ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the research to evaluate the hospital design process in the UK, including summarizing the various design goals of different groups of stakeholders. It also discusses some ways in which our work contributes to interpretation of, and potential improvement in, hospital design, especially for mental health care. For purposes of this project, ideas about therapeutic landscapes have been derived from three theoretical strands: Cultural ecology, structuralism and poststructuralism, and humanism. Therapeutic landscapes theory postulates that certain physical attributes are perceived as important for human health and well-being, and for healing. The cultural diversity at the hospital is evident among the staff as well as the patients. Decision-making about hospital design raises some fundamental questions about who should be able to influence the process and how 'public science' works to inform discussions about risks and opportunities of new developments for human well-being.
