How mental health patients can help design out stress
I recently attended a conference on the design of mental health facilities. TheDesign in Mental Health Network (DiMHN), which organised the event, is a social enterprise that aims to bring together people with a range of experience, such as architects, designers, service users and mental health professionals, to share ideas about the design of mental healthcare […]
Focus on Children’s Mental Health Research at the NICHD
Children’s health and human development includes more than just physical and physiological changes. Mental and emotional health and well-being are as important to a child’s development. Such factors as exposure to violence, parental occupation and stress, special health care needs, injuries, and exposure to illicit and prescription drugs can have long-lasting effects on children. Addressing […]
Designing Buildings for Children With Autism
Can we design a building that makes life easier for people with autism? A place where autistic children can learn more easily and develop with less stress? According to architect Magda Mostafa, the answer is yes. And creating these kinds of places, she says, can reveal important lessons about how people are impacted by architecture. […]
Mental Health in Architecture School: Can the Culture Change?
The Graduate Architecture, Landscape, and Design Student Union (GALDSU) at the University of Torontorecently published the results of its first mental health survey, which asked students to reflect on their experience at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design. Many past and present students have met the findings, which paint a blatantly […]
Building a better world: can architecture shape behaviour?
In 1966, a British planner called Maurice Broady came up with a new term for the architectural lexicon: architectural determinism. This was to describe the practice of groundlessly asserting that design solutions would change behaviour in a predictable and positive way.
Welcome to the Wellness Center: A New Breed of Recreation Design
Until recently, student health and counseling services have predominantly been offered independently of athletics and recreation. But as institutions contemplate a more unified approach to health and wellness, the boundaries of these traditionally separated campus services are becoming blurred. Many believe that unifying these various programs and services under one roof is in the best […]
Designing for Calm
IT should come as no surprise that violence in mental health facilities causes psychological and often physical harm to health care workers and patients. What’s shocking is how prevalent it is.
Senior settings
A facility that is properly constructed to meet the needs of a patient also serves as an integral part of patient care. If the facility is less than an optimal caregiver, it could contribute to stress-creating conditions, medical errors and extended lengths of stay. This is especially true for elderly patients, who are sensitive to […]
Interior Design Use in Alleviating Depression and Anxiety
At the former dialysis center for Logan Regional Hospital in Logan, Utah, I saw patients attached to blood cleansing machines for hours, something they had to do two to three times a week for the rest of their lives, or until they received an organ transplant.
Personalized Music Memory Box for People with Dementia
Chloe Meineck designed this Music Memory Box after studying the way that familiar music can help people with dementia connect with memories of their past. Meineck worked closely with her client, Barbara, to find and produce various objects that Barbara can associate with specific memories of different family members. Each object is outfitted with a […]