A Case Study on the Effects of Inner Garden at Medicana International İzmir Hospital on Users

Healthcare facilities are among the stressful interiors that are likely to negatively affect patients and visitors. When designing hospitals, design techniques that reduce stress and create a positive environment for users should be taken into account. Studies show that the use of green elements and the inclusion of natural factors in indoor spaces reduces people's stress levels and positively increases their psychological state, creativity, productivity, mood and well-being. Biophilic design, which includes the use of both green elements and natural factors which has been frequently used in many public buildings in recent years and has been included in many studies, appears to have positive effects on the environment and people. Incorporating natural design elements into healthcare environments with biophilic design principles positively affects the atmosphere of the place and the indoor comfort of the users. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the existing interior garden on the users of Medicana International hospital in Izmir and to reveal which biophilic design strategies they prefer in the hospital interior. In line with the purpose of the study, a survey consisting of open-ended and Likert scale questions was applied to 55 people in line with the interviews held with the upper management at the selected location. According to the findings, it is seen that users generally prefer indoor gardens in hospitals and that a green space has a positive impact on their healing processes and mental health. Lastly, the results were generally consistent among users, when the obtained quantitative data were analyzed, it was seen that the reliability coefficients (correlation analysis) were in the range of .48 - .57.