DEMENTIA DESIGN
Alvar Aalto’s Paimio Sanatorium.
elements, the design process should integrate a broad spectrum of knowledge, balanced with a strong spatial intention – a guiding intention that shapes how each element contributes to a cohesive and supportive experience. This intention makes the space comprehensible, enabling users to easily understand its purpose and function. It also enhances manageability, aligning with user needs and capabilities to make navigation and interaction intuitive. Finally, it imparts meaning, creating an environment that resonates on an emotional level through thoughtful sensory design. This aligns well with Aaron
Antonovsky’s coherence theory, which posits that wellbeing hinges on one’s sense of coherence – comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. It further aligns with Golembiewski’s understanding that architecture can influence this sense of coherence by providing a ‘narrative context’ in which each element affects behaviour and emotions through a correlation of neural and biochemical systems.18
Architectural
works beyond the healthcare sector are often praised for their spatial impact
82
Sou Fujimoto’s House of Music in Budapest, Hungary.
due to cohesive, intention-driven, and knowledge-informed designs. Alvar Aalto’s Paimio Sanatorium is a
notable example of how intentional design choices create spaces that go beyond function to foster wellbeing. Aalto’s design was informed by a deep understanding of patient experience and sensitivity to the healing process. In patient rooms, Aalto used soft green hues on ceilings to calm bedridden patients, while a white circle
around light fixtures prevented colour interference. The bright yellow linoleum in staircases not only met practical needs for durability and cleanliness but also evoked the feeling of sunshine, providing warmth even on overcast days.5
This interplay of
colour and material demonstrates how Aalto’s choices were grounded in an empathetic vision that prioritised patient comfort and sensory well-being over purely empirical considerations. Peter Zumthor’s Therme Vals illustrates another dimension of intention-led design, where material, light, and spatial arrangement are carefully balanced to create a meditative, immersive environment. Zumthor’s use of local stone reflects his intention to connect visitors to the surrounding landscape. Each element – from the cool, tactile quality of the stone to the tranquil reflections of light on water – was chosen not only for its functional properties but also for its ability to evoke calm and introspection. This approach contrasts with EBD’s focus on isolated recommendations, fostering instead an atmosphere that immerses users in an experiential journey and connects them to the space through sensory cues.16
IFHE DIGEST 2025
©Fabrice Fouillet
©Fabrice Fouillet
©Fabrice Fouillet
©Fabrice Fouillet
©Fabrice Fouillet
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