The Impact of the University Built Environment on Students’ Mental Health and Well-Being: A Systematic Review

Mental health and well-being of university student is critical in their academic performance, quality of life and personal growth at an important stage of their development. Among other factors, the built environment has a substantial impact, and students spend a significant part of their time in their university campus. This study reviews the relevant literature in order to synthesise the current body of knowledge and its gaps and limitations. Previous research from different fields of enquiry has demonstrated a range of effects on mental health for all the main aspects of the built environment, including its constitutive components (e.g. buildings, outdoor spaces), its spatial configuration (e.g. geometry, architecture), and its environmental characteristics (e.g. thermal, visual and acoustic factors). Furthermore, the current body of knowledge is still fragmented, lacking methodological consistency, systematisation and a specific framework for the educational spaces that can be translated in structured design guidelines.