THE STUDY OF THERAPEUTIC ARCHITECTURE IN THE DESIGN OF A MATERNAL AND CHILD HOSPITAL IN IBADAN, OYO STATE

Therapeutic architecture is an essential consideration in the design of healthcare facilities, given its potential to offer numerous benefits to patients and staff alike. In particular, it plays a crucial role in maternal and child hospitals, where the well-being and recovery of patients are of paramount importance. In order to improve the healing process and all-around experience of its users, this study analyses the impact of therapeutic architectural characteristics in maternal and pediatric hospitals. In order to investigate the effectiveness of therapeutic design components in these hospitals, the research used a mixed-method approach to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Questionnaires are administered to gather insights from the hospital's users, including patients, their families, and medical staff. Additionally, comprehensive case studies are conducted to examine existing maternal and child hospitals, both within Oyo State, Nigeria, and internationally. The results of this study demonstrate the vast potential of therapeutic architecture in enhancing patients' thermal and visual comfort in maternity and pediatric facilities. By incorporating well-planned architectural therapeutic strategies, the hospital's energy costs and demands can be reduced, while the users' overall wellness and productivity can be enhanced. The research sheds light on opportunities for architects and other professionals in the field to optimize the design of maternal and child hospitals, ensuring environments that promote healing and positive outcomes. Through descriptive analysis using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, the study identifies the current state of daylighting implementation and users' awareness of its benefits in maternal and child hospitals. The results indicate that there is room for improvement in the integration of therapeutic architectural elements. Many respondents lack adequate knowledge of daylighting elements, suggesting the need for increased awareness and education on the subject. This research contributes valuable insights to the architectural community, emphasizing the importance of therapeutic design in healthcare facilities. By enhancing the understanding and implementation of therapeutic architecture in maternal and child hospitals, this study aims to investigate how therapeutic design features are used in maternal and child hospitals as treatment options in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria with a view to knowing how this feature contributes to the healthy states, recovery rate and the general well-being of patients