Insight into the missing aspects of therapeutic landscape in psychological centres in Kigali, Rwanda

ABSTRACT

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the quality of the therapeutic landscapes of Ndera and Icyizere psychological centres in Kigali city, Rwanda, through site analysis to highlight the potential and opportunities of the therapeutic landscape. Despite research on the significant effects of green and blue landscape design on the health recovery process, seemingly, the landscape of these centres in Rwanda included a few aspect of the therapeutic landscape criteria. This missing component of the landscape resulted in the confinement of the medical treatment to indoor spaces. The methodology of this research involved qualitative methods by applying the unobtrusive observation, photography, sketching, interviews, site analysis, and graphical analysis techniques. The findings identified that the spatial structure of both centres emphasized the buildings due to the standardization of hospitals with less attention to landscaping. Despite environmental opportunities in the context, the targets, objectives, and strategies of green and blue landscapes were less or not included in the therapeutic considerations of the centres. This oversight in the landscaping resulted in fewer activities in open spaces and outdoors with a poor variety of color, scent, and material. Reconnection of the outdoor-indoor spaces through the therapeutic landscape design process could improve the quality of treatment and ultimately the health of the users.

KEYWORDS:

• Therapeutic landscape
• hardscape
• softscape
• green and blue landscape
• psychological hospital

This article is related to:

Research for city practice

Acknowledgements

I appreciate help and support Dr Eric Ferdinand Twizeyimana, the Director of Education, Research, CPD & Quality Improvement of Neuropsychiatric Hospital Caraes Ndera, and Dr Jean Michel Iyamuremye in Icyizere centre, both spend their time to share information, concerns, and plans and facilitate visiting both centres in this research. I would like to appreciate from four great reviewers who pointed out the significance challenges, gaps, comments, and recommendations in the paper to be solved, revised, and edited. It is grateful to thank to Prof. Beth Kaplin who accepted to do English editing for publishing in the journal.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rahman Tafahomi

Rahman Tafahomi is the senior lecturer in the Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Built Environment, College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda. His interesting areas of research is Landscape, Urban Design, and Heritage.

Reihaneh Nadi

Reihaneh Nadi is the Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Built Environment, College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda. Her interesting areas of research is Spatial Analysis, Urban space, Public Space, and Urban Planning.