Landscape as a tool for human rehabilitation with reference to drug addicts

Abstract

Drug addiction and rehabilitation of addicts have become a growing problem in Sri Lanka and worldwide. Rehabilitation, being the process of facilitating a person to return to his/her original state itself is a healing process that cater for people who need special treatment. Throughout the history there are lots of evidences on the usage of landscapes for healing processes significantly in Asian, Greek and Rome. Relatively a very few studies have been carried out on human rehabilitation by addressing spatial qualities in a Landscape Architectural perspective. Developed countries give much prominence on incorporating landscape with rehabilitation centers to enhance the therapeutic process of detainees. In view of this it is attempted to seek the possibility of landscape Architecture to be an effective tool for the rehabilitation of drug addicts in Sri Lankan context. The current study explores the diverse psychophysiological parameters of drug addicts, theories and up-to-date practices of rehabilitation process, the concept of therapeutic landscapes and conducive therapeutic spatial qualities leading to the corresponding spatial cognition facilitating the process of drug rehabilitation. The objective of this study will be to recognize the corresponding outdoor spatial properties in assisting the addicts to return back to a normal healthy life under the notion of therapeutic landscape. A mixed method combined with questionnaire surveys and interviews was implemented in order to study two selected drug rehabilitation centers, one incorporated with landscape; “Nawa Diganthaya” Nittambuwa (NDN) against a center which is not connected with landscape ;Seth Sewana” Thalangama (SST) seeking the impact of landscape on the therapeutic rehabilitation process. Out of the drug addicts (n=51) participated in the study, 69 % of detainees in SST and 91% of in NDN were admitted to the facility voluntarily. A majority of the inhabitants from both centers (SST-91% and NDN- 81%) highlighted on the necessity of incorporating landscape to the rehabilitation process. Landscape was found to encourage social relationships. 60% of the detainees in NDN and 56% in SST preferred spending time as a group. Significantly, their most preferable places in the premises were found to highly relate to the therapeutic landscape elements The study revealed that landscape is an effective medium of recovery and healing from the social isolation caused due to drug addiction. Further, landscape was found to provide the required ambience for proper counseling. The study established the supportiveness of the landscape to the therapeutic process which needs to be highly encouraged in future drug rehabilitation centers.