LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
of the surrounding landscape, even if the associated views are relatively limited. A good example of this is the Caudwell International Children’s Centre at Keele University, where glazed facades have been incorporated to provide panoramic views of adjoining woodland. Similarly, in relation to external spaces, axial views can be included within a landscape design layout, and provision made for framed views of the surrounding landscape. On a smaller scale, the author of this review considers that the large-framed, seasonally changing view of the garden he enjoys from his desk are enormously beneficial for his own mental health.
iii) Archetypal elements (17%) These are defined as distinct features which elicit an emotional or behavioural response (such as seeing a mound and wanting to go and stand on top of it). For the purposes of the CLM, nine different elements are recognised: water, path, clearing, mountain / hill, single old tree, stone / rock, forest, desert, and circle, the majority of which are commonly incorporated, in one form or another, in numerous landscape design schemes. Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo states that when used together, forest, path, and clearing can ‘create a narrative journey of enlightenment’ due to the contrasting degrees of enclosure experienced, and associated sudden reveal of the sky when someone enters a large open area. However, it is cautioned that if the created or designed path through the ‘forest’ is too dark or dense, it could result in potentially adverse effects to an individual’s mental health. Neuroscience for Designing Green Spaces quotes an Australian study carried out by Moyle et al (2018) which showed that ‘dementia patients displayed increased anxiety upon VR Forest exposure’, and highlights that in another study (Larson et al, 2018), a dense tree canopy was found to increase levels of anxiety in some neurodivergent groups such as autistic children. Consequently, it is recommended that paths through a ‘forest’ should be clear and distinct, as well as leading to a desirable destination such as a clearing.
The impact of water As highlighted by Agnieszka Olszewska- Guizzo, water can elicit a strong emotional response capable of ‘significantly raising the preference of a given landscape
The Waters Edge Residential Home in Great Wryley near Walsall. Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo says water ‘can elicit a strong emotional response capable of significantly raising the preference of a given landscape view’.
view’. She emphasises that in addition to its numerous aesthetic qualities, there is also a ‘deep connection to human evolution’ associated with its life-giving properties and religious associations. Although it is acknowledged that there are obvious safety concerns, and some ongoing maintenance issues, associated with the introduction of water into many mental health settings, it can be included as a ‘contemplative’ focal point in many reception / courtyard spaces in a low-risk manner, and in other instances a site layout may seek to maximise views of water bodies located outside a site’s boundaries. In her book, Agnieszka Olszewska-
Guizzo makes reference to older trees often being regarded as ‘a symbol of life and immortality’, as well as representing concepts such as physical growth and ‘psychological maturation’. Consequently, this evidence of their contemplative benefits adds further weight to the already widely acknowledged importance of retaining existing, visually significant trees at a development’s site planning stage, and of landscape architects ensuring there is enough space provided for any proposed trees to grow to their full size.
Large stones have long been assigned
with religious and spiritual significance by different cultures, with an obvious everyday example being the inscribed stone slabs in a churchyard or cemetery. In a healthcare setting, boulders can often be modified to double up as a focal water feature.
Neuroscience for Designing Green
Spaces confirms that the archetypal ‘mountain’ can be represented in a landscape design context by a mound which, beside its heroic connotations, can both act as an visually intermediate focal point, and serve to direct a viewer’s attention up to the sky, prompting in some instances the ‘feeling of moving to a higher spiritual plane’. The final archetypal element, widely
deployed by landscape architects, is the Circle, representing ‘wholeness and unity’, as well as being a symbol in some cultures of ‘renewal and rebirth’. This can drive the form of spaces, as well as the design of other elements such as archways.
The introduction of more asymmetry, flowing lines, and carefully managed naturalistic planting, could yield significant mental health benefits for both patients and staff, although the exact extent of these will obviously vary, depending on both the individuals’ concerns and the treatment context
THE NETWORK | FEBRUARY 2024
iv) Biodiversity (16%) Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo highlights the fact that relatively sparsely vegetated environments such as a beach or desert can constitute a valuable contemplative environment, and that the determining factor is the perception of wildness and richness, rather than the total number of species that may be present in any given area. She states that, regardless of ethical origins, ‘Neuroscience research has established that the curved or broken lines and asymmetric, chaotic patterns will be preferred by our senses, and hence the brain will generate more positive exposure than exposure to straight lines’.
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