Can a picnic table improve your mental health?

Some spaces are naturally better for certain activities than others. You likely haven’t tried studying during a concert or dancing in the library, because environments themselves shape how we behave in them. For a dynamic community with diverse needs, the University of Calgary requires different spaces that can facilitate teaching, learning, collaborating, socializing and relaxing.

As a master of detailed architectural considerations, from colour schemes to window locations and pathway placements, university architect Jane Ferrabee is the resident expert leading the design vision for our campus environment, both inside and out.

“Space, daylight, temperature, odour, noise, acoustics — these are all key to people's sense of well-being and are crucial to helping people feel supported in studying, researching and learning,” Ferrabee says. “Universities are unique places because young people pass through here at a critical time in their lives. They take part in a new community and the success of that will have a lot to do with the environment being supportive of their needs.”

While our indoor spaces are often used for more formal interactions such as hosting classes or conducting research, Ferrabee says outdoor spaces are optimal for making connections. “Different sizes of spaces support different types of interactions,” she explains.

“While there are larger places on campus suited for big gatherings, spaces like the new Campus Mental Health Strategy picnic tables are great for socializing in smaller groups and provide opportunities for more casual, off-schedule interactions.”

Picnic tables on campus offer stress relief

Installed in February 2018, the CMHS picnic tables located at the Rozsa Centre loop and outside Science B aim to enable intimate connections between community members, while capitalizing on the health benefits of being outdoors.

“Nature is so critical to mental health. Regardless of the season it offers us relief from the stresses of a highly focused academic environment,” Ferrabee says. “To have a community of caring, space has to support a rich variety of communities and meet the needs of many groups, including the Campus Mental Health Strategy and Indigenous communities.”

Although the picnic tables may seem like a small addition, Ferrabee says that regardless of size, all architectural developments, including the new Swann Mall and MacKimmie complex, are important steps in prioritizing health.  

“The picnic tables are a small effort at dropping pleasant surprises on campus,” says Ferrabee. “We want to continue doing that in a deliberate way to create caring environments in this community.”

Join the CMHS to celebrate the new picnic tables at the Pop-up Picnic on July 25. This fun-filled event will be hosted at the Rozsa Centre loop from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, including the full schedule of drop-in activities, visit the CMHS website.

The University of Calgary’s Campus Mental Health Strategy is a bold commitment to the importance of mental health and well-being of our university family. Our vision is to be a community where we care for each other, learn and talk about mental health and well-being, receive support as needed, and individually and collectively realize our full potential.