HEALING ARCHITECTURE | dysthymia-rehab

HEALING BY DESIGN

A building or space can have immense affect on how we feel and function.

A healing environment in terms of healthcare is an environment that acts as a catalyst in helping patients and their families cope with the recovery process.

My primary research (interviews) with Dysthymia patients has lead me to investigate these aspects of healing architecture which I think would quicken the recovery process

NATURAL LIGHTING

GREEN AND OPEN SPACES (NATURE)

HEALING BY WATER

Below I have looked at a few precedents that have inspired me in designing a Rehabilitation Centre for patients with Dysthymia

PRECEDENT STUDIES

NATURAL LIGHTING

CABE (2004) clearly indicate that access to natural light is one of the crucial factors affecting a patient's recovery.

Lighted spaces can affect a patient's well-being both physically and psychologically.

Light helps guide us through spaces and decreases the feeling of isolation. It helps us feel closer to nature and brightens up a space. For patients with Dysthymia being exposed to sunlight or having solar panels that facilitate natural light inside a space is important for the recovery process. The visuals below have inspired me in terms of light for my rehabilitation center

Maggie's Centre Lanarkshire figure 5	Maggie's Gartnavel by OMA, Glasgow figure 1
Bora's Clinic, Sweden figure 2	Jurong Hospital, Singapore figure 3
Maggie’s Dundee, by Frank Gehry figure 4

GREEN AND OPEN SPACES

Green and open spaces like gardens help connect people with nature and themselves. Nature is great for improving mental well-being as explained in my research for ecotherapy.

It creates space for movement and exercise, which help in fighting Dysthymia.

Indoor courtyards provide patients with a breathing space and help them relax and reduce stress.

Patients with Dysthymia can reduce their symptoms by connecting with nature hence I have been inspired by these images for my Rehabilitation Centre

Maggie's Centre Lanarkshire figure 16	Maggie's Centre, Cheltenham figure 17
Maggie’s Dundee, by Frank Gehry figure 18	Maggie's Centre Lanarkshire figure 19
Children’s Hospital Zürich figure 20	Bora's Clinic figure 21
Woy Woy Rehabilitation Unit figure 22	Nepean Mental Health Centre, Penrith figure 23

WATER IN HEALING ARCHITECTURE

Water is a symbol of calmness and peace and hence is great motivator in the healing process.

For patients with Dysthymia, water can be used for physical exercise (swimming), for tranquility and peace (fountains, waterfalls or water features). It helps reduces anxiety and relaxes the nerves.

As found on the Aquaspace website Nancy Vance, Executive Director, Living Well Cancer Resource Center says

I think this helps explain how water can be a stress reliever and is not only beneficial to the patients and their families but also to the staff . It helps fights the main symptoms of Dysthymia.

I want to include a water feature in my design and have been inspired by the following visuals

"Our patients and their families find peace and tranquility when visiting our beautiful water features. We receive a great deal of positive feedback on the addition of the water gardens to our facility. Even the staff and board members have found the water features to be beneficial for relieving stress and improving their daily outlook." (Aquaspace, 2015)

Harvey Zarren Healing Gardens figure 24	Mercy Medical Healing Garden figure 25
Howard Ulfelder, MD Healing Garden figure 26	Bury Hospice figure 27
Cleveland Clinic figure 28	Duke Integrative Medicine figure 29
Art Site Naoshima figure 30

HEALING BY DESIGN

PRECEDENT STUDIES

Maggie's Centre Lanarkshire

figure 5

Maggie's Gartnavel by OMA, Glasgow

figure 1

Bora's Clinic, Sweden

figure 2

Jurong Hospital, Singapore

figure 3

Maggie’s Dundee, by Frank Gehry

figure 4

Maggie's Centre Lanarkshire

figure 16

Maggie's Centre, Cheltenham

figure 17

Maggie’s Dundee, by Frank Gehry

figure 18

Maggie's Centre Lanarkshire

figure 19

Children’s Hospital Zürich

figure 20

Bora's Clinic

figure 21

Woy Woy Rehabilitation Unit

figure 22

Nepean Mental Health Centre, Penrith

figure 23

Harvey Zarren Healing Gardens

figure 24

Mercy Medical Healing Garden

figure 25

Howard Ulfelder, MD Healing Garden

figure 26

Bury Hospice

figure 27

Cleveland Clinic

figure 28

Duke Integrative Medicine

figure 29

Art Site Naoshima

figure 30