Architecture for well-being: improving mental wellness on campus through design

Abstract

Mental health is as important as physical health, yet mental wellness is difficult to sustain without access to the necessary support. Post-secondary students are particularly vulnerable to experiencing poor mental health, and among the four largest of Ontario’s universities, Western University, ranks the highest for mental health concerns negatively impacting student academics. Despite Western’s current therapeutic and recreational offerings, more mental health support is needed on campus. This Thesis proposes a purpose-built Student Center on the campus’ pastoral western side in combination with the redesign of specific existing exterior and interior spaces to better support wellness. Guided by the concept of a journey toward well-being, these design interventions create a path leading from the University’s central “concrete beach” to the forested edge of campus. By providing incentives to walking with spaces for therapeutic services, private contemplation and social gathering, this Thesis offers a strategy for how architectural design may support well-being.