LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
This suggests that less rigidly geometric landscape design schemes, reinforced with informal / naturalistic planting, are likely to have the greatest potential to provide mental health benefits. At Khoo Tech Puat, Singapore’s greenest hospital, the plants in the green roof gardens now attract up to 35 different species of butterfly, and the carefully selected tree species are visited by 24 species of bird. This highlights that well-designed biodiverse environments can also provide incidental contact with wildlife, which is widely accepted as contributing to increased levels of well- being.
v) Colour and light (13%)
Neuroscience for Designing Green Spaces states that ‘according to CLM, the most contemplative colours in a landscape scene are of a warm hue and low saturation’, although it is acknowledged that this may not in many cases accord with someone’s personal preferences. The enlivening effect of the constantly patterns of light and shade is highlighted as being particularly something which constitutes another benefit associated with the retention / inclusion of trees in projects.
vi) Landform (10%) Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo observes that ‘looking up to the sky, watching the sunset, or moving clouds and observation of the stars at night, have been always connected to contemplation’. Consequently, she advocates the incorporation of both architectural and landscape elements (including seating furniture with a tilted back, such as lounge chairs) which direct someone’s attention upwards. In addition, she highlights that environmental psychology research has revealed a general preference for a smooth undulating asymmetrical topography, due to its stronger association with the natural world.
vii) Compatibility (8%) Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo emphasises in her book the necessity for ‘wilderness’ elements within a particular landscape to be appropriately managed, and for there to be a correct balance with ‘more manicured’ elements, to avoid potentially increasing levels of anxiety in some
Mark Stefan
Mark Stefan MSc, BSc (Hons), Dip LA, CMLI, director at landscape architecture and planning practice, Design with Nature, is a Chartered Landscape Architect with over 35 years’ experience in the public, charity, and private sectors. He has been involved in designing a wide variety of schemes aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of users, including parks / green spaces, school grounds, natural play areas, and healthcare settings. Relevant projects include the production of a landscape masterplan (and the subsequent detailed design of individual courtyards / spaces) for a large care home complex located north of Birmingham, a garden for an Alzheimer’s day centre in London, and landscape design input for a new medium secure unit in east Birmingham. His skills include client liaison, site analysis / problem-solving, masterplanning, detailed hard / soft design, and project management / contract administration. He is passionate about the design of therapeutic landscapes that provide people with physical, visual, and auditory access to nature, and help improve their overall levels of wellbeing, something which he believes benefits both the individual and wider society. He is a qualified Building with Nature assessor, and in his spare time serves as a Green Flag judge.
26 FEBRUARY 2024 | THE NETWORK
At Caudwell International Children’s Centre at Keele University, glazed facades have been incorporated to provide panoramic views of adjoining woodland.
individuals. In addition, she stresses the importance of spatial order and simplicity in the design of therapeutic landscapes, as this minimises the risk of distracting stimuli, which can significantly reduce the contemplative potential of a particular space. Although reference above has been made to the importance, in many instances, of external views, she emphasises that contemplative space is often effectively centred around a focal point, which can inwardly focus an individual’s attention, and be perceived by them as offering a sense of sanctuary. Quoted examples include cloisters associated with medieval monasteries, Japanese Zen gardens, and pocket parks – all of which have some degree of relevance to the type of landscape treatments appropriate in many mental health settings.
Concluding comments Traditionally, the layout of external areas associated with healthcare facilities has often been dominated by straight lines and geometry. However, the evidence presented in Neuroscience for Designing Green Spaces suggests that 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. Although many of the topics covered in Neuroscience for Designing Green Spaces are routinely taken into account during the design development process undertaken by architects and landscape architects, the potential contemplative benefits of using specific features to direct the views attention towards the sky may be less widely appreciated. In conclusion, it is considered that
the Contemplative Landscape Model (CLM) is a useful frame of reference for practitioners, architects, and landscape architects involved in the design and development of external space associated with various different types of mental healthcare facilities. However, it is acknowledged that in some instances there will be safety and patient-related concerns that pre-empt the inclusion of some elements that may otherwise be desirable for a contemplative landscape. The assigned ranking of each component is a valuable feature of CLM, enabling priorities to be established in the face of any spatial, budgetary, or other constraints.
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Courtesy of Caudwell Children’s Centre
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