ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
n Restorative break areas: Dedicated spaces with natural views, comfortable seating among living plants and access to fresh air provide essential psychological restoration during demanding shifts. These areas should be positioned to offer privacy and tranquillity away from clinical pressures.
n Stress-reduction zones: Quiet spaces with natural lighting and comfortable furnishings give staff places to decompress.
significantly reduces stress hormones and improves job satisfaction.
Experience from specialist healthcare facilities
has shown the transformative power of dedicated green spaces – winter gardens that provide year- round access to nature, and expansive landscaped courtyards that offer respite for both patients and staff, demonstrating how generous outdoor green spaces can become the heart of a healing environment.
n Natural material integration: The tactile experience of wood, stone, plants and light creates psychological connections to the natural world. In high-stress clinical environments, particularly those involving complex procedures, these materials can be incorporated into reception areas and staff spaces to create environments that feel less institutional and more human- centred. Real-world application in specialist treatment facilities has shown that patients report feeling more relaxed and confident when surrounded by natural textures, even in highly technical medical settings. However, these must be restricted in operating rooms and sterile environments, intensive care units and certain patient areas to mitigate risks of allergens, microbes or pathogens and due to the high level of control and hygiene required for critically ill patients.
n Biomorphic design elements: Architectural forms that echo natural patterns – flowing curves, fractal geometries, organic shapes – trigger positive psychological responses. These design elements can be subtly integrated into everything from ceiling patterns to furniture design.
Supporting staff mental health through environment Healthcare workers face unique stressors that environmental design can help mitigate. Biophilic spaces specifically designed for staff wellbeing include:
n Connection to outdoors: Staff dining areas and meeting rooms should prioritise outdoor views and, where possible, direct access to landscaped areas. Even brief connections with nature during the workday can significantly impact mental resilience.
Patient-centred biophilic design For patients, biophilic environments can transform the healthcare experience from enduring treatment to actively participating in healing: n Healing gardens: Therapeutic outdoor spaces designed for different mobility levels provide patients with opportunities for gentle exercise, social interaction and psychological restoration. These spaces should accommodate wheelchairs, include seating for varying abilities and offer both sunny and shaded areas.
n Room design for recovery: Patient rooms incorporating natural views, especially of living plants, create environments that support faster healing. Families benefit from these calming spaces during emotionally challenging times.
n Wayfinding through nature: Using natural elements and biomorphic patterns as navigation aids reduces the anxiety associated with navigating complex healthcare facilities. This approach is particularly
Above: Walking down hot clinical floors at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Sandwell, UK, allows patients and staff to have plenty of daylight and view of greenery – a design choice to insure positive impact on wellbeing.
Left: Patients and staff relaxing on the roof garden at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Sandwell, UK, fresh air, greenery, views and space releasing stress.
Real-world application in specialist treatment facilities has shown that patients report feeling more relaxed and confident when surrounded by natural textures, even in highly technical medical settings
November 2025 Health Estate Journal 61
Jack Hobhouse
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