Wayfinding in hospital landscape: syntactical analysis of planting design in hospitals in Kerman, Iran

Abstract

Purpose Hospital landscape is not a useless space within hospital buildings anymore. It is considered as a supportive area providing mental and physical peace. However, the planting design of the hospital landscape and the way it should be in order to not disrupt wayfinding performance is neglected. This paper, which is a case study, aims at investigating the effects of planting design in Kerman hospitals’ landscapes on the users’ wayfinding using space syntax techniques. Design/methodology/approach This research focuses on the effects of planting design on the users’ wayfinding in hospitals. In so doing, library research, computer simulation and analysis with the University College London (UCL) Depthmap software, and comparison techniques are used. Based on axial maps, the measures of integration, connectivity and intelligibility are considered for analysing the wayfinding process of individuals. Findings The findings show that planting configurations in the hospital landscape can affect individuals’ wayfinding. Integrated and regular planting design in addition to combining planted areas with the hospital buildings can pave the way for intelligible space and easier wayfinding. Originality/value According to the authors’ knowledge, the current study is the first to use the space syntax techniques in the health-care landscape architecture in terms of planting design and wayfinding. As wayfinding is an important issue in health-care spaces, the study findings can greatly help the health-care building designers and the related organizations to pay attention to the hospital landscape as much as hospital indoors.

A bibliometric analysis of published literature on healthcare facilities' wayfinding research from 1974 to 2020

“…Smart touchscreens and digital signage in healthcare facilities also offer practical solutions to wayfinding problems ( Pianalto, 2016 ). Landscape gardening can also influence individuals to find their way around healthcare facilities ( Zabihi et al., 2021 ).…”

The Ecological Design of Marine Urban Green Space Plant Landscaping Based on the Concept of Sustainability

“…Their study demonstrated that different plant pairings have an effect on individual pathfinding behavior in healthcare environments. In addition to integrating the planted areas with the hospital architecture, a uniform and regular green design provides convenience and offers the possibility of pathfinding [3]. Belousova, O. et al devised a landscape plan for the Eden Arboretum in Cornwall, England.…”

Promoting spatial cognition in hospital buildings using space syntax analyses

“…Adopting the approach of real case studies, Zabihi [28] investigated the capabilities of planting design in Kerman hospitals to promote users' wayfinding using space syntax. Also, Khan [29] studied the effect of VSD and other measures on the efficiency of spatial organization in a general hospital.…”