Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which a person's immune system mistakenly targets the central immune system for attacks, resulting in inflammatory reactions within the person's nervous system that eventually destroy the myelin sheath, leading to disabilities for him. These defects occur in different people in different ways and with different intensities and time periods. The exact cause of MS is unknown, and there is no definitive cure for it. According to scientific findings, reducing stress and rehabilitation can improve physical condition, prevent further limitations in the patient, and improve the quality of the patients' life. The Rehabilitation, Support, Counseling, and Awareness services provided at the MS Center of Iran were of poor quality, and patients did not want to attend. We identified the problem as a weakness in the quality of the interior design of the complex. By presenting a plan in accordance with the theory of supportive design, we tried to improve the quality of the interior space of the complex, remove obstacles as much as possible and increase the quality of life of these patients by receiving support, education, and rehabilitation.

The following limitations and shortcomings were identified in the current structure of the MS Association:

1.     Access to the collection is not suitable for someone who has a limit and has to use assistive devices. The complex entrance has no invitation and space separation and does not encourage the patient to be in the space. The width of the corridor is low, and there is no handrail bar.

2.      The movement paths are long, and there is a lot of movement interference.

3.     There is no space for counseling and education about the disease, and the complex library is almost useless.

4.     Employees' workspace is not in line with the principles of office space design, which negatively affects the quality of services provided to patients.

5.     The rehabilitation room does not have proper spatial planning, and the environmental components are highly stressful to patients.

6.     The quality of light, ventilation, visual separations, communication with nature, and creation of positive and acoustic distractions in the interior design was not considered and negatively impacted the quality of the space.

To design the set, our primary goal was to reduce the level of stress in people due to environmental components, for which we adopted the following methods:

1.     Utilizing nature, improving the quality of natural and artificial light, and improving airflow, music, and artwork to create positive distractions in patients.

2.     Creating space for interaction and making positive communication, and receiving social support.

3.     Creating privacy for patients.

We had severe financial constraints in designing the complex as well as not interfering with the structure. However, we started the design by carefully studying geography and climate and analyzing the direction of the sun on the building wall and the airflow in different months based on geographical data.

The presence of micropollutants in the city of Tehran, creating a natural airflow inside the buildings faced a severe challenge; therefore, to solve this challenge, the vents were designed to allow air flow to enter the space indirectly after passing through the filter.

We integrated the library with the front yard to transform the library from a single-function to a multi-functional space and a place for interactions and social support for patients.

In separate units for each patient, we increased the amount of personal control so that the patient could choose the intensity of light, the amount of airflow, and the type of music depending on his mood, which will play an essential role in reducing the patient's stress.

In order to establish a sense of intimacy between the patient and the counselor, we created a separate and calm space for counseling that is like a home space.

For staff, a separate work and rest area was provided to provide services to patients with complete mental health because the quality of nurses' behavior directly affects stress.

In addition to separate rehabilitation units, a rehabilitation room with new facilities was provided to increase the number of positive interactions between patients while receiving rehabilitation services.