ReSET: increasing student well-being on a university campus through the design of stress-reducing environments

Universities are integral to the development and livelihoods of cities. These institutions of higher learning hold an essential position within the urban fabric, yielding professionals who keep cities thriving with their innovation and ingenuity. Unfortunately, in the past decade, a mental health crisis has been spreading across many campuses globally. More students struggle to stay enrolled and graduate as they deal with stress, anxiety and depression. To this end, a study was conducted on a university campus in Philadelphia, with the primary goal being to identify environmental and psychological stressors affecting students to inform the design and construction of full-scale temporary wellness installations in an interior environment on campus. A collaboration between undergraduate interior design and psychology students revealed that the campus could benefit from the addition of several types of space: locations for quiet relaxation, napping, meditation and sensory spaces – all of which were noted as having the ability to reduce stress. In response, design students created full-scale temporary installations constructed from readily available, non-traditional materials (for example, cardboard and bamboo) for students to use for wellness restoration during reading week and gained feedback on which designs were the most beneficial. This article reviews the spaces designed and results of the feedback, with the hopes that other universities might implement the recommended modifications, making their campuses – and, by extension, their cities – healthier and more liveable.