'Incredibly empowering' - lived experience leads to moving vision for hospital ward

Sophie Criddle, an inspiring undergrad who is soon to graduate from Southampton Solent University, has shared her moving vision for an NHS service supporting people with eating disorders.

Celebrating the end of her studies in BA (Hons) Interior Design Decoration at Solent, Sophie's Final Major Project (FMP) saw her bravely draw on her personal experiences with anorexia nervosa to design a 'home away from home' at the Vincent Square Eating Disorder Service in Chelsea, London. She says:

"Having lived with anorexia nervosa for 14 years, and experienced multiple inpatient admissions, including time at Vincent Square, this project is more than a design proposal. It is a deeply personal response to a system I know intimately - one that shaped, challenged and, ultimately, inspired me."

Sophie's project, which reimagines the interior of Vincent Square, envisions a calm and warm space which emulates the feeling of home. Using a soft colour palette, such as light greens and gentle oranges, and infusing cosy lighting, the spaces envisioned by Sophie have been informed not only by her own experiences, but by research into what patients of services like these would benefit from the most. Through this combined approach, Sophie has conjured up a vision which is at once therapeutic, welcoming, and psychologically supportive.

"Traditional inpatient environments for eating disorder treatment often feel clinical, cold and institutional spaces that, while functional, can feel emotionally isolating and psychologically triggering," Sophie says. "My goal was to challenge this and reimagine the unit as a sanctuary for healing."

Sophie's vision aims to provide therapeutic functionality with a warm, comforting atmosphere that feels personal and human. In July, Sophie is visiting the hospital to present her project and deliver a recovery talk to patients. 

On the journey of creating her FMP, Sophie says, "it was an incredibly emotional and transformative experience. Designing a space that I had once occupied as a patient required me to confront some of the most difficult periods of my life, but it also gave me the opportunity to reclaim that experience and turn it into something hopeful.

"It was incredibly empowering. It allowed me to combine my lived experience with my creative voice, and to use design as a tool for change and healing. Every decision was rooted in empathy and a desire to create something better for those who come after me."

Sophie, who is originally from Wokingham, is getting ready to graduate from Solent on Tuesday 8 July. She will soon be taking part in New Designers, an exhibition of the next generation of design talent. As she says farewell to university, how has Solent supported Sophie to find her rhythm as an interior designer?

"It's been incredibly valuable to me, both personally and professionally. It gave me the space and support to explore who I am as a designer and as an individual. The course encouraged me to approach design not just as a skillset, but as a powerful form of communication and emotional expression."