At Boston Children’s Hospital, the landscape is care made tangible. The seven wellness gardens in the Hale Building expansion are designed as spaces of respite, wonder, and sensory restoration.

Inspired by the site’s underlying bedrock, Wishingstone Garden transforms granite, wood, and sculptural elements into spaces for engagement and comfort. Granite benches and elevated planting beds offer places to pause, while “fossil” art installations and root-inspired wood structures evoke the natural world in playful, tactile ways. Several interior gardens draw its materials from the reclaimed Dawn Redwood trees found on site. Carefully dried and stored redwood slabs define eighth floor reading rooms, seating areas, and sculptural planters. Combining sculptural forms with intimate spaces invites children to read, play, and explore, linking architectural structure to human experience.

The hospital’s main entrance on Longwood Avenue sets a playful, welcoming tone that transforms the front door to Boston Children’s Hospital. Working closely with Elkus Manfredi Architects and Shepley + Bulfinch, a new graphic granite wall, framed by birch trees and seasonal hedges, offers a “hide-and-seek” visual experience.

Each garden balances tactile, visual, and auditory experiences, supporting neuro-inclusive design by accommodating diverse sensory needs while offering moments of curiosity and calm.