Architecture healing element: a case study of garden in San Juan De Dios

Abstract

Plants are gift from God to mankind because they are not only providing us with food, shelter, medicine, fiber, and fuel, but also can be treated as a medicine for people who are in a stress environment. They work as a healing element, creating a pleasant and calming area in a negative surrounding. The aim of this study is to investigate the importance of plants and gardens in a healthcare design and how they affect the conditions of the occupants in a building. Literature review on Said (2003), Ulrich (1999) (2002), and DuBose (2011) are carried out to understand a definition as well as connection between architecture features and healing element. A case study also is conducted focusing on gardens in a healthcare facility which is Memorial of the Maritime Sanatorium of San Juan de Dios, Chile. From the design features and spatial quality in the garden, the variables then connected with healing constructs based on relationship between architectural features and healing constructs framework by DuBose et al., 2011. From the analysis, the feature in the garden can be a reference for future consideration, especially on design and planning.