Watch our fourth Parlour LAB here!
Rebecca McLaughlan and Naomi Stead discuss their research into architecture and wellbeing, beginning with a short presentation from Naomi on her new research project into mental wellbeing in the architecture profession, and from Rebecca on the potential of architectural spaces to improve patient wellbeing, and finding joy in unlikely spaces.
“… when you’re conducting research in a context where mistakes in design or construction can and occasionally do result in life and death outcomes, how people feel might not seem quite so important. Let me explain why it is.” - Rebecca McLaughlan
Key takeaways from Rebecca included:
How healthcare environments look and feel contributes to patient anxiety including their willingness to seek treatment and their ability to recover. For example, clutter, worn-out materials and bad housekeeping all contribute to patient anxiety because that is perceived to correlate with a lack of care for the patient;
When the environment doesn’t match the level of care that staff aspire to deliver it causes staff deep frustration and stress;
The architecture of palliative care environments can change the stigma associated with a place to death, to a place where family and friends can focus on spending time with a person they love;
The architecture of healthcare environments can invite joy when the built environment challenges expectations of what an institutional environment is expected to look like or of the things you’re allowed to do within it.
“There’s an almost overwhelming flood of anecdotal accounts of problems with work-related wellbeing in architecture. However, we … don’t have sufficient evidence to be able to prove it, let alone put in place effective actions that might improve the situation.” - Naomi Stead
Key takeaways from Naomi included:
A culture of all-nighters and “the fetishisation of exhaustion” is consistently seen in many schools of architecture and carries on into the profession as amazing and joyful architecture can be produced at a huge personal cost to architectural staff;
In response, Naomi’s research on architectural work cultures asks: Is there an issue with work-related wellbeing in architecture? If yes, what are its characteristics and how does it manifest? What are its causal factors? Is professional identity contributing positively or negatively?
You will be able to take part in the survey for this research! Keep an eye on Parlour for more information.
You can receive 1 formal CPD point on completion of the CPD questions. Purchase access to the CPD questions here. Once completed, you will receive an email with your responses. This provides the evidence of attendance and completion for the session named at the top of this document. Please keep the response email for your records. It counts as your certificate. Series learning objectives can be found here.