Healing Architecture – Part I

Text: Christina Noli

To what extent does Healing Architecture affect the well-being and recovery process in health and social facilities?  How can interior design support organisations and their employees in their work? 

In November 2022, with the event format «Health Care@ Zingg-Lamprecht», we delved deeply into the topic in order to work together with experts from architecture, interior design and decision-makers from health care and social services seeking answers and discussing controversial issues. The importance of «healing architecture» is examined so that appropriate parameters are taken into account in construction projects of health buildings already in the planning phase.

Regula Adams, PhD. Psychologist and Senior Consultant at Zingg-Lamprecht, has many years of experience as an organization developer and project manager in health and social institutions. She is convinced of the importance of the topic: «A stress- and anxiety-reducing environment can have a positive - and in the best case just healing - effect on the well-being and the recovery process of patients and residents of hospitals, nursing and social institutions.»

Adams refers to studies that have investigated the negative influence of mental stress on recovery processes. It also hypothesises that less stressed patients have a positive effect on the workload of employees, because: Less stress means fewer sick leave and dismissals, According to Adams, this also has a positive effect on the costs of a company. The question therefore arises why Healing Architecture has not yet established itself as a design factor in architecture and interior design?

Adams knows - at least in part - the answer: «The scientific studies carried out so far are not yet conclusive enough. In addition, there is still too little awareness of the complexity of the effects of interior design on people.» These could be reasons for the fact that, on the one hand, the key figures relevant for budget decisions are missing and, on the other hand, Healing Architecture does not receive an appropriate place in the strategy phase.

The concept of Healing Architecture requires a holistic view. A complex task: The strategy of an organization as well as the needs of the people and the conditions of the room must be included. From architecture to interior design and furniture, it is important to consider structural and spatial characteristics that meet the basic psychological needs of the residents and take into account specific disease restrictions.

Specifically, the waiting room of a children’s hospital must be designed differently than one for cancer patients. Bettina Atzgerstorfer, MAS Work and Organizational Psychologist, Interior Designer and Head of Corporate Customer Business at Zingg-Lamprecht, believes: «You have to start in the strategy phase. This is followed by a comprehensive needs and needs analysis in order to set the course for a successful environment for all participants at this early stage - but primarily for the patient. Residents: inside - to create.»

In the second part of this article, you can read about the factors that this needs analysis should take into account and include.

In the last 20 years we have successfully implemented more than 80 projects in the health and social sector and are thus one of the most competent contacts in the market and are at your side with technical expertise and experience in each of your projects with words and deeds.

We have a broad-based expert team consisting of a gerontopsychologist, work and organizational psychologist, architect and interior designer. This diversity of perspectives and competencies enables us to develop and implement human-centered, innovative and functional room and furniture solutions - always in close cooperation and coordination with our customers.