Health Research Cluster Guest Lecture

1pm Budden Lecture Theatre, Wednesday 18th March 2026

Head Space > Architecture for Mental Health and Wellbeing

Gallery of five images showing different aspects of spaces for mental health, sketchs of architectural plans, calming hospital rooms, aerial view of a hospital site.

Lecture by Andrew Arnold (Gilling Dod Architects)

Introduced by Dr Christina Malathouni (“Health” Research Cluster Lead, LSA) and Lucy Tarry (MArch5 student, LSA)

Mental health is essential to a healthy life. But more than 1 billion people worldwide are living with mental health disorders, many of whom lack access to the quality care and support they need. One out of every two people are afflicted by mental illness at some point in their lives with the cost on individuals, families, organisations and economies being catastrophic. Mental health issues are widespread, in every community, in every country, on every continent and the UK is no exception. Fundamentally, the world is facing a mental health crisis and the role of design, and the built environment, is playing a huge part in the response.

This lecture will examine, illustrate, and explore the role architecture (and architects) play in shaping modern mental health and wellbeing settings including the design of inpatient care, community-based support services, neurodiversity and pathway specific facilities, and emerging R+D around technology supporting independence and wellness. The lecture will focus on the importance and role good design has in achieving positive clinical outcomes, its impact and reach across all building types, and how co-production and evidence-based innovation is fundamental in achieving this, the inherent challenges, design methodology and socio/economic drivers.

The above will be told through the eyes of an Award-winning architect and practitioner who has devoted the bulk of his career in the field, and who has used his own lived experiences around mental health to champion design excellence, co-production and shared learnings, helping de-stigmatise the issue and effect real change. The talk will conclude with an illustration of the emerging design community focussed on mental health and wellbeing settings, both nationally and internationally, and the role of knowledge sharing forums such as the Design In Mental Health Network (DiMHN) charity.

Speaker biography

Middle aged man with short grey hair and a trimmed beard wearing a long sleave check shirt. They are standing outside, arms crossed, in front of a stone built domestic building.

Andrew Arnold is an Award-Winning Architect and Director at Gilling Dod Architects which has over the last 30 years established itself as a major player in UK Healthcare Design. It is in the field of Mental Health Design however where Andrew has excelled with acclaimed projects completed across all aspects of the sector and for Clients nationwide. He heads up a vastly experienced team at Gilling Dod with first-hand knowledge and insights into the key drivers and challenges found in MH design.

An in-depth knowledge of the issues surrounding modern Mental health services, an innovative evidenced-led design approach and a passion for co-production, has seen Andrew lead the design on some of the Practice’s most iconic and Award-winning Mental Health schemes including Red Kite View, Inspire CAMHS [Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services], Broadmoor High Secure Hospital and Aspen Wood LSU [Low Security Unit]. He was the Director in charge on the £105M North View AMHU [Acute Mental Health Unit] project in North Manchester and led on the eradicating Dormitory schemes at Mossley Hill, Edward Street and RIS:ES. Away from inpatient settings, Andrew was the lead designer on the CAMHS Co-production project with Caudwell Children’s charity looking at ASD friendly and Trauma informed design. He has advised/consulted on CAMHS builds in the US and has worked in Ireland working alongside local Architects on Mental Health Projects in Dublin and Belfast.

Currently he is overseeing the final stages of Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s new Water Meadow View Learning Disabilities inpatient unit just outside Preston and leading on Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust’s innovative new Mental Health Digital Research center (MHDRC) in Maghull, Merseyside. He is also heavily involved in the major redesign of a High Secure Forensic Hospital for an NHS Trust in the North West of England which is set to become the largest Mental Health build Project in Europe when it goes on site next year. In all, over £1Billion worth of Mental Health building delivered to date.

Andrew is also a Trustee Board member at Design in Mental Health Network (DiMHN), an independent UK charity dedicated to improving mental health outcomes through better design. The Network is made up of professionals with expertise rooted in lived experience research, clinical practice, architecture, product innovation, and design. Alongside running a thriving national architectural practice, this role has allowed Andrew to forge an impressive reputation and profile in modern Mental Health design, championing innovation, co- production and design excellence benefitting end users.