Whether we’re consciously aware of it or not, our perceptions of a given space and the emotional responses we feel when entering it are influenced by the built environment. ‘Good design’ can mean many things, and what exactly ‘good’ is may vary greatly from one built environment to the next.
In your local corner store, for example, good design may translate to a speedy and efficient experience. In contrast, a more savoured experience would be preferred in a fine-dining restaurant.
What ‘good’ design is, therefore, is determined first by the purpose of an environment and how we want those within it to feel. Once established for a given space, those designing it have a responsibility to try to evoke these feelings through their design choices.
In the examples above, spacious, accessible aisles and clear signage may improve your experience and perception of the corner store. Whereas, ambient lighting, comfortable furniture and temperature, and an absence of excessive noise may improve your dining experience.
The same fundamentals apply in the design of mental health care settings, albeit with greater importance, where the built environment forms a crucial component of effective treatment and therapeutic outcomes. Good design in these settings has the potential to help service users feel more at ease, to smooth the transition between community and the care environment, and to communicate to service users that they are truly valued and cared for.
Safety as a baseline
Safety has long been the primary design concern in mental health settings, however, the need to create therapeutic spaces that support wellbeing and recovery is now recognized globally, evidenced recently in “The Role of the Built Environment as a Therapeutic Intervention in Mental Health Facilities: A Systematic Literature Review” (Rodríguez-Labajos et al., 2024).
Such research has led to great innovation in design for mental health environments, fuelled by a need for safe yet normalised spaces and solutions that support therapeutic outcomes.
Driving this innovation has been core to our mission at Kingsway Group since forming in 2009. Whether through anti-ligature Complete Door Systems or our latest safety & wellbeing technology offerings, our solutions aim to normalise and enhance challenging environments while still providing the safety and performance required to best support people during their most vulnerable times.
Challenging the norm
In early 2023 Gilling Dod, Kingsway Group, and Britplas embarked on a collaborative research and design-concept project to challenge the norm in mental health design and explore how therapeutic environments could be enhanced further. Known as the Co-Production CAMHS Bedroom Collaboration, the ongoing project aims to inspire collaborative innovation and show what can be achieved through co-production.
A full-scale concept bedroom developed alongside
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