ABSTRACT
There are a range of ways in which the environment can contribute in therapeutic settings to support their users. This chapter first looks at the relationship between ideas of therapeutic support and the design of the settings in which people live or are treated. It examines different models of treatment, support, and ability, including the custodial, medical, prosthetic, and enhancements models. Four examples of therapeutic and supportive environments are considered: prisons, psychiatric hospitals, design for dementia and classroom design for autistic children. The examples demonstrate that using more than one model often provides better therapeutic and supportive environments than taking a single perspective. It also shows the importance of integrating the environment design and user needs to improve well-being and functioning. The second part of the chapter examines the idea of restorative environments and two theories that underlie them: Attention Restoration Theory and Stress Reduction Theory. The extensive literature on restorative environments suggests that there is evidence that natural environments, with specific characteristics, have the potential to reduce stress improve both physical and mental wellbeing. Natural environments are also now part of the green prescribing movement that include social and environmental factors as part of treatment.
