Paths to Wellbeing

The Citadel of Akko, with its layered history as a mental health hospital, a prison, and now a museum, symbolizes the evolving challenges and opportunities in rethinking spaces for mental healthcare. This project explores how such spaces can be reconceptualized to offer greater mental health support by replacing isolating institutional models with community-integrated environments that foster true healing through thoughtful architectural design.

The project examines the transition from traditional institutional models, which are characterized by design focused on isolation and control, which have historically contributed to the stigmatization of mental illness, toward environments that promote wellbeing and recovery through community integration. How can architectural design improve environments for individuals with mental illness by shifting away from institutional models toward spaces that support wellbeing and recovery through community integration? This thesis reimagines mental healthcare in the urban context, with a focus on Akko’s old city, aiming to reinvent the urban fabric in innovative ways that reintegrate mental healthcare into the heart of our cities.

Drawing on Inclusive Design principles, the project emphasizes the creation of sensory-friendly residential spaces that are accessible, supportive, and safe for everyone. By incorporating Universal Design and Biophilic Design, the project creates spaces that are inclusive, nature-infused, and adaptable, promoting recovery and wellbeing. These spaces are designed to provide the dignity, independence, and comfort necessary for individuals to fully participate in their communities.

This thesis builds on the critical work of Goffman and Foucault, who highlighted the harmful effects of isolating environments. Goffman’s research on total institutions and Foucault’s analysis of the history of madness in Western society offer an important framework for understanding the need to move beyond these outdated models. Instead, the project advocates for creating inclusive spaces that support mental health and wellbeing through integration with the broader urban environment.

Imagine a future city where architecture intentionally supports mental health – an equitable place where all can thrive in safety and togetherness.