Therapeutic Gardens for Oncology Hospital. Architectural Students Proposals to Alleviate Stress in Healthcare Environment Created During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The stress in the healthcare environment is a heavy burden on the hospital staff, the caregivers, and the patients. One of the methods to alleviate stress in the hospital environment is a therapeutic garden. This paper presents the proposals for therapeutic gardens for an oncology hospital in Bydgoszcz prepared by the students of Architecture at the University of Science and Technology in Bydgoszcz in the spring of 2020 and 2021. The Design Studio was organized remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic (Emergency Remote Teaching), which might have influenced the design proposals. Each of the students worked individually from home. The final projects were presented online, and the internauts (students, staff, patients, inhabitants, whoever was concerned) voted for the best solutions. The results of the architectural competition may serve as a ground for discussion about Emergency Remote Teaching and the possible evolution of therapeutic gardens after COVID-19.