Thirteenth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

This purpose of this study is to identify the user perception of the healing spatial image of general hospitals to propose evidence-based findings needed to plan general hospitals into healing spaces. For such purpose, 1,500 people with experience using general hospitals were surveyed about the healing spatial image and healing environmental elements of general hospitals. The survey included five items on the healing environmental elements of general hospitals, five items on the healing environment image of general hospitals, and three items on the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. The results were cross-analyzed using the PASW Statistics 18 application. The findings are as follows. First, it was found that users had difficulties finding their way around general hospitals due to the complicated routes and needed help from guide signs, guide map, and guide employee. Second, users perceived the internal air, noise, and temperature of general hospitals as spatial elements that affect comfort, and they perceived indoor air and internal natural elements as spatial elements that form a healing image. Third, regarding the healing spatial image of general hospitals, images of “warm,” “clear,” and “natural” showed high demand. Youths in their twenties and thirties showed high demand for a “modern” image, whereas those in their fifties showed high demand for a “cheerful” spatial image. This shows that there may be differences in demand and perception by age regarding the healing spatial image of general hospitals.

Presenters

Jiyoung Oh
Research Professor, Research Institute of Human Ecology, Pusan National University, Busan Gwang'yeogsi [Pusan-Kwangyokshi], South Korea

Heykyung Park
Professor, Interior Architecture, Inje University, Gyeongsangnamdo [Kyongsangnam-do], South Korea

Cho Bo Gyeong
Student, Master's Course, Inje University, Gyeongsangnamdo [Kyongsangnam-do], South Korea