Design process
Site: Acute Care Patient Park, UBC Campus
Health issue and why it was chosen
Concept Statement: reducing stress and social isolation for the caregivers of long-term residents by providing a multi-sensory garden located north of Purdy Pavillion on the UBC Campus*. This space will also offer a safe outdoor space for residents and their caregivers to visit.
*acknowledgement that this site lies on the unceded traditional homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations
Reasons:
- Purdy Pavillion residents have a private garden within their facility
- Caregivers deserve a place to recharge and de-stress from their demanding day-to-day life
Key takeaways from the research
“Stress rehabilitation through garden therapy: The garden as a place in the recovery from stress” (Anna A.Adevi, Fredrika Mårtensson)
- The participants described how nature affords positive sensory experiences, physical and psychological well-being, but also how nature and the garden facilitate beneficial social interactions with other participants and caregivers
- The recovery process as initiated by more traditional forms of therapies but reinforced and consolidated by the access to nature and the garden rooms.
References
Zwerts-Verhelst, E.L.M. & Hoof, J. & Wouters, Eveline. (2014). Don’t forget about the garden! The design of gardens for people with dementia. Gerontechnology. 13. 10.4017/gt.2014.13.02.179.00.
Motealleh, Parinaz, Moyle, Wendy. (2014). The Impact of a Dementia-Friendly Garden Design on People with Dementia in a Residential Aged Care Facility: A Case Study. Volume 15, Issue 2..
Huang, AR, Roth, DL, Cidav, T, et al. Social isolation and 9-year dementia risk in community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries in the United States. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2023; 1- 9.
Innes, Anthea, Calvert, Lesley. Dementia: the Basics. (2023). Routledge.
Translation to design elements
- Designs that invite people to come in and linger
- Open vs. intimate spaces
- Allow for spaces of conversation and reflection
- Provide both green and blue spaces
Concept ideas
Form explorations
1:100 schematic concept plans, sections, and perspectives
