Publisher's Synopsis
In this Handbook we aim to support Garden Designers and those who support care settings to create well-used and well-loved spaces. We share a new way of working with care settings we call ‘Relationship-Centred Design’. Based on our extensive research project into what makes care setting gardens more actively used, this approach aims to ensure that design support matches the current care culture of the setting to reduce the risk of the design investment leading to an under-used or abandoned garden once the novelty of a new space has worn off.
The Handbook is in 3 parts:
An overview of our research findings and an explanation of Relationship-Centred Design,
An easy-to-follow Tool that helps designers assess their Care client’s current care culture, and to provide the most appropriate support for that care practice,
An exploration of a range of design insights based on our research observations and wider applied work.
Relationship-Centred Design requires designers to work in new ways with their care clients, deploying a broader range of skills beyond simple design–related and may require a shift in traditional garden design practices towards smaller commissions over a longer timeframe. This supports the Care setting’s culture change towards increasingly advanced care practices that will naturally result in more active engagement with their outdoor spaces by the people living and working there.
It is also worth stating what this Handbook is not; it is not a guide to what the gradient of a ramp should be nor other disability installation specifics; that information can be largely found elsewhere. Instead we emphasise the importance of identifying the current ‘care culture’ at the setting, explaining why garden designers need to be aware of its influence on garden engagement levels before creating any new design. We also explore a range of other subtle factors that can affect the quality of both the garden design and how well it is used through the relationship between designer and care setting client including:
Identifying ‘Hidden Dangers’ specifically for designers and others outside specialists working with care settings that can inhibit both future engagement levels with the garden and their culture change journey towards improved care practices and the resulting increased engagement levels outside
Understanding the differences between safety and security,
Avoiding gimmicks and other short-lived fads,
Describing a number of other ‘quick wins’ that can increase confidence in engaging with the outdoors.
