The Healing Haven: Youth Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Community Centre

The Healing Haven

Youth Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Community Centre

Design Studio 5 & 6 : Human-Centred Design

The Healing Haven is a psychosocial rehabilitation & community centre designed for Eve Psychosocial Rehabilitation Centre (Eve), a family-run treatment facility for mild anxiety and depression to severe and enduring mental health issues, addiction and emotional disturbances. This proposed centre will focus on anxiety, stress and depression, targeting the youths of Malaysia. The 38,130 square feet centre is located at 56, Jln Profesor Diraja Ungku Aziz, Seksyen 12, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. By following Eve’s mision of a “home away from home”, the centre is designed to function like a warm, cosy family to create a sense of community and promote social support. Through a holistic approach, spaces like therapeutic gardens, communal spaces with supportive and sensory design are proposed to bring about positive mental health outcomes in the patients, which will aid them on the integration back into society.

therapeutic & sensory garden 

A semi-private therapeutic & sensory garden is located adjacent to patient rooms, featuring some gym bikes, kale garden, swing chair, tall trees and a grassy step seating. The area serves as a secluded gathering space under the shadows of clay breezeblocks, which provides privacy from the neighbours yet allows natural light and ventilation into the space. Some blocks function as planters whilst others as lighting.  At the end, a pause area inspired by maggie’s centre leeds can be seen, which is a bench surrounded by tall plants for quiet contemplation whenever the patients need an isolated space due to overstimulation. Acapulco woven chairs are scattered about for patients to sit and move wherever they please. Vegetable gardens encourage the patients to grow their food, which is a form of tactile stimulation and horticultural therapy.

art workshop studio

This area is designed like a polytunnel, which makes the users feel as if they’re being embraced by the greenery surrounding it, where they can draw inspiration from. There are sketching & painting classes, tufting  and ceramic workshops for visual and tactile stimulation. The lines and shapes on the floor are used for wayfinding because there are a few sub areas in the studio. Akari vitra paper lamps are spread out across the ceiling, not only shading the patients from the sun but also a symbolism of zen, helping to calm the patients when the crafting gets too overwhelming. At night, the lamps may look like moon or stars when one looks up, creating this warm space. Yellow powder coating is selected for the arched steel framing as the colour sparks creativity and optimism.

communal dining

Upon entry, one will  be greeted by a double volume communal dining, which blurs the line between indoor and  outdoor. The double volume ceiling is inspired by close to home, which allows the aroma of food to travel thru, stimulating appetite & allowing occupants to develop daily routines centred around cooking or eating. The smell of homemade dishes may evoke familiar memories in the patients to help them feel at home rather than feeling anxious by the unfamiliarity. A with shallow pond surrounds the communal dining with natural auditory interventions such as water and birdcalls associated with of tranquillity. Gardens are a great source of subtle natural aromas that can leave a calming effect on the occupants, maintaining the body’s internal equilibrium called homeostasis, improving psychological and emotional wellbeing.

community lounge

Perceive personal control over ones surrounding is the ability to control aspects of the physical environment, one of the goals of supportive design, which is why the camaleonda sofa by mario bellini is chosen for the space. Modular furniture is crucial to allow varied arrangements for patients . A sunken seating area with indoor trees bring life and sensory stimulation to the space as blue shelves on the right allows storage for some books or sensory tools to soothe the patients. An outdoor patio right bellow the staircase allows for solitude close to nature, shaded by wavy glass blocks. At the lower ground floor’s lift lobby, there is a shelf for sensory tools and tactile objects that patients can take for fidgeting whenever they wish to calm themselves.

psychotherapy room

The psychotherapy room features two areas, one for a large group and the other for a smaller group. Colourful roly poly chairs are used to add visual and tactile stimulation whilst allowing varied arrangements. The space features lots of fun, soft, and chubby furniture such as the pacha armchairs and marshmallow sofa to stimulate tactile sensory. Okej squiggle rugs are placed on the floor for a touch of fluidity, whereas the walls feature shelves and a planter. A nook next to the window is proposed based on pierce’s sensory design assessment tool.

yoga studio

Next to the arched void, the yoga studio with a large airy space for ventilation purposes serves as a space for therapeutic activities and meditations. Hollow semi-tube shapes are tainted with a soft blue, reflected from an upwards led light suspended from the structure, which reduces glare. Furthermore, the blues and greens in the space creates an optimal calming studio for relaxation. Most of the main service areas surround the courtyard as green views are crucial to mental wellbeing. Once the curtains are all open, the patients are able to enjoy these vistas. Between the hypnotherapy and yoga rooms, a sandpit lounge with non-toxic sand provides some relaxing sand therapy and tactile stimulation for the patients while they wait.

patient room

The rooms feature big arched windows to allow daylight in, the intensity of which can be controlled by curtains. Proper lighting & windows are forms of positive distractions from the supportive design theory, which will alleviate a patients anxiety and discomfort levels. It is understood that proper lighting can contribute to a balanced circadian rhythm, decrease in depressive or agitated symptoms and improve overall mental wellbeing of its occupants. Parquet flooring is selected due to its sustainability of using recycled wood. Pill shapes are engraved into acoustic panels behind the bed, giving the space texture and sound insulation. Pegboard shelves allow patients to decorate the space as they wish to create a sense of familiarity and control.

therapeutic & sensory garden

An optimal healing garden coalesces visually pleasing scenes, variety of plants, experimentation between contrast and harmony of colours, water features and trees that may attract birds or butterflies. Natural auditory interventions such as water and birdcalls are associated with feelings of tranquillity and positive responses. Gardens effuse subtle natural aromas, inducing a calming effect on the occupants, maintaining the body’s internal equilibrium called homeostasis, improving psychological and emotional wellbeing like stress reduction. Tactile stimulation is achieved through walkway slabs, fluffy leaves and smooth rocks. Patients are encouraged to participate in gardening activities, one of the hobbies of Eve’s founder. The hands on process of horticulture therapy promotes positive engagement.

communal kitchen

A communal kitchen encourages patients, friends, families and staffs to participate in cooking activities or workshops together, which is a form of social support based on the supportive design theory. The smell of homemade dishes may evoke familiar memories in the patients to help them feel at home rather than feeling anxious by the unfamiliarity. Susan Whitborne, a professor of psychological and brain sciences from the University of Massachusetts stated that “food memories are more sensory than other memories in that they involve really all five senses, so when you’re that thoroughly engaged with the stimulus it has a more powerful effect,”, hence the nostalgia associated with it as it may remind occupants of a positive memory like a loved family member, home or childhood events (Thomson, 2017; Erwine, 2017). Integrated planters for a touch of nature, which also purifies the air to avoid sick building syndrome.

staff office, director’s room

Mint green shelves of various shapes and sizes makes room for plenty of storage space in the office, with a hotdesking situation in the centre. For the staff, this shelving design may bring visual stimulation into the space for excitement, with the recycled tube light by castor design shop. The director’s room is separated by a glass partition for privacy.

patient room

The rooms feature big arched windows to allow daylight in, the intensity of which can be controlled by curtains. Proper lighting & windows are forms of positive distractions from the supportive design theory, which will alleviate a patients anxiety and discomfort levels. It is understood that proper lighting can contribute to a balanced circadian rhythm, decrease in depressive or agitated symptoms and improve overall mental wellbeing of its occupants. Parquet flooring is selected due to its sustainability of using recycled wood. Pill shapes are engraved into acoustic panels behind the bed, giving the space texture and sound insulation. Pegboard shelves allow patients to decorate the space as they wish to create a sense of familiarity and control.

communal dining and kitchen

A shallow pond surrounds the communal dining, with terracotta floors to stimulate appetite and large trees for a trace of nature, blurring indoors and outdoors. Baby blue bold chairs harmonises with the sky and green hues around it.

counselling room

This room features chubby furniture, bold chairs and a wiggly desk for the therapist. A shelf of arched holes adds freshness to the space compared to regular square shelves. A clear view of the courtyard offers natural interventions for positive responses during the counselling sessions.

reception, waiting area

Customised reception table with integrated planters, cylindrical coffee table and neotenic chairs bring softness to the waiting area, where visitors get a clear view of greeneries. Stepping stones and pebbles make up the walkway which leads to the psychotherapy room and outdoor staircase with an arched canopy.

music studio

Next to the communal dining is a music studio for music therapy, inspired by American garage studios, with full height sliding doors that open up to the car porch, with space for any events or performances by the centre. Semi-circle acoustic baffles are suspended from the ceiling for sound insulation, along with geometric acoustic panels on the walls. Clerestory windows allows daylight in even as the curtains are drawn.