Hortitherapeutic gardens a place of welfare for people with neurological dysfunctions. Aspects of design

Ewa Kosiacka-Beck, Izabela Myszka

doi:10.37190/arc200308

Abstract

Garden therapy is nowadays considered as a worldwide therapy method for people with various health disorders. Furthermore, the aspect of human’s unconditional need of contact with nature that is so crucial in the therapy became the groundwork for therapy research allocated to suit people with neurologic dysfunctions. The article presents guidelines for designing garden spaces for people with such conditions. Proposed principles are based on an in-depth study of literature of the given subject, as well as on the results of dialogues conducted by the authors with therapeutic centers authorities and their patients. The research was directly based on infomal interviews with patients and their family members as well as on an in-depth interview with therapists, on direct observation of facilities, on functional and spatial structure of potential therapeutic garden, as well as on observation of patients’ behavior and their participation in the daily activities provided by the center. Nonetheless, proposals that we have established are also collective results from the authors’ previous experience in creating therapeutic spaces. The research undertaken on designing green areas around health institutions clearly highlights the requirement of an individual approach towards each space and patients’ health condition, in order to maintainthe standards of modern therapeutic methods.

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