Therapeutic Architecture for Mental Wellness: Live Laugh Love Center in Edinburgh

Project by Alexander Chudakov | Shortlisted Entry of Live Laugh Love 2020 | UNI

Located in Edinburgh, UK, the Live Lough Love Center is a conceptual proposal that redefines the role of therapeutic architecture in supporting mental health. Designed by Alexander Chudakov,UNI  the project aims to create a healing environment where the built space itself becomes an agent of recovery, reflection, and renewal.

Designing for the Human Psyche

In today’s increasingly urbanized world, architecture has a direct impact on our mental well-being. With people spending the majority of their time indoors, our psychological and emotional states are deeply affected by the spaces we inhabit. The Live Laugh Love Center responds to this challenge through an architectural vocabulary that promotes emotional safety, cognitive clarity, and human connection.

The design features two key zones:

• A medical block that accommodates outpatient services, day hospital functions, and diagnostic facilities.
• A community block with administrative areas, group therapy rooms, and a flexible multipurpose hall for activities like yoga, drawing, music, and light physical exercise.

This dual structure reflects a holistic approach to treatment—one that combines clinical care with community-based, non-medical healing.

A Place of Support and Guidance

At the heart of Chudakov’s concept is the idea of a supportive environment where people in crisis can find both solace and practical help. The architecture encourages group interaction, specialist consultations, and personal reflection. The retractable terrace and outdoor class spaces further strengthen the building’s relationship with its landscape—an intentional move to harness the healing power of nature.

Spatial Programming for Healing

The center is divided into three floors, each with clearly articulated spatial functions:

• First Floor: Cafeteria, patient check-in, therapy rooms, diagnostic spaces, laundry services, and personnel areas.
• Second Floor: Consultation rooms, doctor’s offices, massage and physiotherapy rooms, laboratory, and administration.
• Third Floor: Offices for staff and chief physician, medicine storage, and special-purpose rooms for management and senior personnel.

Every room is tailored to suit a therapeutic need, whether it is solitude, consultation, movement, or recreation. The architectural planning thus becomes a framework for care delivery.

Embedded in Context

The project is strategically located within reach of several key medical organizations in Edinburgh including NHS Lothian and Astley Ainslie Hospital. The zoning plan accounts for low-capacity parking and optimal pedestrian access, reducing barriers to care. Moreover, the form of the structure references local architectural traditions while introducing a sense of modern clarity and transparency.

Juror Feedback

Eleena Jamil, Principal at Eleena Jamil Architect, appreciated the clarity of the proposal:

"A simple building with renderings that show the potentials of the proposal - but would've liked to see how the concept of labyrinth described in the concept can be developed further."

Juanjo Otero, Architect at MOL Arquitectura, Spain, noted:

"The geometry is very blunt. The use of wooden brisoleils and the landscaped patio is very successful."

These insights speak to the project’s balance between ambition and restraint—where calmness and grounded geometry support the healing mission.

Nature as a Design Element

One of the most notable aspects of the project is its landscape architecture. The surrounding park and garden spaces are treated as therapeutic tools in themselves. From meditative walkways to soft planting zones, every element is designed to help patients reestablish a bond with nature, a known catalyst for mental healing.

The Live Laugh Love Center is more than just a healthcare building—it is a spatial manifesto for therapeutic architecture. Through thoughtful planning, community integration, and an emphasis on emotional wellness, the project shows how built environments can play a foundational role in mental health recovery.

As cities continue to expand and mental health challenges rise, the Live Laugh Love Center offers a timely model for architectural empathy and design-driven healing.