Sensory experiences in healthcare architecture: A comprehensive literature review

Throughout history, hospitals had been treated as sterile places used exclusively for providing medical treatment to patients. Little attention was however paid to the different ways those spaces can affect people occupying them, more specifically, through the senses. The things patients see, smell, touch, or feel all affect their well-being, leading to either an accelerated recovery, or prolonged hospital stays. Furthermore, besides a plethora of research showcasing the potential of incorporating sensory elements into healthcare architecture, the results have not been integrated into concrete examples to their full potential. The purpose of this review is to identify the effects of certain sensory elements, investigate the ways in which they had been incorporated into healthcare architecture, and recognize gaps in existing literature. Additionally, this review aims to propose ideas for further research in order to enrich the existing research connecting the senses with architecture.