Abstract

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the stagnant hospital architectural typology and the numerous ways in which architects can implement biophilic approaches into hospital design in order for these spaces to be beneficial to patients’ psychological state of mind.

Identification and categorisation of biophilic experiences and approaches are explored in order to understand the various approaches to biophilia and the numerous benefits these approaches have on patients’ psychological wellbeing. Key influences, both scientific and political, of the hospital typology are explored in order to understand the aesthetic and layout evolution of the typology. Various case studies are utilised to emphasise the drastic typology change which has occurred in hospital architecture. In order to break away from unsuccessful hospital design, ethical design is discussed with emphasis on the need for new teaching strategies within architectural institutions in order to generate architects of the future that have a strong understanding of human-centred design. This theoretical framework is used to analyse two twenty-first century case studies that have successfully utilised biophilic approaches in order to beneficially improve patients’ mental state of mind.

Through this insight into biophilic design and hospital typology, it is evident that it is the responsibility of architects to not only design hospital spaces that are functional but also to design spaces that are beneficial to the patient’s psychological state of mind through implementing a variety of biophilic approaches.