Warrior's Ranch: Combating the Invisible Enemy
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Abstract
Warrior’s Ranch is a domiciliary mental health rehabilitation facility that is designed to help
treat veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological
and physical disorders. The design will invoke a sense of home and belonging through the
use of architectural elements, spatial programming, and person-centered design strategies in
order to provide a more comfortable and secure environment for the user to work through
their ailment. The design will also achieve a sense of ownership and inclusion through the personalization of individual spaces and the promotion of community involvement through
the use of interactive community spaces. The design thinking strategies of this thesis will
ultimately force us to rethink how we can design better, future healthcare facilities that aid
our men and women in uniform.
The site for Warrior’s Ranch is located in Dickinson, North Dakota. This site was chosen
due to its serene environment and expansive shoreline along Edward Arthur Patterson Lake.
The site will provide a more relaxed environment due to its rural setting, while also providing
the benefits that come with being located near one of North Dakota’s largest cities.
This thesis will focus on improving mental health through the use of person-centered design
solutions to better aid in the treatment of soldiers suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder and other psychological and physical disorders. Throughout the design process, this
thesis will study how the sense of home and belonging that a resident’s environment invokes
through the use of architectural elements, spatial programming, and person-centered design
strategies directly affect the level of engagement that the patient gives to their treatment.