Paisagens terapêuticas. Principios de desenho e tipos de jardins terapêuticos

Mestrado em Arquitectura Paisagista - Instituto Superior de AgronomiaThe following work focus on the importance of nature as a beneficial resource improving the patient’s welfare in health facilities. This amelioration is felt not only in patients but also benefits the employees of these facilities and the patient’s visits. For better understanding, this dissertation starts with a historical approach about therapeutic gardens and its evolution over time, making references and relations to some examples in Portugal. Secondly this work focuses on the restorative power of nature on human health, followed by some examples and case studies. It’s also referenced an approach to philosophical foundations, theories, tools and elements that have some sort of impact on health. The approach to these themes will help us understand our attraction to nature and the benefits of its presence in comparison with urban environment. This will provide the necessary groundwork for the development of a project to an outdoor space to health facility, as well as adopting the features and elements that make an outdoor space more harmonious and healthy, not only for patients but also for employees or visitors, these elements will be presented in chapter IV. After it’s presented the characteristic and elements afore mentioned and some general principals of drawing and design for health facilities which can be applied to health facilities with multiple specialities, as for health facilities that are intended only for a specific treatment with only a medical speciality. To finish the main principles that are applied in the design and conception of the therapeutic gardens, which can be extensive landscaped grounds, a courtyard, a front porch, etc. These methods are applied in order to enhance, not only our life quality but also the social interactions, the environment and the econom