Privacy Glass Inspired by Therapeutic Design

What Is Therapeutic Design?

Therapeutic design focuses on creating spaces that support the emotional, physical, and behavioral well-being of both visitors and occupants. In healthcare, this approach can be applied in both interior and exterior environments.

Outdoors, therapeutic design often includes calming gardens and well-planned landscaping. Indoors, designers can use color, texture, patterns, and thoughtful layouts to create peaceful, healing atmospheres that reduce stress and improve comfort.

Designing for Wellness in Healthcare

According to the Whole Building Design Guide, healthcare facilities should not only support advanced medicine and patient safety but also offer a welcoming, therapeutic environment. These spaces must serve the needs of patients, families, and caregivers in ways that support mental, emotional, and physical health.

The physical environment plays a key role in outcomes. It influences how patients heal, how satisfied they feel, and how efficiently staff can work. No environment is neutral—each detail either supports or hinders well-being.

What Makes a Healthcare Environment Therapeutic?

• It supports excellent medical care and physical recovery.
• It meets emotional and spiritual needs of patients, staff, and families.
• It produces measurable improvements in healing and staff performance.

The Science Behind Therapeutic Design

Therapeutic design is rooted in environmental psychology, neuroscience, and studies on how environments affect the immune system. Patients in hospitals often feel anxious, isolated, or overwhelmed by complex surroundings. This stress can weaken the immune system and slow recovery.

Designers, architects, and researchers have identified four core principles to improve outcomes through design:

• Reduce or remove environmental stressors.
• Include positive distractions, such as nature views or art.
• Encourage social interaction and support.
• Help patients feel a sense of control over their surroundings.

Research from the Center for Health Design, Texas A&M, and others confirms that applying these ideas results in better patient outcomes and higher quality of care.

Design That Supports Staff Well-Being

While most strategies focus on patients, staff members also benefit from therapeutic environments. Improved staff comfort and satisfaction often translate to better care. Important environmental features for staff include:

• Lower noise levels
• Same-handed patient rooms
• Access to daylight and outdoor views
• Comfortable lighting systems
• Dedicated spaces for rest and privacy
• Easy access to supplies and equipment
• Thoughtful use of technology
• Decentralized nursing stations for better observation and workflow

These design elements help reduce burnout and improve staff retention. For more on workplace design, visit the WBDG’s Productive Branch.

Proven Benefits of Therapeutic Design

Healthcare environments designed with these principles lead to faster recovery times, shorter patient stays, and higher staff morale. This makes therapeutic design not only beneficial for healing but also cost-effective for facilities.

Ideas to Apply Therapeutic Design

• Use calming artwork and soothing aesthetics throughout the space.
• Design waiting areas with enough space to prevent crowding.
• Ensure both visual and sound privacy for patient comfort.
• Improve wayfinding with clear signage, layout cues, and natural design elements.
• Minimize noise from equipment, conversations, and announcements.
• Add acoustic treatments in corridors and staff areas to reduce disturbance.
• Use lighting that supports natural circadian rhythms.
• Provide complete darkness at night, and red lighting for safe movement when needed.
• Ensure high indoor air quality with proper ventilation systems.
• Apply color schemes suited to the population’s needs to reduce stress.

How VISTAMATIC Privacy Glass Supports Therapeutic Design

VISTAMATIC Privacy Glass Vision Panels are customizable and can include artwork, helping designers introduce positive visual distractions into any space. Licensed or royalty-free art can be printed on transparent vinyl and viewed from both sides of the panel.

In addition to offering visual appeal, our panels provide reliable privacy. When closed, the panel displays the full image. When open, clear lines allow discreet observation through the glass.

Every part of a facility—from the parking lot to the patient room—can benefit from thoughtful design. Our products support architects, planners, and designers who are committed to building spaces that help people heal and thrive.