Healing Architecture

Synopsis

Six case studies of room renovations of clients with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour in long-term care facilities.

People with vulnerable and mental states are particularly sensitive to their physical environment. This has a direct influence on their well-being and therefore on their behaviour. This is particularly true for people with intellectual disabilities and misunderstood behaviour. Based on this, the design of the built environment was tailored to the specific personality of clients with intensive care and support needs. It was found that this alignment between space and resident had a positive effect on their behavioural change also on the social and professional environment, such as their relatives and caregivers.