RESEARCH IN ARCHITECTURE

PHYCHIATRIC
REHABILITATION CENTRE
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SAGARIKA JENA
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I. INTRODUCTION

 PHYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION CENTRE-

Psychiatric rehabilitation, also known as psychosocial rehabilitation as the
process of restoration of community functioning and well-being of an
individual diagnosed in mental health or mental or emotional disorder and
who may be considered to have a psychiatric disability. The psychiatric
rehabilitation center serves as a transitional zone between the hospital and
the community where patients are taught the requisite skills needed to be
reintegrated into the community.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as «a being of

well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope
with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is
able to make a contribution to his or her community’

The following work helps us to relate architecture for the treatment and
wellbeing of a mentally ill person. A mentally disturbed person perceives
his environment differently than a so-called healthy person. If the space
that surrounds us can affect our perception, our sense of well being, and
our mood, what is then the ideal environment for a mentally ill person?

This study will also throw light on the social stigmas that persist when it
comes to mental illness and also tries to weave a relation between the
psychology of patients and spaces.

 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT-

 Society in its cultural context has always strongly influenced the
handling of the mentally ill. In some periods of history the
mentally ill were locked up like dangerous criminals. More
recently, a better understanding of the illnesses has developed.
Prejudices against mental illness can also hinder people in need
of psychiatric treatment from seeking professional care.
Psychiatric interventions often come late, when people are already
in a state of acute crisis.

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  Mental illness stigma is defined as the “devaluing, disgracing, and
disfavoring by the general public of individuals with mental
illnesses. In addition, stigma can prevent mentally ill individuals
from seeking treatment, adhering to treatment regimens, finding
employment, and living successfully in community settings. In
2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified stigma and
discrimination towards mentally ill individuals as “the single most
important barrier to overcome in the community. It is important
to improve the image of psychiatry and the centre in the
population in order to reduce stigmatization as far as possible.
This is architecture interventions needs to be worked out.

 PRESENT DAY SCENARIO

 Existing facilities Psychiatric (Mental) hospitals in India.

In all the hospitals run by government a total number of 12,785 beds,

added to this about 2,200 beds in private sector, only 1500 beds in all
are available for psychiatric patients, giving a ratio of one bed to about
30,000 population in India. While in England the corresponding ratio is
approximately one bed to 300 of the population. According to WHO
countries like India devote less than 1% of their health budget to
mental health compared to 10%, 12%, 18% in other countries. Mental
disorders afflict 5 crore of the Indian population (5%) and need special
care. 80% of our districts do not have even one psychiatrist in public
service. It is revealed from the survey carried out in “mental hospital-
Bangalore” only 3% facilities are available.

 In addition to the admitted facts that the mental hospitals are very
primitive and out of date, hospital buildings are poor and unsuitable
with the advance of time and scientific method of treatment of
psychiatric patients. Even after the successful treatment, the
patients become isolated with the community and there is a lack of

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 self esteem. The patient recovers from the illness but suffers from
emotional turmoil like lack of confidence to work and earn or
socialize. Thus, the psychiatric treatment should now focus more on
the mental healing rather than only just curing the disease.

II.RESEARCH STATEMENT-

The research aims at establishing that architecture should be

designed to support the patients in a holistic manner based on the
research into perception and the architectural strategies needed in
the design of a healing environment: community, security and
privacy, patient control including spatial intelligibility and basic
orientation, light, sound and positive distraction. Buildings should
not just respond to the physical needs of its users but also to their
emotional needs.

III.AIM-

The major aim of this research work is to understand the need of

architectural spaces and approaches which will help in rehabilitation
and recovery of the mentally ill patients by creating a healing and
therapeutic environment.

IV.OBJECTIVES-

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  An analysis of the present day condition of mental illness and the
existing facilities catering to it, thus establishing the need for
psychiatric rehabilitation centres.
 The identification of the therapeutic activities helped in recommending
safe and protected spaces and environment for effective functioning of
both patients and staff.
 Understanding how architecture can help with the healing and
therapeutic affect on the patients and establishes an architecture to
support a new model for mental health care using the results outlined
in the research.

V.SCOPE-

 The psychiatric rehabilitation center will serve as a transitional zone

between the hospital and the community where patients are taught the
requisite skills needed to be reintegrated into the community. It focuses on
how best to integrate these recovered mental patients back into society
through the use of a rehabilitation centre to enable them have control over
their lives and contribute meaningfully to economic development. . The
rehabilitation center will seek to accomplish two main purposes.

 They are 1) to help train recovered patients in skills acquisition for

gainful employment and 2) to help provide the opportunity for patients
to gradually acquire socialization skills through their supervised contact
with some members of the community.

VI. LIMITATION-
 Talking to the patients or getting entry into the premises will require
heavy paper work and permissions.
 The constraints on designing the center due to the limitations on the
patients prevailing because of their health conditions.

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VII. METHODOLOGY-

 DATA COLLECTION: collection of data through various media and

conducting interviews and surveys with the concerned authorities
 Internet data collection
 Research papers
 Requirements of patients for overall recovery
 Standards of design and building data
 Rules and regulations of psychiatric rehabilitation centre

 CASE STUDY OF SIMILAR CENTRE-

 Data compilation
 Study of spaces and their effect
 Analysis and comparison
 Conclusion

 DESIGN PROJECT-
 Site selection and justification
 Site analysis and documentation
 Design concept and strategies
 Technical drawings
 Conclusion

VIII.LITERATURE REVIEW

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1.NAME- Psychology of Architecture for The Mentally ill
AUTHOR- Smriti Dhingra
Final year architecture student at Malviya National Institute of Technology,
Jaipur, (Rajasthan), INDIA
LINK-https://www.researchtrend.net/ijet/pdf/119-%20203.pdf

The arcticle summarizes that Architecture today revolves around

aesthetics and imageability, rather it should be more about the
feeling that the user imbibes while using that space. A space should
have the potential to attract more than just the vision. Scale, colour,
natural light, textures, landscapes are the aids through which a
space can have a dialogue with the emotions in a human body by
creating mental images of it which we commonly call as perception.
The given study focuses on the factors which could lend experiential
quality to spaces and also strives to answer this one question - can
spaces heal? Diving in the psychology of architecture effort has been
made to observe and document the mental asylums, their current
flaws and their corresponding rectifications. It concludes Buildings
should not just respond to the physical needs of its users but also to
their emotional needs giving reference to patients with mental illness.

2. NAME- A THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY: RETHINKING THE MODEL

HEALTH REHABILITATION MODEL
AUTHOR- RACHEL SLATER
KRYSTYNA GRIFFITHS
LINK- http://www.presidentsmedals.com/Entry-36381

The research paper explores the therapeutic design in healthcare facilities

and multisensory design. It proposes a new urban typology for mental
health rehabilitation focusing on how sensory architecture space can help
stimulate psychological social and physical recovery

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3. NAME-Healing architecture: Designing for the Mentally ill
AUTHOR- Ayman H. Makki
Architect, Architecture & Design (A&D) Beirut, Lebanon
LINK- https://scholar.cu.edu.eg/?q=mmyoussif/files/ayman_makki.pdf

The author focusses on the part that Youth who suffer mental illness are at
the risk of social isolation and stigmatization. The aunthor feels these
children are either hidden from the public eye, or sent away to secluded
facilities. Such practices hinder them from achieving their potential and
actually make their condition worse. Thus the article concludes that a
mental health facility that is to be designed with the objectives of teaching
them life skills, allowing them to socialize, encouraging them to become
independent, and finally helping in reintegrating them into the wider
community. Such an environment would need to mimic society, in its
structure, functions, and work opportunities, as it would also need to
create links to society and encourage community participation.

4. NAME- The contribution of five human senses towards the perception of

space
AUTHOR- panagiotis hadjiphilippon
LINK-
http://www.academia.edu/2460561/The_contribution_of_the_five_human
_senses_towards_the_perception_of_space

This paper examines the importance of human senses in an architecture

environment and how significant is the space for people where some of
their senses are missing. Built environment is an important part of our
living conditions, affecting our experiences, feelings, memories and
ultimately decisions we make. The author quotes Juhani Pallasmaa,
‘touch is the most primary experience in architecture because the senses of
the skin are the mediator between the skin and the world’. The topic is
investigated through case studies and theories.

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IX.LIST OF REFERENCES-

I. Smriti Dhingra, Psychology of Architecture for The Mentally,

II. Ayman H. Makki, Healing architecture: Designing for the
Mentally ILL
III. Peter Zumthor, Thinking Architecture (Basel: Birkhäuser,
1999), pp. 246, 248-250.
IV. Juhani Pallasmaa, Polemics: Architecture and the Senses
(Great Britain: Academy GroupLtd., 1996)
V. The contribution of five human senses towards the perception
of space,panagiotis hadjiphilippon
VI. 2 Joye, Y. “Architectural Lessons from Environmental
Psychology: the Case of Biophilic Architecture.” Review of
General Psychology: Journal of Division 1, of the American
Psychological Association. 11.4 (2007): 305-328. Print.