The design principles in typical healthcare environments inadvertently make patients and staff more stressed, Osborn says. "Ceilings are low, the lights are glaring, the floors are noisy, the privacy is non-existent," he says. "It all accumulates to push us towards hyperarousal? it's not soothing at all." For a building to be therapeutic, it should have spaces that flex to allow both sociability and privacy. Social spaces with comfortable, movable furniture encourage people to speak to other patients. Places that encourage family and friends to visit, like single-bed rooms or private areas which can be screened off, increase visiting, reduce patient stress and speed up recovery.
