Synopsis of

Healing through Architecture

Dissertation

Submitted by

G. Kaushik Rao
(BA14RC017)
Bachelor of Architecture

Under guidance of

Prof. Pankaj N. Bahadure

Department of Architecture and Planning

Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology,
Nagpur
Healing through Architecture

1. Introduction
The meaning of wellness is defined as a healthy balance of mind, body and spirit,
responsible for the mankind’s holistic well-being. Architecture and the built environment
have the potential to influence the individual’s well-being. Nature, similarly, functions as a
booster to our wellness as it engages with the multiple senses and thereby provides physical,
mental, and spiritual healing.
Architects Christopher Day 1 and Carol Venolia 2 identified and analysed healing
elements and how these elements can be altered in order to bring mental and physical
therapy into the built form. These elements include light, colour, material, texture and
vegetation.
This dissertation aims to understand the relationship between human senses and
architecture, importance of architecture in holistic healing and study various techniques,
tools (light, material, vegetation, colour, texture and silence). Finally derive conclusions from
the above research.

2. Aim
To study how architecture (and nature) or built-environment influences healing i.e.
Physical, mental and spiritual healing.
Explore how architectural elements (such as light, material, vegetation, colour, texture
and silence) can be implemented in wellness programmes.

3. Objectives
 To study relationship between human senses and architecture (material, techniques,
tools/elements, etc.).
 To identify the importance of architecture in holistic healing i.e. rejuvenation of mind,
body and spirit.

1
Christopher Day, Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental Design as healing Art,
Spirit and Place: Healing our Environment
2
Carol Venolia, Healing Environments: Your Guide to Indoor Well-Being.
Healing through Architecture

 To study various architecture element (such as light, material, vegetation, colour,

texture and silence) and how they have impact on human senses.
 To conduct case studies in places where sensory architecture is predominately used,
read research papers and books related to healing and architecture.
 To derive conclusion from the above study/survey that the architecture is justifiably
important in holistic healing.

4. Scope and Limitation

 The notion of therapy in architecture, and the architectural elements that can
facilitate and enhance the therapeutic value of the built environment which include:
light, material, vegetation, colour, texture, and silence.
 The relationship between humans’ senses (sight, hear, smell, touch, warmth) and the
built environment, and providing atmospheres that please and satisfy all these senses.
 However, this project, although it considers aspects relate to Organic Architecture, it
is not looking at being fully organic, instead, utilising organic form and land
relationship.

5. Methodology

DESIGN PROGRAM

LITERATURE STUDY CASE STUDIES Conclusions

1) Study notion of architecture in

therapy through different means. 1) Building Typology
- Light - Vegetation 2) Identify Architecturural
Techniques used in design.
- Material - Colour
3) Identify materaials and their
- Texture - Silence application w.r.t spaces.
2) Relation between human 4) Philosphy and inspiration of
senses and Architecture. design.
3) Relation between human 5) Use of elements like, water
senses and material. vegetation, etc. in Landscape
Healing through Architecture

6. References
 Books
 Christopher Day - Places of the Soul: Architecture and Environmental
Design as healing Art
 Christopher Day - Spirit and Place: Healing our Environment
 Carol Venolia - Healing Environments: Your Guide to Indoor Well-Being
 Case Studies
 Quiet healing centre, Auroville
 National association for the blind, Indore
 5 Senses garden, Delhi
 Nimba nature cure village, Gujarat
 Articles and Research Papers