Active Atmospheres – Designing to Support Better Mental Health Outcomes

A new open residential psychiatric ward (the Soteria 2) at the St. Hedwigs Hospital in Berlin opened its doors on 1 September 2023. This presentation will focus on how the ward was designed using the sociopetal concepts of late modernist Japanese-Canadian architect Kiyoshi Izumi in combination with 'active atmosphere' mechanisms developed in an ongoing interdisciplinary process with psychiatrist Dr Martin Voss of the Charité Berlin. To underpin the larger themes of connecting communities at imm2024, I explore the inclusive and interdisciplinary consensus design method used for the project. One of the greatest challenges architects face in mental health projects is balancing the needs of the institution with the needs of the individual patient. Critical decisions that can affect the outcome of a patient's health are often made by designers who prioritise scaled efficiencies without a full understanding of the consequences for those in recovery. Co-education and common language methods can help to level the playing field. I will also discuss the development of sociopetal concepts and their use in mental health design. Sociopetal design can help support communities in transient use cases, such as inpatient psychiatric wards, which need ways to help people quickly connect and identify with their environment as they find their way back to health. Finally, I will share some slides on active atmosphere and how we have used colour in combination with bespoke lighting solutions to reinforce identity, provide intuitive orientation and thereby support the wider therapeutic goals of the team. For a preview of the project to be presented, please visit the thinkbuild website at: https://thinkbuild.com/soteria-2. The presentation will last approximately 45 minutes and will include time for questions and an open discussion following the presentation.