Senses in architecture as a vehicle to enhance students’ well-being in institutional spaces | Original Article

ABSTRACT:

Recently, mental health concerns are increasingly evident among tertiary students. However, some institutions seldom notice the crucial role of designing an environment specifically to enhance personal well- being or to help with their mental health issues. According to research, the human body defines or recognises spaces through the stimulation of the senses. The human body intends to seamlessly grasp the environment as an overall atmosphere, ambience, feeling, or mood. Therefore, the senses play a vital role in spaces helping users to engage better in the environment. This research explores the importance of enhancing spaces to increase well-being in the built environments to support sound mental health for students. It focuses on how architecture and design can support well-being in an institutional setting. This study aims to understand the impact that senses, light and nature have on architecture to achieve holistic well-being for users by studying various case studies. Qualitative research methods, including precedent analysis and literature review, are used to understand the role of an individual's experience in a built environment. The study explores the constructive approaches aiming to understand various atmospheres and affect which are created through senses. Finally, this paper provides recommendations for architects to include during designing and to create a community-wide well-being effort for the students in future.