Impact of vernacular architecture elements on patient waiting experience in rural government hospitals in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The role of architecture in hospitals is a sensitive topic; the prominence given to the programmatic requirements has led to disregard of the in-between function of waiting identified as the user experience in the recovery process. Healing, in other words cure means a state of physical & mental wellbeing that a patient experiences in a hospital. It’s a waiting process between the time of treatment & recovery. The waiting experience in Sri Lankan public hospitals is critical because spaces are designed only prioritizing standards while little consideration is given to the impact of local contextual parameters that generate familiar user experiences. This research investigates the impact of design options derived through principles abstracted by vernacular architecture elements on the waiting experience of patients in healthcare facilities. Vernacular elements of identification of centre and openness, articulation of transition space & domestic scaled spaces was used to interpret design options that can be adapted to reorganize the waiting scenarios of hallway, outpatient, and inpatient waiting spaces. The research further investigate how they will help alleviate the user experience of waiting and increase wellbeing.