Designing therapeutic landscapes

It is well-known that natural elements in the urban environment make people feel psychologically and physically better, particularly people who are more fragile. Now a workshop in Perugia is exploring the specific design themes of therapeutic landscapes.


(George Heinrich Photography, courtesy of ASLA)

“Healing Gardens”  is the term used for gardens with therapeutic benefits, an environment where nature is ever-present, and it is scientifically proven that people feel better when they have access to these environments (see the Sydenham project by studio Architype). 

Landscape architect, Monica Botta, has been working in this area for years: “... (healing gardens) are generally constructed in healthcare facilities, accessible to everyone and designed to have beneficial effects on most users who take the opportunity to visit them. They can also be a haven and place for relatives, visitors, medical and healthcare staff in the facilities to take time out, rest and relax.”

The “Workshop for designing and defining different kinds of healing gardens, focusing on the healing and wellbeing of children, the elderly and the disabled” explores this topic further. A format developed by the scientific committee, namely the “Design of health facilities” cluster in the Polytechnic of Milan and Fondazione Villa Fabbri under the leadership of the Scuola Umbra di Amministrazione Pubblica (an institution established by the Umbria region to improve the quality of public administration). 

The Workshop is designed for all professionals, design experts, operators specialising in the health and healthcare context and anyone who wants to explore the ties between built environment, wellbeing and health, with particular reference to the direct relationship between the place and the therapy. The approach is oriented towards the contexts of public city vegetation - parks and gardens - to provide the tools, methods and blueprints to create spaces where nature engages with people and helps in the healing process. 

Christiane Bürklein

More about the workshop here: http://www.villaumbra.gov.it/corso/workshop-per-la-progettazione-e-definizione-di-dif.html
Images: see captions, all rights reserved  - Sky Crown Garden - Sydenham Garden Centre - Floating Flowe Garden - The Garden