Designing for Health and Learning: Lessons Learned from a Case Study of the Evidence-Based Health Design Process for a Rooftop Garden at a Danish Social and Healthcare School

This article presents a case study from a Social and Health Care School in Denmark, where a rooftop garden was designed to promote student health and support nature-based teaching across subject areas. A novel aspect of the project is the formal integration of the garden into teaching, implying that its long-term impact may extend beyond the students to the end-users they will later encounter in nursing homes and hospitals nationwide. This study applies the Evidence-Based Health Design in Landscape Architecture (EBHDL) process model, encompassing evidence collection, programming, and concept design, with the University of Copenhagen acting in a consultancy role. A co-design process with students and teachers was included as a novel source of case-specific evidence. Methodologically, this is a participatory practice-based case study focusing on the full design and construction processes, combining continuous documentation with reflective analysis of ‘process insights,’ generating lessons learned from the application of the EBHDL process model. This study identifies two categories of lessons learned. First, general insights emerged concerning governance, stakeholder roles, and the critical importance of site selection, procurement, and continuity of design responsibility. Second, specific insights were gained regarding the application of the EBHDL model, including its alignment with Danish and international standardised construction phases. These insights are particularly relevant for project managers in nature-based initiatives. The results also show how the EBHDL model aligns with Danish and international standardised construction phases, offering a bridge between health design methods and established building practice. The case focuses on the EBHDL process rather than verified outcomes and demonstrates how evidence-based and participatory approaches can help structure complex design processes, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and support decision-making in institutional projects.