CUReAting Spaces for Healing: Human Centered Design in Behavioral Health
- May 28
- 6 min read
Photo taken by Caleb Tkach
The Growing Need for Healing-Centered Behavioral Health Design
The need for behavioral health spaces continues to grow, yet the number of available facilities remains limited. A 2023 study conducted by Mental Health America found that approximately 5% of adults experience severe mental illness, while more than 12.1 million individuals reported serious thoughts of self-harm. These statistics highlight the increasing demand for supportive mental and behavioral healthcare environments. However, many individuals avoid seeking treatment because traditional healthcare spaces are often perceived as cold, institutional, and unwelcoming, creating a critical need for environments that promote comfort, dignity, and emotional safety. Research consistently demonstrates that the built environment has a direct and measurable impact on mental well-being, influencing stress levels, emotional regulation, cognitive performance, and overall comfort. As a result, healthcare design must move beyond functionality alone and prioritize spaces that actively support healing, calmness, and human connection.
Designers play an essential role in addressing these challenges by creating environments that balance warmth, support, and safety for both patients and staff. This is where trauma-informed design and evidence-based design become especially important. Trauma-informed design recognizes how the built environment can affect emotional well-being, stress reduction, and a sense of security, while evidence-based design uses research and measurable outcomes to inform decisions that improve patient experience and recovery. In behavioral health settings, where there is an increased concern regarding self-harm or harm to others, every aspect of the environment - including spatial planning, interior finishes, furnishings, and fixtures- must be carefully considered. Thoughtfully designed spaces can help reduce anxiety, foster trust, and create healing-centered environments that support both mental wellness and long-term recovery.
At CUReA Design Studio, wellness is a core driver of our work. Our approach to behavioral health design is grounded in trauma-informed principles and informed by scientific research, behavioral studies, and human-centered design methodologies. These frameworks guide decision-making throughout every phase of the process. By intentionally applying evidence-based practices, we create patient-centered environments that support mental wellness from initial concept development through project completion and occupancy
Evidence-Based Strategies for Supporting Mental Wellness Through Design
Evidence-based design allows designers to understand why specific spatial elements promote well-being and how they can be applied intentionally. Research-backed, human-centered strategies that support mental wellness include:
Calming color palettes: Studies show that soft, neutral, and nature-inspired colors can reduce stress responses and promote emotional balance.
Access to natural light: Daylight exposure helps regulate circadian rhythms, improve mood, and support cognitive functioning.
Biophilic design elements: Incorporating natural materials, plants, water features, and views of nature have been linked to reduced anxiety, improved focus, and enhanced emotional comfort.
Acoustic comfort: Thoughtful spatial planning and sound-absorbing materials minimize noise-related stress and support concentration and relaxation.
Clear wayfinding and spatial organization: Intuitive layouts and legible signage reduce cognitive load, helping individuals feel oriented, safe, and at ease.
Flexibility and choice: Providing a range of spaces—quiet, collaborative, and restorative—allows users to select environments that best support their emotional and cognitive needs.
Inclusive, human-centered design: Designing for diverse abilities, ages, and sensory needs fosters psychological safety and a sense of belonging.
Appropriate lighting design: Layered and adjustable lighting supports visual comfort and accommodates varying emotional and functional needs throughout the day.
Ergonomic furnishings: Physical comfort supports mental focus, reduces fatigue, and contributes to positive mental health outcomes.
Balance of connection and privacy: Offering opportunities for both social interaction and solitude supports emotional regulation and overall well-being.
Case Study: West Springs Hospital at Mind Springs Health
Our Principal, Kelli Falardo, led the overall interior design for west springs hospital at mind springs health in Grand Junction, Colorado, during her time at Davis Partnership Architects. The project demonstrates how thoughtful, human-centered design can create behavioral health environments that promote comfort, dignity, and healing. Designed to challenge the stigma often associated with behavioral healthcare facilities, the hospital was envisioned as a sanctuary that supports recovery and overall well-being. At CUReA Design Studio, the strategies implemented on this project continue to serve as an overarching framework for our approach to behavioral health design. We apply human-centered and trauma-informed design concepts across our behavioral health projects to create environments that support safety, dignity, wellness, and healing.
For this project the design focused on three primary objectives: ensuring the safety of patients and caregivers, balancing public and private spaces to support both individual and group needs and fostering health and wellness throughout the facility. A key strategy was the use of layered spaces that transition from public to private, helping patients feel secure while avoiding feelings of confinement or isolation.
Day room in West Spring Behavioral Health Hospital Photo taken by Caleb Tkach
These design strategies are particularly evident in the Day Room, the center's primary social space, where the color palette was intentionally kept simple and inspired by the Colorado landscape, emphasizing neutral tones to create a calm and soothing environment. Curtain walls introduce abundant natural sunlight, which has been shown to improve mood, support circadian rhythm regulation, and connect patients to nature, thereby fostering emotional comfort. Furthermore, a variety of furniture arrangements allows patients to select activities that align with their preferences, encouraging socialization, a sense of belonging, and a feeling of normalcy, which contributes to reducing the stigma often associated with behavioral health facilities. These strategies reflect evidence-based design principles, which emphasize the role of environmental factors, such as light, color, and spatial flexibility, in promoting psychological and physiological well-being of patients.
Photo taken by Caleb Tkach
The transition from public to private spaces is further reinforced within the nurse station and corridor, where thoughtful design supports patient well-being through the use of neutral bases and cool accent tones that reduce stress and promote emotional balance. The space was designed to guide patients from public, open areas into more private, calming environments, creating a gradual transition that fosters a sense of safety and control. The use of blue and purple has been demonstrated to promote relaxation, enhance focus, and reduce stress. When combined with natural imagery, such as landscapes, these colors cultivate a sense of peace and warmth.
Colors and wall coverings also serve as subtle wayfinding tools, allowing individuals to navigate toward private areas with ease and calmness. Layered lighting strategies contribute to mood regulation and provide visual comfort throughout the space. Additionally, the incorporation of a nook within public areas establishes a “third space,” enabling users to engage with the community while maintaining privacy. This further supports overall mood, functionality, and well-being. These elements exemplify evidence-based design by strategically employing color, light, and spatial organization to positively influence patient experience and health outcomes.
Creating Better Spaces for Healing
As the demand for behavioral healthcare continues to rise, the role of design in supporting mental wellness becomes increasingly important. Thoughtfully designed environments have the power to reduce stress, foster emotional comfort, and create a greater sense of dignity, safety, and belonging for patients, families, and caregivers alike. Through trauma-informed and evidence-based design strategies, healthcare environments can move beyond institutional models and instead become spaces that actively support healing and human connection. At CUReA Design Studio, we believe that behavioral health design should prioritize human experience at every scale, integrating research, empathy, and intentionality to create environments that not only meet functional and safety requirements, but also promote overall well-being. Projects such as West Springs Hospital at Mind Springs Health demonstrate how design can positively influence patient outcomes by creating calm, supportive, and restorative spaces that empower individuals throughout their healing journey.
References
Gregory D, Zborowsky T. Trauma-Informed Design: Lessons Through a Life-Altering Lens. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal. 2025;18(1):14–20. doi:10.1177/19375867241300772.
Jiang, Yueci, et al. “Investigating the Role of the Physical Environment on Communication Patterns in Emergency Departments During Caregiving for Pediatric Mental and Behavioral Health Patients.” HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, vol. 18, no. 2, 2025, pp. 243–258. SAGE Journals, https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867251317241.
“Designing Spaces for Behavioral and Mental Health Treatment.” Architectural Record, Nov. 2023, BH Architects PDF.
Shin, Jae Yun, et al. “Behavioral Health Facility Design: Safety, Functionality, and Evidence-Based Design Strategies.” The Center for Health Design, 2021, The Center for Health Design PDF.
“West Springs Hospital.” Center for Health Design, https://healthdesign.org/insights-solutions/west-springs-hospital-grand-junction-colorado.
All project photographs courtesy of Davis Partnership Architects. All Photography credit: Caleb Tkach.
