Holistic housing design to enhance health and wellbeing for libyan war wounded

The 2011 war left many Libyans with disabilities who live in housing environments that may not suit their hidden injuries and disabilities. The Libyan war-wounded are the most affected Libyans because of being on the front line in the 2011 war or war zones. There is a need to help those people, together with their family members, to heal and recover by providing suitable residential neighbourhoods. Indeed, there is a lack of recommendations and standards for designing therapeutic residential environments for war veterans or war-wounded, which is this thesis's main interest. This study investigates holistic approaches for designing housing for Libyan war wounded to enhance their health and wellbeing. The primary purpose of the thesis was to create living healing environments for the Libyan war wended through holistic design approaches for future research and practising. In answering the main research question and 8 sub-questions, seven research aims and twenty-nine objectives were achieved. Data was collected from Libyan war wounded and Libyan experts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 4 Libyan experts. Questionnaires were conducted with 31 Libyan war wounded. There was a limitation related to the sample size of Libyan war wounded because of the unusual nature of the research sample, the characteristics of the difficulties they faced, and the security conditions in the country during the period of conducting field studies. However, information extracted from them ensured the quality of the outcomes as they were members of the same war-wounded organisation. The data analysis informed the trial housing unit designs, which evaluation led to the optimisation of the designs, and an appropriate healing house was delivered. Although the holistic design approach of healing homes was delivered, the research shows kinds of challenges facing LWWs and exposes that their current housing environments were not suitable for their needs. Checklists for the modification and rehabilitation of existing residential buildings for Libyan war wounded were delivered, and the new shape of post-war Libyan housing with healing and accessible considerations was produced. The research allowed the development of a set of checklists and recommendations for architects to achieve a practical model of designing residential healing environments for war-wounded people or Libyan war wounded.