Healing Spaces: Investigating the Therapeutic Potentials of Architecture in Semi-Rural Central Java
Authors:   , Lee Corinne 
Published: November 2021

<p>The right to health as defined by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) includes any service or facility that aids to bridge the gap between health and sickness (OHCHR 25). Whilst still in a phase of infancy, a new field of architecture – therapeutic architecture – has begun seeing its first applications although this is currently limited to a first world context. There is a need to investigate the potential applications in a developing world context and this is of particular interest to disaster-vulnerable Indonesia. Indonesia is a country plagued with many natural disasters which consistently afflict widespread damage and destruction. These disasters have a significant impact on the growing number of rural, lower income communities which, as a result of each disaster, are pushed further back into poverty and often even further away from access to adequate healthcare. This situation is made worse by the corruption and poor infrastructure of the country. This thesis investigates the potential application of therapeutic architecture in a low-income community in Central Java. As access to healthcare is identified as intrinsically linked to the region’s vulnerability to disaster, this thesis also considers the need for a wider disaster responsive approach. Therapeutic goals already established by existing research are considered through the design of a disaster-ready community health centre. This health centre will serve as hub for the region, providing both eastern- and western-based health care, as well as teaching and meeting spaces. The design proposes a holistic response, which provides access to primary health care while also establishing a therapeutic environment which supports patient healing and well-being. This thesis conducted an in depth analysis of research on therapeutic architecture and existing precedents, and specific methods were extrapolated through a series of design iterations. A range of media were employed – for example, digital and analogue modelling, hand drawings, and digital rendering – to iterate multiple outcomes. A couple residing within the local community, as well as a group of healthcare professionals, were approached during the investigative phase to help inform the design process. This thesis aims to encourage and open the discussion into the application of therapeutic design to a developing world context. The scope of this thesis is limited to a selection of well-researched principles from three main perspectives – namely, evidence-based design, salutogenic design, and phenomenology. It is acknowledged that many factors and perspectives currently exist which could not be covered by this thesis. However, the intention of this thesis is to draw illustrations at a more general level in order to encourage further investigations within this area. While this investigation specifically responds to the unique needs of Central Java, it is hoped the conclusions not only build upon and challenge the existing body of work, but also open new opportunities for discourse in therapeutic architecture.</p>