Abstract
Traumatic events often create an emotional shock in individuals following a distressing event, and as a result, some cases are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most patients, likely, experience a shift in their perception of how they see the surrounding environment, whether they are diagnosed or not. This study considers how their perception of the built environment changes and explore the series of these changes. There is a gap in the literature regarding design guidelines for PTSD patients in the architecture field. Moreover, research studies concerning trauma-informed care and design in Egypt are limited. Therefore, it is valuable to highlight the importance of the research in the region. An interview with a therapist initially informed the methodology of the research study. The following methodology stages included a survey and three interviews with post-trauma and PTSD patients. The findings were diverse as each case’s trauma is unique from the other. However, the data collected from the three cases were compared, and the points of similarities were highlighted. The main overlapping themes in spatial design included light, furniture, and organisation. The research paper highlights the essential role that architects could play in this novel field. Future recommendations could include enlarging the sample to gain further information into the paper’s conclusions to develop design guidelines and keeping in mind that including cases that are diagnosed with PTSD or not might inform some differences that emerge in the guidelines.
Presenters
Salma HalawaResearch Assistant, Architecture, The American University in Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt Sherif Goubran
Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, American university in Cairo, Egypt Salma Ahmed
Research Assistant, Architecture, The American University in Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt Nouran Elkhattam
Research Assistant, Architecture, The American University in Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
POST-TRAUMA, PERCEPTION, BUILT-ENVIRONMENT, PTSD, ARCHITECTURE, SAFETY, COMFORT
