Dissertation - Grace Jenkins

Conclusion Hospitals are designed to have functional spaces for healing patients’ physical conditions (injuries, diseases), however many believe hospital design can offer better healing properties by also taking into consideration psychological aspects related to design. This dissertation explored a variety of biophilic approaches that can be used within hospital design through notable influences that have drastically changed the hospital typology which have informed the spatial analysis of two twenty-first century case studies. This analysis combines to reveal the need to change the typology from scientific and political influenced design to human-centred design.

This dissertation describes the need for human-centred hospitals through analysing numerous ways biophilic experiences can be used within hospital designs and the need and importance of ethical design within this typology. Chapter one discussed various approaches of biophilic design, in order to support the spatial analysis in chapter three. This dissertation begins by identifying and characterising the beneficial biophilic experiences that improve patients’ psychological wellbeing. Each biophilic approach is supported by evidence that demonstrates it success, through the numerous studies provided.

These studies have proven the various ways biophilia can affect the patient’s mental wellbeing, from being able to see time pass to combating fatigue. From the studies provided in chapter one, it is evident that these biophilic approaches are beneficial in providing a hospital space that improves the patients' psychologically state of mind, hence providing physiological healing.

Investigation into hospital typology is necessary as it provides an understanding as to why this typology has become wildly stagnant even into the twenty-first century. Thus, it is important to determine the influences that have caused this to be the case. As discussed in chapter two these influences are scientific and political. The evolution of hospital typology has been examined according to Florence Nightingale's publication in 1863 and a twenty-first century case study. This exploration has shown the drastic change that accrued as a result of scientific and political influences discussed in chapter three. This investigation into the typology concludes with explaining the role of the architect and how it is the architect’s duty to design ethical spaces, thus incorporating biophilic experiences into the designed spaces. Therefore, from this investigation it is concluded that in order to move away from the stagnant state of the hospital typology it is the architectural institutions' responsibility to teach the architects of the future their role within society and to emphasise the importance of ethical design and human-centred design.

Finally, this dissertation concludes with two case studies that demonstrate the different approaches to biophilia and the success of these spaces in benefiting the patient’s psychological wellbeing. This chapter uses the theoretical context discussed in chapters one and two to analyse two twenty-first century case studies. The case studies that are analysed are the Haraldsplass Hospital’s new main building, Bergen, Norway, designed by C.F. Møller Architects (C.F. Møller Architects, 2019), and the Gartnavel Hospital Maggie’s Centre, Glasgow, Scotland, designed by OMA (OMA, 2013). This spatial 35