Abstract
AbstractColour design in mental healthcare environments is acutely significant. Sensory acuity may be impaired through age, illness, or heightened stress and anxiety. While research has played a role in the development of guidance on the use of colour in such environments, this article suggests that this tends to be followed in a dogmatic, risk‐averse manner and predominately without professional design input, leading to monotonous and under‐stimulating environments. The article reports on two case study projects by the authors, involving user participation and student volunteers. These colour design installations provide examples of practice‐led applied research within occupied healthcare facilities. The article discusses the significance of site‐specific colour design in relation to place‐making and wayfinding with reference to previous research that considers the role of colour as part of the everyday experience of all users, in contrast to an approach focused solely on the behavior of patients. It concludes that colour design knowledge developed and applied through “real world” live projects, involving students as part of their architectural education can address some of the shortcomings of laboratory or staged colour research.
Highlights
In the UK, mental health provision is a growing concern, with one in four people experiencing mental illness at some point.[1]
Slide representations, and color swatches inevitably these do little justice, and system variables are often constrained out by the experimental design itself.”[28]. What can be learned from fieldwork, what is different about practice-led inquiry, and how might we evaluate these “live projects”? In short, what does the colour do?
Further that “...it has a calm feeling, light and airier and this helps patients with dementia feel calm themselves.”[45]. The majority of respondents, who were predominately nursing staff, had not observed the patients making any reference to the colour in terms of wayfinding
Summary
In the UK, mental health provision is a growing concern, with one in four people experiencing mental illness at some point.[1]. Intermittent short-stay admissions and chronic long-term care, where clinical treatments are required, are most frequently provided for users in a hospital environment. While purpose-designed new build healthcare facilities often include art installations and colour strategies as part of the design process, many people with mental health issues, including dementia, are cared for within facilities that are not purpose-designed. Hilary Dalke led a colour design research group at Kingston University, that undertook substantive research into light and colour in healthcare environments.[2] The Stirling University Dementia Services Development Center is considered a leading international agency for research and application of design for dementia, including guidance on colour.[3] The social context of the users is a consideration.
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