Careful : protecting the dignity of people with mental health issues in care spaces that respect their vulnerability.

The concept of dignity is a delicate one. One could argue that everyone is dignified, or that everyone possesses dignity. We notice it most when we can exclaim that something has become undignified. Mental health centres are interesting places to explore this issue. Architecture plays an important role there, particularly in the patient’s experience. A patient suffering from appendicitis, whether in hospital or in an alleyway, depends mainly on the knowledge and resources available to the doctor. On the other hand, it has been proven that a person suffering from depression or a psychotic episode is influenced by their environment. In both cases, the environment plays a role, but it is decisive in the second case. History also shows us that architecture can easily create an undignified place, even with the best of intentions. We can think of the first psychiatrists of the Esquirol and Pinel era, who gave rise to the first asylums that we continue to criticize today. Among the scientific advances in mental health, neuroarchitecture, simulated architecture, and WELL principles, this project proposes a return to basics. Therefore, the aim is to review the notion of dignity with the intention of creating a mental health centre that does no harm.