HEALING SPACES
Final Degree Project
Abstract
Healing Spaces is an undergraduate Final Degree Project (TFG) in Design and Innovation, with a specialisation in Space Design. It develops applied research aimed at producing innovative design proposals to enhance the experience of cafeteria environments within mental health hospitals. The study seeks to characterise these spaces and analyse their influence on users, in order to formulate design guidelines that improve the emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing of patients, family members and healthcare staff.
The investigation adopts an Evidence-Based Design (EBD) methodology, complemented by two structured questionnaires —one of them addressed specifically to the medical and care personnel of the case-study centre, Fundació Hospitalàries de Sant Boi. The resulting intervention responds to a set of identified needs through an ergonomic and holistic approach, articulated across spatial configuration, materiality, sensory comfort and inclusive accessibility.
Keywords: healing architecture, mental health, hospital cafeteria, evidence-based design, inclusive design, emotional wellbeing.
Gallery
Value proposition, objectives and methods
The project has a highly transversal approach. The deconstruction of the intervention space and analysis does not arise from an interpretation, but rather aims to understand the complexities from the perspective of research and user participation. The proposal arises from various needs and they are resolved in an ergonomic and holistic way. It is a commitment to innovation in the field, the accessibility of design for well-being and the normalization of psychiatric spaces.
The objective is to understand the implications of designing for a mental health cafeteria. Devise a proposal that respects the functional program and needs, but at the same time embraces the transformation of the language of psychiatric buildings. The viabilityof realization remains present in the different design decisions.
The methods are extensive: Literary research, User persona, User-journey, Mood boards, Mind maps, Quizzes, Visits to locations, Evidence Based Design... Through the different tools, it has been possible to consolidate an understanding of how it works and needs.