Late life depression is a common problem among seniors. It is estimated that up to 25% of people over 75 experience depression. The consequences are not limited to a having a worse mental state, but include a variety of physical comorbidities. Therefore countering late life depression will not only help the individual, but it will also reduce pressure on the healthcare system. Depression should be treated with medication and psychotherapy, but since many seniors spend the majority of their day at home, their moods will be affected by their living environments. Currently senior housing typologies are notorious for being somber and institutional. Therefore this thesis aims to establish which design factors can contribute to the alleviation of late life depression in senior living environments? The factors have been derived through an interdisciplinary approach; findings from a literature review of Evidence Based Design were combined with psychiatric perspectives on late life depression. Finally housing preferences of Dutch seniors were considered, since meeting their needs might contribute to feelings of life satisfaction. In order to illustrate how these design factors could be implemented in architectural design, case studies have been performed of state-of-the-art psychiatric hospitals and retirement homes. From these methods eighteen mental health-promoting Design Factors have been derived. These Design Factors can be categorized into three groups:

1)Environmental Design Factors include: Central Location, Views of Nature, (Morning) Light, Noise and Air Quality.
2)Building Design Factors are comprised of: Social Spaces, Intergenerational Relationships, Physical Activity, Dementia Spaces, Positive Distractions, Staff Spaces, Appropriate Size, Outdoor Spaces and Home Ownership.
3)Finishing Factors include: Accessibility, Privacy, Control and Homelike Environment.
Integrating these factors into the designs of senior living environments might contribute to the prevention or alleviation of late life depression.

This paper examines how nationalist sentiments are differently manifested in the works of Alphonse Mucha and Viktor Vasnetsov. In order to understand the nature of these sentiments, the biographies of the painters and the socio-political circumstances of their relative homelands are considered. Additionally three works from each painter are analyzed to establish how these nationalist sentiments are translated into the style and subject matter. Finally a comparison is drawn between the two painters.
The paper has established that Mucha grew up in Moravia, which had been struggling for independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This struggle motivated Mucha to create art that would legitimize Czech independence and would emphasize that the various Slav nations were not inferior to their German oppressors. His nationalist art therefore mainly focused on various scenes from Czech and broader Pan-Slavic history.
Vasnetsov lived in the Russian Empire, where progressives promoted Western liberalist policies as a possible solution to class inequality and poverty. Vasnetsov saw this Westernization as a threat to his heritage and therefore decided to preserve aspects of Russian culture that he deemed beautiful. He therefore painted in the folkloric and religious genre, since they symbolized an abstract strength and hope in a local solution of the problem.
Consequently the nationalist sentiments in Mucha’s work are intended to institute change in Czech society, while Vasnetsov’s nationalism is less politically involved, but aims to provide comfort in times of despair.