Inclusive mental well-being through environmental design

According to the WHO, physical factors of the built environment are considered health determinants and may affect people’s mental health in terms of cognitive perceptions and physical responses, triggering anxiety, stress and depression states. The purpose of this research is to carry out a literature review of the environmental, spatial and technological conditions that may affect occupants’ mental health and well-being, particularly fragile people, such as elderly and people with sensorial or cognitive impairments including autism, and that may work as positive stimuli, or hindering elements for their abilities and limitations, influencing decisively their quality of life. The result consists in a set of guidelines for the design of the built environment that, starting from people with special needs, can improve liveability conditions by favouring mental health and well-being for all.