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The Healing Place
Evidence-based research as verification of the architecutral agenda of Paimio Sanatorium
Healing nature
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The aim is to investigate how nature and landscape can constitute the healing process of the user, through evidencebased research investigating the codependents of nature and human wellbeing. Furthermore, this analysis questions what defines the site-specific nature and what qualities should be brought into place in the design.
Nature has specific impact on the healing process of human, especially the ability to experience senses, especially taste, smell and view to nature is something that has a certain impact on human health. When addressing the sensory experience of nature in health design, it is important to take accessibility into account, e.g. by making room for beds or wheelchairs to come around and allow for stays in minor recessed areas or niches. Research finds the ability to stay in nature and view to animal wildlife as something increasing the quality of life for patients especially in health design, making them calm and happy. Transition from inside to outside is important for the use of outdoor areas and research finds the more integrated outdoor areas are to indoor areas, the higher chance that they are being used. This could e.g. be considered via use of materials that extend from inside to outside to create an experience of a fluent transition. Changing weather conditions are important to consider by integration of chairs, tables and other furniture or roofed elements that creates shelter and lee for the user. View to nature acts as a positive element when suffering from pain as it distracts one’s attention from the pain. View and accessibility to greenery generally have calming effect on one’s physical health, e.g. the heart rate (Arkitektur-lindring.dk, 2019). Situated in Limfjorden, Egholm is emerged from raised Stone-age seabed reasoning in a landscape of which the island today is characterised by. Covering 605 hectares having 50 local inhabitants it is a small island with an open wide landscape. Though, visited by nearly 100.000 tourists every year (Aalborg.dk, unknown). The highest point of Egholm is only 1,5 meter above sea level. Thus, dikes have been built almost around the whole island in order to keep the fields above sea.
Egholm’s ecological tradition is reflected in the nature which is mainly characterised by fields that serves an agricultural purpose with 13 local farms. Remaining nature is either characterised by forest, open land with beaches, wetland or meadows. Meadows are found around the edges of the island. A special kind of light and open landscape that has rare types of plants that has adapted to the saltwater conditions. The north-eastern part of the island is in oppose characterised by huge stones originating from the glacial period making the landscape seemingly barren. Here one can experience the tide twice a day.
As a conclusion the health centre design should include areas to stay both interior and exterior, where one has access to the surrounding landscape. Preferably, these access points should enhance the different qualities of the changing landscape, by e.g. views, bridges to walk on top of and trails allowing the user to explore the landscape. Furthermore, the transition between interior and exterior should be level-less to make it soft and smooth, thus preferably in materials that has similar characteristics. Lastly, sheds or pavilions should be included to exterior pathways, to provide the possibility of shelter and lee.
