POST-OCCUPANCY EVALUATION OF FOUNTAIN HOUSE: A STUDY ON AN ALTERNATIVE HEALTHCARE FACILITY

摘要

This thesis describes a post-occupancy evaluation of the facilities of Fountain House, an alternative service program for individuals with mental and behavioral health diagnoses. The post-occupancy evaluation investigated the ways that spatial design of this community-based mental health facility affected perceived behavioral and psychological outcomes among providers and consumers of care. Based on the primary goals and objectives for design and construction of all Clubhouses (Clubhouse International, 2016), this project tested whether the physical environment of Fountain House supports or inhibits: sense of dignity and respect for members and staff, a non-institutional image, and social interaction among members and staff. The researcher evaluated three units – one originally designed and built in 1965 (Communications Unit), and two units that were modified and re-purposed at the turn of the twenty first century (Wellness Center and Horticulture Unit). The researcher’s methodological processes included review of the design documents, cross-sectional analysis of survey data (n=56) and behavioral observation. The Practitioner-focused Facility Evaluation (PFE) Survey was utilized to examine the specified design intentions. Data analysis in this research suggested that the physical spaces of the units studied in this research were perceived as compatible with the initial goals and objectives of design by staff and members. The findings of the research underscored the importance of providing views to the outside in creating an attractive, de-institutionalized environment that is conducive to respecting an individual’s dignity in the context of a dense urban facility.