Creating a therapeutic experience for a garden in Henderson

Area: 450 sqm
Completion: 2022 

This project comprises two areas of garden space enhancement for a nursing home and a senior daycare facility in Henderson. At the ground floor garden, a therapeutic corner was created with additional shades and recreational opportunities, including a chess table and chairs for wheelchair access. To create a more semi-private experience, as well as to filter off noise pollution from the road, additional screening plants were used. To enable better access for gardening and therapeutic horticulture activities, planting racks and wheelchair accessible raised planter were included, including a customised washing bay to support gardening activities.

The hopscotch area not only provides an avenue of physical rehabilitation for the senior residents but also acts as nostalgia - reminiscence therapy for the senior residents, as it might remind them of their childhood. Studies have shown the psychological and emotional benefits of nostalgia, and it is a predominantly positive emotion that people easily perceive in their lives. The hopscotch area also allows for intergeneration interaction between the senior residents and their love ones as they can spend quality together.

The Level 2 garden is a well-used space for residents and staff alike. To increase the variety of plants for passive and active interaction, a selection of plants with fragrance, colours and texture, as well as edibles were added. Introducing a greenwall also adds lush and vibrancy to the garden space, creating a green background in place of a borrowed greenery.