INNOVATIVE ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH: THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN MANDALUYONG CITY

Abstract

Imagine entering a place meant to provide care and healing, only to be greeted by a cramped, cold room with an unsettling atmosphere. Facilities such as the National Centre for Mental Health offer essential support to individuals with mental illness, yet the impact of outdated architectural design is often neglected. The physical environment plays a critical role in the healing process. This study aims to improve the safety, comfort, and overall experience of patients by proposing innovative architectural solutions for mental health care facilities. The goal is to support recovery by creating therapeutic spaces that promote dignity, well-being, and a sense of security. The study adopted a quantitative descriptive research approach to evaluate the proposed architectural design for the National Centre for Mental Health in Mandaluyong City. Data were collected using a structured survey questionnaire designed to measure the acceptability of the design in five areas: construction materials, structural design, architectural features, floor plan, and overall presentation. Respondents were selected through purposive sampling and included three professional group: 5 civil engineers, 5 architects, and 5 psychiatrists, whose expertise provided a comprehensive evaluation from both technical and healthcare perspectives. The civil engineers reported an overall weighted mean of 3.19 with a variance of 0.14. The architects gave an overall mean of 2.86 with a variance of 0.11, while the psychiatrists recorded a mean of 2.88, also with a variance of 0.11. Using an alpha level of 0.05 and degrees of freedom (df) between groups = 2 and within groups = 12, the computed F-statistic was 0.02, lower than the F-critical value of 3.885.  Since the F-computed is less than the F-critical, the null hypothesis is accepted. This indicates that there is no statistically significant difference among the assessments of the three professional groups: civil engineers, architects, and psychiatrists, regarding the acceptability of the proposed architectural design for the National Centre for Mental Health in Mandaluyong City. Their evaluations across the categories of construction materials, structural design, architectural features, floor plan, and overall presentation were found to be consistently aligned. To improve the study further, respondents suggested using precisely scaled construction materials to ensure that the miniature model faithfully represents the intended architectural design.