Therapeutic Architecture: Housing for People with Dementia

Abstract

An environment strongly influences the behavior of individuals with dementia. A well designed physical environment can maintain and enhance the ability to function and improve quality of life. My thesis uses a residential environment for people suffering from dementia as the basis for therapeutic intervention. Understanding the physical and psychological effects of architecture on a person with dementia is an important tool in slowing the progression and effects of the disease. The competence of an individual can effect how he or she experiences a space and can make them respond more intensively to the immediate environment. Building orientation, color, lighting, and access to nature can affect the psyche of a resident and can help stabilize and reduce the effects of the disease.