The therapeutic impacts of environmental design interventions on wellness in clinical settings: A narrative review Timothy Onosahwo Iyendo a, * , Patrick Chukwuemeke Uwajeh a , Ezennia Stephen Ikenna b a Department of Architecture, Eastern Mediterranean University, Gazima gusa, North Cyprus, Via Mersin 10, Turkey b Department of Architecture, Nnamdi Azikwe University Awka, Anambra State, PMB, 5025, Awka, Nigeria article info Article history: Received 26 May 2016 Accepted 24 June 2016 Keywords: Clinical settings Design factors Healing environment Physical environment Therapeutic sound Wellness abstract Purpose: The aim of this review is to document the role of physical environmental factors in clinical environments and their impact on patients and staff wellness with a particular focus on physical and mental healthcare. Methods: Data sources comprised relevant English language articles and the results of literature search of ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest Central, MEDLINE, and Google. Results: Incorporating physical environmental factors into hospital design can facilitate better user satisfaction, efficiency and organisational outcomes. Many of the design interventions convey positive distractions for patients and staff, in terms of views of pleasant outside vistas, soothing sound, artwork and music. Conclusions: Well-designed physical settings play an important role in the healing process of patients in health care facilities. The challenge then is to fully understand that role in the ecological context of health care. Other contributors are possible and should be explored in further research. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Contents 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 175 1.1. Understanding a therapeutic environment ...................................................................................... 175 2. Methods ......................................................................................................................... 175 3. Results and discussion ............................................................................................................. 176 3.1. Artwork and healing process .................................................................................................. 176 3.2. Optimising environmental light and views in hospital rooms ..................................................................... 177 3.3. Hospital auditory environment ................................................................................................ 179 3.4. Incorporating musical sound for therapy ............................................... ........................................ 179 3.5. Landscape and therapeutic gardens ............................................................................................ 180 3.6. Colour and its impact in hospital environment .................................................................................. 181 3.7. Personal control and access to privacy .......................................................................................... 181 3.8. Access to social support ...................................................... ............................................... 181 3.9. Cleanliness and ease of maintenance ................................................ .......................................... 181 3.10. Architectural design impact on hospital occupants ......................................... .................................... 184 4. Suggestions for clinical interventions ................................................................................................ 184 5. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 184 Authors' contributions ............................................................................................................. 185 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ 185 References ........................................................................................................................ 185 * Corresponding author. E-mail address: tidosmart2012@gmail.com (T.O. Iyendo). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ctcp http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.06.008 1744-3881/© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 24 (2016) 174e188