Investigation of Design Principles and Users Demand for Hospital Gardens: Case Study of Egirdir-Turkey

Aims: The plants in hospital garden have many functions to users. Hence attention on those areas should be done. A specific hospital and its gardens chosen to be determine expectations and express of users to determine suggestions for hospital garden to be improved.

Study Design: The Egirdir Bone Joint Diseases Treatment and Rehabilitation Hospital (EBH) was chosen as a model hospital for evaluating expectation from hospital gardens and landscape design suggestions of different user groups. A questionnaire was prepared to ask proposed groups for determining expectations, demand, reflection of hospital garden to them, suggestions noted on improving garden design and functionality.

Methodology: The study conducted with face to face survey technique of those groups. The questionnaire was prepared to ask the participants for evaluating reflection of hospital garden to them, suggestions on improving garden design and functionality. The basic principle for design of hospital structure should be prioritizing all serving users with satisfaction. The survey was conducted on 93 females and 57 males in total of 150 participants.

Results: The plant forms, texture, color, smell, light, shade and seasonal changes with different plant composition should be created in EBH garden. However, the creation of a focal point suggested. Hence, it was suggested to use pyramid-shaped plants, especially columns should be preferred in the EBH’s garden. Even some evergreen plants and prune through formal and informal as solitary figures could also be considered during plantation as well. Moreover, calming and soothing soft colors such as; green, blue, white, lilac, red and orange colors should be preferred in these kinds of places (e.g., hospital gardens). It was clearly observed that the demands, trends, perceptions and needs to be taken into account during design of hospital and its surround for satisfaying users.