Utilization Of The Theropeutic Landscape Around Inpatient Buildings-Case Studies Of 3 Hospitals In Beijing,Zhengzhou,Taichung

Associated with the development of economy and construction industry in China,the industrialization and humanization of healthcare environments have received a lot of attentions.Relevant research topics range from the focus of technology innovations to the improvement of environmental quality and industrial competitiveness.To promote the quality of outdoor environments in inpatient settings,appropriate design and planning of the environments should be promoted.For high-quality patient care,appropriate outdoor environments in hospitals should promote environmental comfort and contribute to psychological and mental health.Along with healthcare architects,landscape designers play critical roles in the development of healthcare environments,including both new construction and renovation.Outdoor environments in healthcare settings in China are generally under-utilized.One possible reason of this phenomenon is the short of environmental analysis and evidence-based research in hospital design,leading to low-level utilization and overlooked user needs.The design of outdoor environments in hospitals should integrate factors of site planning and landscaping,with respect to the relationship between people and environment.Lots of theoretical research and design practices have found that appropriate outdoor environments in hospitals help to reduce stress and positively distract patient attentions away from personal pain and un-comfort.Compared with other types of public buildings,Hospitals should satisfied the demand of the users and be more concerned with the therapeutic effects on people.If the nearby outdoor environments promote a relaxing atmosphere in inpatient settings,it is expected to better address patient needs and promote healthcare outcomes.According to Evidence-based design research methods,if the outdoor environment is reasonable,not only need the data collected from investigation,but also the feelings and evaluation from users.Levels of environmental utilization and patient satisfaction are expected to be higher.This research focuses on healthcare settings in multiple regions of China,including the northern,central,and southern areas.Evidence-based data collection was conducted in three large-scale general hospitals in Beijing,Zhengzhou(Henan)and Taichung(Taiwan).Multiple theories including site planning,environmental psychology and therapeutic landscaping were used to guide this research.Evidence-based design research tools such as observation and questionnaire surveys were applied.Collected data included the features of outdoor environments in sample hospitals and measures of environmental utilization,such as the duration and frequency of users’ visits.Data analyses investigated different levels of utilization in relation with outdoor environmental design features.Need summary of findings.Based the findings,specific guidelines are provided for designing appropriate outdoor environments in hospitals,In order to explore more possibilities of site,environment and landscape design.