Creating clarity in Belgium’s largest hospital
ZNA Cadix is the biggest hospital in Belgium. A 19-storey vertical care campus designed to consolidate multiple facilities into a single, state-of-the-art tower. Located in central Antwerp, it brings together acute care, rehabilitation, outpatient clinics, and administrative functions in one place. From the outset, the hospital’s goal was clear: create an environment that feels intuitive and supportive. We were brought in to make sure people could navigate it with confidence.
Project
ZNA Cadix, Antwerp
Client
Collaborators
Location
Antwerp, Belgium
Size
Project Build Cost
Focus
Designed from scratch with users in mind
ZNA Cadix was a new build, a new model, and a new experience for patients, staff, and visitors. With new clinical workflows and operational systems came the opportunity to create a wayfinding system that worked from day one. The aim was to reduce stress, avoid bottlenecks, and help every user group find their way easily.
We worked alongside the hospital team, the design consortium (including VK architects+engineers and Robbrecht en Daem architecten), and a wide group of stakeholders to embed wayfinding into the project as it was being shaped. Not added on later, but planned into the structure from the start.
Strategy grounded in behaviour
Our approach started with the real journeys people would take. We mapped key scenarios: a patient arriving by car for a surgery consultation, a staff member crossing levels to reach the ICU, a family navigating from reception to a recovery room. At each step, we identified the decisions users would need to make and what information would support them.
The strategy focused on three principles:
Predictability: consistent logic in naming, numbering, and movement paths
Visibility: cues placed where people naturally expect to find them
Familiarity: design that makes sense to locals, international visitors, and non-Dutch speakers
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Visual and spatial support that guides clearly
Antwerp is a multilingual city. The system had to work for everyone, not just native Dutch speakers. We used icons, colours, zones, and layout logic to provide information at a glance. Signage used plain language, supported by simple pictograms and reinforced through spatial cues and materials. Every design choice supported orientation, even in high-stress situations or unfamiliar departments.
We addressed a common challenge in large hospitals: signage that competes with the complexity of the space. At ZNA Cadix, zoning, naming, and numbering systems were co-designed with the building layout. This alignment allowed signage to work seamlessly.
From strategy to delivery
We created the wayfinding strategy and delivered it. Our team managed naming, floor and zone planning, signage location plans, and full design development. We worked closely with the architects and contractors to integrate the system into the building itself. This included coordination on materials, lighting, and architectural finishes.
The result: clear paths and confident movement
Since opening, feedback from staff and patients confirms the system is effective. Visitors find their way more easily. Staff receive few questions. The overall environment feels calm and coordinated. The wayfinding supports the experience and allows people to focus on what matters.
At Humanics Collective, this is our goal. We simplify complexity. We enable movement. We create environments where people feel sure of their next step.
