Noor Abid_2016-02-19

2.0 Architecture and Therapy
2.1 The notion of therapy
-Natural: believing in nature and its therapeutic power.
Good health was defined by the World Health Organization (in 1946)
21 Ibid. Art (Oxford: Architectural Press, 2004), 20
as: “a state of complete physical, social and mental well-being, and not
only the absence of disease” 16
-Built: enhancing the sense of protection and safety.
-Symbolic: respecting traditions and delivering meanings.
-Social: acknowledging the significance of community and its ability to heal
Christopher Day’s vision about man-made environments is that all of the self.
them have the possibility to provide therapy. He also states that therapeutic
concept in architecture is somehow disappearing nowadays, due to the
ways that forms and spaces are approached which tend to disregard
people’s comfort. 17 Day suggests that therapeutic architecture should bring
It is strongly believed that nature has a great potential in delivering
therapy, as it engages with the mankind’s senses and provides physical,
mental, and spiritual healing. 22
back and learn from the healing qualities found in old concepts such as:
Feng-Shui (more details in chapter 4), which provides ‘man-made’ healing
Not only Day and Gesler emphasise the importance of therapy in
atmospheres. 18 Thus, people’s health is a condition of harmony, rejuvenarchitecture,
but also, Carol Venolia who suggests integrating the
ation, and improvement. 19 This means places need to be examined and
characteristics of nature within the interior environment and maximize
manipulated carefully in order to deliver a harmonious environment that
connections with the outdoor areas, as well as avoiding boundaries that
rejuvenates the self.
separate people from nature. 23 However, Physical and emotional aspects
of the built environment include elements that can either enhance or take
Gesler states that healing and place cannot be detached from one
another, as people experience healing unconsciously once they are inside
a place (people need the places in order to experience therapy). 20
from the space’s therapeutic value;
Physical aspects include:
Furthermore, classification has been made on the types of settings that
can enhance therapy within places which include: 21
-The level of comfort resulted by scale, temperature, colours, and
materiality. 24
-Physical context and its influence on people’s sensations, stating that
16 World Health Organization, “health,” accessed September 1st, 2015,
entries and journey towards buildings should deliver ease and joy in order
http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story046/en/
17 Christopher Day, Spirit and Place: Healing our Environment (Oxford: Architectural Press,
to achieve a ‘therapy first reaction’. 25
2002), 7
18 Ibid.
Ibid, 2
19 Ibid, 181
Carol Venolia, Healing Environments: Your Guide to Indoor Well-Being (Berkeley:
20 Wilbert M. Gesler, Healing Places (Lanham: Roweman & Littlefield Publishers Inc, 2003), Celestial Arts,1988), 21
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24 Christopher Day, Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental Design as healing
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