Therapeutic Spaces: Architectural Approaches to Drug Addiction from the Perspective of an Architectural Studio

Abstract

Architectural design studios have increasingly diversified their themes in response to changing societal needs. This reflects the growing focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and social responsibility in architectural education. Drug addiction, a global and multidimensional issue, highlights the importance of rehabilitation as a key response. Within this context, a third-year design studio at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University explored how architecture can support recovery and reintegration through therapeutic spatial approaches. Emphasizing architecture’s healing potential, the studio adopted a user-centered and interdisciplinary methodology. Student projects addressed nature-based metaphors, sensory experience, and social adaptation to promote holistic healing in architectural design.