MEDIA FACTSHEET A Design guidelines of Therapeutic Garden...

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MEDIA FACTSHEET A Design guidelines of Therapeutic Garden @ HortPark The Therapeutic Garden @ HortPark boosts design elements and user-friendly features to meet the needs of the elderly, including those with conditions such as dementia and post-stroke patients. The new Garden also provides respite for visitors of all ages.

Layout of Therapeutic Garden @ HortPark (Credit: National Parks Board)

Design element Benefit for visitors A simple and clear garden layout which can be viewed from its entrance, preferably with a simple looped, circular, or figure-eight pathway system.

Credit: National Parks Board

The simple layout is suitable for the elderly as it minimises spatial confusion.

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Appropriate destination points, such as a gazebo with ample seats.


It will be large enough to encourage social interaction or activities among the elderly.

Choices in seating, pathway routes, views, and destinations.


Seats such as garden benches face different directions providing visitors with a choice of different views. This design also caters to elderly with dementia as they are often restless.

An area specifically designed for gardening with moveable raised beds, customised benches for potting and convenient access to water.

To make it more convenient for the elderly to participate in gardening.

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Credit: National Parks Board Use of colours strategically such as flowers or foliage in bright colours like red, yellow, or orange; and cool colours like blue, purple and pastels.


Bright colours create an uplifting impact by stimulating the mind, while cool colours have been shown to be restorative by creating a calming experience.

A range of scented plants that can be enjoyed throughout the year.


Smell is one of the last senses to fade, and smelling certain plants, or pinching their leaves, can evoke powerful memories in the elderly.

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Plants that attract birds or butterflies.


Creating opportunities for visitors to observe wildlife and biodiversity.

Features of interest and accents.


The elderly with dementia benefit from features that might create fascination or evoke memories like a single, easily recognisable landscape feature in the garden that can act as a memorable waypoint.

Shaded areas


Provide comfort and convenience for visitors. In addition, the elderly with dementia have difficulty recognising when they are too hot and would not think to put on a hat or sunblock.

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Bright, sunny areas, especially in the morning.


The elderly with dementia (mild to moderate) exhibit a delay in the onset of agitated behaviour after exposure to bright morning light.

Evidence-based design principles The Therapeutic Garden @ HortPark was developed based on evidence-based design principles, drawing upon the following environmental psychology theories: 1) Biophilia Hypothesis

The term biophilia was first coined by social psychologist Erich Fromm and defined as “the passionate love of life and all that is alive”. The biophilia hypothesis states that people have an innate emotional affiliation to nature and other living beings and hence, derive benefits from contact with nature.

2) Attention Restoration Theory A person has several states of attention including directed attention and effortless attention. Directed attention requires effort and is used when concentrating on specific tasks, such as working on the computer. This requires voluntary effort and prolonged usage will lead to directed attention fatigue, resulting in ineffectiveness and human error. According to the Attention Restoration Theory (ART), restoration of directed attention fatigue can be derived from the use of effortless attention when a person is in a natural environment. Based on ART, gardens provide an opportunity for people to rest since they do not have to exercise directed attention. They do not have to consciously exert effort to pay attention to their surroundings and this is termed as “effortless” attention. As this state of attention is effortless, it provides an opportunity for us to rest from a state of directed attention.

3) Stress Reduction Theory

The stress reduction theory states that contact with nature has been shown to reduce stress. People who are sick or caring for the sick tend to experience stress. Hence, green spaces have beneficial effects on patients and care givers through the reduction of stress.

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Information for visitors Location: HortPark, 33 Hyderabad Road, Off Alexandra Road, Singapore 119578 Opening hours: 6am to 10pm Admission: Free (open to the public) Website: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/hortpark

MEDIA FACTSHEET A Design guidelines of Therapeutic Garden...

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