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Prepared by: Jeana, Kayla, and Roc, Fall 2023
The natural and social aspects of landscapes offer a variety of healing benefits to those suffering from stress and disconnection. If designed thoughtfully, outdoor spaces can become places of relaxation, restoration, and rehabilitation for familial relationships.
The natural and social aspects of landscapes offer a variety of healing benefits to those suffering from stress and disconnection. If designed thoughtfully, outdoor spaces can become places of relaxation, restoration, and rehabilitation for familial relationships.
In recent years, an increasing body of research has been compiled, highlighting the benefits of the outdoors on child development. Interaction with nature has been proven to play a role in physical and mental well-being for both adults and children. Designed landscapes help to foster these benefits by providing a healing setting for adults and children to connect with each other.
Research suggests that landscapes can help caregivers develop better communication and deepen their relationship with their children by:
Allowing child-driven play
Allowing child-driven play
Encouraging parent-child interactions
Encouraging parent-child interactions
Relieving parental stress
Relieving parental stress
Concerns about healing landscape design and its impact on children and adults alike has led to redefining outdoor spaces across various landscapes. Research has found that play has a significant role in a child’s healthy development (Moore, 2002), and a relationship to how children are able to manage trauma (St. Thomas and Johnson, 2007). Playful interactions with nature, other children, and play structures, as well as with adults and different materials available helps to stimulate the development of mind, spirit and body in a child (Moore, 2002).
For successful design of healthy landscapes, we identified three important considerations:
Diversity of Natural Settings
Diversity of Natural Settings
Variety of plant species used for a outdoor healing space in Comer Children's Hospitalhttps://www.site-design.com/projects/ucmc-comer-childrens-hospital-playground/
Flexibility of Space
Flexibility of Space
Open lawns provides flexibility for different opportunitieshttps://www.landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/randall-childrens-hospital
Multi-Sensory Design
Multi-Sensory Design
NHA garden featuring several healing spaces including a labyrinth, reflexology path, outdoor yoga space and contemplative gardens https://dhmdesign.com/portfolio/true-nature-healing-arts/
The following case studies demonstrate how a landscape can be designed to attract family-oriented activities and promote family connections.
"A large net play structure allows children to climb high, but has ropes to catch them if they slip. "https://www.migcom.com/work/yanaguana-garden-play-area
Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair
Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair
Location:San Antonio, TX
Date Designed / Built: 2015
Client: Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation; City of San Antonio
Designer: MIG
An Aerial view of the Ricardo Lara Linear Parkhttps://www.swagroup.com/projects/ricardo-lara-park/
Ricardo Lara Linear Park
Ricardo Lara Linear Park
Location: Lynwood, California
Date Designed / Built: 2015
Client: City of Lynwood
Designer: SWA Group
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