michoacán, Mexico, three years ago, after living and working in California for a dozen years. Since the pandemic hit, several of his friends and family members have followed his lead, he said. “Things aren’t perfect in Mexico,” Figureo said in Spanish. But at least there’s access to healthcare, and some unemployment benefits for those who need it, he added. “In comparison to what it was in the US, the situation for us in Mexico right now is much better.”

Brexit’s Silver Lining for Europe (NYT) It is done at last. On Jan. 1, with the Brexit transition period over, Britain will no longer be part of the European Union’s single market and customs union. A great loss will be consummated. Loss for the European Union of one of its biggest member states, a major economy, a robust military. Loss for Britain of diplomatic heft in a world of renewed great power rivalry; of some future economic growth; of clarity over European access for its big financial services industry; and of countless opportunities to study, live, work and dream across the continent. “Brexit is an act of mutual weakening,” Michel Barnier, the chief European Union negotiator, told the French daily Le Figaro. But the weakening is uneven. Britain is closer to fracture. The possibility has increased that Scotland and Northern Ireland will opt to leave the United Kingdom and, by different means, rejoin the European Union. The bloc, by contrast, has in some ways been galvanized by the trauma of Brexit. It has overcome longstanding obstacles, lifted its ambitions and reignited the Franco-German motor of closer union. “Brexit is not good news for anyone, but it has unquestionably contributed to a reconsolidation of Europe, which demonstrated its unity throughout the negotiations,” François Delattre, the secretary-general of the French foreign ministry, said.

Coronavirus overshadows Japan’s New Year’s Day festivities (Reuters) New Year’s Day is the biggest holiday in Japan’s calendar, but this year’s festivities have been subdued following record highs in new coronavirus cases nationwide and calls from the government to stay home. Japan’s Emperor Naruhito appealed to the public to work together through the pandemic in a videotaped New Year’s Day address to the nation released on Friday. “I am wishing from my heart that everyone can move forward during this hard time by supporting and helping one another,” he said in the address, which was released in place of an annual public appearance by the imperial family during the New Year holidays. The event was cancelled this year because of the pandemic. New Year’s Day festivities in Japan involves spending time with family and praying at local temples, where hordes of people wish for good luck in the coming year.

Philippines to ban U.S. travellers from Sunday (Reuters) The Philippines will prohibit the entry of foreign travellers from the United States from Sunday after the more infectious new variant of the coronavirus was detected in Florida. The travel ban, lasting until Jan. 15, covers those who have been to the United States within 14 days preceding arrival in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman said in a statement.

Floods ravage South Sudan (AP) On a scrap of land surrounded by flooding in South Sudan, families drink and bathe from the waters that swept away latrines and continue to rise. Some 1 million people in the country have been displaced or isolated for months by the worst flooding in memory, with the intense rainy season a sign of climate change. The waters began rising in June, washing away crops, swamping roads and worsening hunger and disease in the young nation struggling to recover from civil war. Now famine is a threat. On a recent visit by The Associated Press to the Old Fangak area in hard-hit Jonglei state, parents spoke of walking for hours in chest-deep water to find food and health care as malaria and diarrheal diseases spread.

Gratitude (NYT) Numerous studies show that people who have a daily gratitude practice, in which they consciously count their blessings, tend to be happier, have lower stress levels, sleep better and are less likely to experience depression. In one study, researchers recruited 300 adults, most of them college students seeking mental health counseling. All the volunteers received counseling, but one group added a writing exercise focused on bad experiences, while another group wrote a letter of gratitude to another person each week for three weeks. A month later, those who wrote gratitude letters reported significantly better mental health. And the effect appears to last. Three months later the researchers scanned the brains of students while they completed a different gratitude exercise. The students who had written gratitude letters earlier in the study showed greater activation in a part of the brain called the medial prefrontal cortex, believed to be related to both reward and higher-level cognition.      Send an appreciative email or text, thank a service worker or tell your children, your spouse or a friend how they have made your life better. You can send emails or post feelings of gratitude on social media or in a group chat. Or think of someone in your life and write them a letter of gratitude. (You don’t have to mail it.) Fill your letter with details describing how this person influenced your life and the things you appreciate about them. Or keep a daily gratitude journal. “I think the full potential of gratitude is realized when people are able to express gratitude in words,” says Y. Joel Wong, chairman of the department of counseling and educational psychology at Indiana University. “When we are able to say what we’re grateful for and explain why, it shifts our attention from what’s negative to what’s positive in our lives.”

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