Brown Office

Client: Design HOPES
Commissioner: University of Dundee
Principal Designer: Brown Office
Creative Technologists: VAST
Date: October 2025

The Ward 2045 Co2e Monitor is a speculative device designed to be installed in a 2045 Hospital Ward of the Future. The monitor collects and visualises data from waste, water and energy streams, helping NHS staff and patients to understand the levels of carbon emissions produced in their ward. Users may observe carbon emission data in real time, review daily, weekly and monthly emission reports, or participate in a data quiz that invites them to estimate the ward’s carbon output whilst comparing their assumptions with real time data.

The Ward 2045 CO2e Monitor was designed specifically for use in an NHS hospital ward environment. Extensive research and in-context testing informed a device that blends seamlessly into the ward setting, is easy to move, and remains simple to use for both healthcare professionals and patients. Its interface is accessible from standing, seated, or bed-bound positions, ensuring comfortable interaction for all users.

The device is currently exhibited in ‘Design HOPES: From Hope to Health’ at the V&A Dundee until 8th February 2026 after which it will be deployed in hospitals across Scotland to encourage debate around sustainable practices, as a means to drive change and meet net zero targets. Ward 2045 Co2e Monitor was developed in collaboration with the Green Ward Tool kit team and VAST for DesignHOPES Green Transition Ecosystem Hub, funded by the AHRC Future Observatory.