Research suggests introducing nature into large hospitals can humanise the institutional environment and reduce the stress of patients, visitors and healthcare providers. Landscape architecture researcher at West Virginia University, Shan Jiang’s findings were published in the ‘Health Environments Research and Design Journal’.
He utilised immersive virtual environments, digitally-created “worlds” that users are engrossed in, for a controlled experiment that asked participants to complete various way-finding tasks. Participants in the study saw the same hospital layout and room arrangements. However, while one group encountered large windows and nature views among the corridor walls, the control group saw solid walls without any daylight or nature views. Participants in the green space group used shorter time and walked less distance to complete wayfinding tasks.
Jiang said, “In terms of spatial orientation and wayfinding, window views of nature and small gardens can effectively break down the tedious interiors of large hospital blocks and serve as landmarks to aid people’s wayfinding and improve their spatial experience.” The study also revealed that participants’ mood states, particularly anger and confusion, were “significantly relieved” in the green space group.
She added, “Large hospitals can be visually welcoming but the functionality and internal circulation are indeed complex and confusing.” The study also found that green spaces situated at key decision points, such as the main corridor or junction of departmental units can serve as landmarks that positively attract attention, aid wayfinding and improve the navigational experience.
Jiang said, “You may explain such therapeutic effects from multiple perspectives: people's colour/hue preferences tend to range from blue to green, nature and plants are positive distractions that could restore people's attentional fatigue, and human beings could have developed genetic preference of greenery from an evolutionary perspective. All mechanisms together contribute to the positive experience when looking at gardens and nature views.”
