ENABLING THIRD PLACES OF HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENTS IN THE POST PANDEMIC ERA

Abstract

Third places refer to communal venues that facilitate social engagement and community cohesion, bridging the gap between home and work environments. These locales encompass diverse settings like coffee shops, libraries, and parks. Today, third places have evolved to accommodate various contexts, offering advantages to specific user groups. Within healthcare environments, merged third places (e.g., lobbies; gardens; cafes; staff lounges; and staff breakrooms) are distinct from psychologically hard clinical settings. Research shows that these in-between spaces are vital in enhancing social support, reducing stress, and promoting the overall well-being of healthcare workers. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these in-between spaces became significantly restricted to mitigate virus transmission. This research aimed to redefine third places in healthcare design, and advance interior design approaches that can balance social interaction and infection-prevention requirements. The study adopted a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. The initial phase involved a comprehensive scoping review, mapping key design concepts that shape our built environments and human experiences through times of disease outbreaks. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted with design experts specializing in healthcare projects, exploring the challenges they faced, and the strategies employed to adapt healthcare spaces, particularly third places, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from the scoping review and interviews yielded multiple design approaches with the potential to enhance the resilience of third places within healthcare environments. Three of these approaches aligned with attributes of flexibility. To delve deeper into these attributes, the following phase of the research involved a design charrette. This collaborative session engaged senior interior design students to generate innovative ideas for social spaces within healthcare environments. Design scenarios incorporating flexibility attributes were developed, refined, and integrated into the final research phase: a survey. The survey aimed to assess the perceived social support of healthcare workers in the design scenarios informed by prior phases. Results showed an inclination of users towards versatile third places that feature indoor-outdoor options. The outcomes can inform the creation of safe third places within healthcare facilities. Facilitating social support while ensuring safety in these environments can contribute to the overall well-being of individuals in healthcare settings.