Influence of therapeutic architecture principles on spatial circulation design in wellness resorts: evidence from selected case studies in Nigeria

Wellness resorts increasingly rely on therapeutic architecture to support users’ physical and psychological restoration, yet the pathways through which these design principles shape spatial circulation remain underexplored, particularly in the Nigerian hospitality context. This study investigated the influence of seven therapeutic architecture principles (connection to nature, natural lighting, natural ventilation, multi-sensory design, privacy and control, aesthetics and emotional harmony, and integration of artwork and colour) on the spatial circulation experience of users across three purposively selected resorts in Nigeria: Ilaji Resorts, Oxygen Orbit Resort, and Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, 297 copies of the questionnaire were administered to resort visitors, wellness practitioners, and resort staff through purposive and convenience sampling, of which 230 were validly retrieved and analysed, representing a 77.4% response rate of questionnaires administered. We conducted multiple regression analyses of eight spatial circulation indicators against the seven predictors. Findings show that all eight regression models were statistically significant (p < 0.01), with aesthetics and emotional harmony and connection to nature emerging as the strongest positive predictors specifically of ease of movement between spaces, the circulation outcome most strongly explained overall, while privacy and control was most strongly associated with privacy through spatial layout, and natural lighting was most strongly associated with the effectiveness of wayfinding and signage. Integration of artwork and colour, however, showed the strongest negative coefficient for the reduction of disorientation, suggesting that artwork and colour interventions may compete with intuitive wayfinding if not carefully placed. Accessibility, the indicator most closely tied to vertical circulation, was the most weakly explained by the therapeutic principles, indicating that stairs, ramps, and lifts in these resorts are still designed chiefly to functional and accessibility standards rather than therapeutic ones. The study concludes that therapeutic architecture principles are meaningfully associated with horizontal circulation experience in wellness resorts in Nigeria. The findings are best read as case evidence transferable to comparable resorts, not as statistically generalisable to the wider sector. The study recommends that designers prioritise daylighting, biophilic connection, and restrained, purposefully placed artwork in circulation design, while extending therapeutic considerations to vertical transitions.