The Prerequisites of Sustainable Architecture for the Psychological Well-Being of the Older Adults: A Case Study of Inclusive Tourist Destinations

Abstract

Every personal encounter, every setting visited, and everything seen or observed all have an impression on the behaviour of individuals. Architecture has a significant impact on how people behave unconsciously. The interaction of humans with their surroundings gave birth to the discipline of Environmental Psychology, further subdivided into the fields of architectural psychology and ecological psychology.

This paper focuses on the impact of architecture on the psychological wellness of older adults, specifically in tourism settings, the factors contributing to it positively and negatively, and finding ideal solutions to cater to the psychological and physical well-being. With the growing tourism among the elderly and the lack of tourist destinations to gratify them, the architects have to shoulder the responsibility of bringing creative solutions.

An extensive review of the literature, including analysing case studies and naturalistic observations, is used to bridge the gap between architectural psychology and the psychology of well-being. This study highlights the significance of improving built-in spaces by applying both architectural and psychological parameters to the built environment; and their prolonged effect on the general wellbeing and human requirements. Furthermore, the selected design parameters, which are sick building syndrome, specifically indoor air quality, accessibility, perception, ease of approach, engagement with the environment, relationship with the surroundings, etc., are applied to the Miris Garden project developed by Inspireli Awards competition to draw a conclusion.

According to the research, the practices that can help promote the physical and psychological well-being of senior citizens is sustainable architecture: economically, socially, and environmentally.