Psychiatric clinics where patients live are only used when the patient cannot live on their own anymore. Stays are kept as short as possible and patients are stimulated to reintegrate and live on their own again (GGZ Noord-Holland- Noord, n.d.). For patients with the prospect of moving out again, this now often fails, because the difference between living in a clinic and living in your own home is too big. The architecture does not fully support aspects of giving and taking autonomy, which can result in patients feeling helpless (Evans, 2003). This research aims to make it easier for patients admitted to psychiatric clinics to reintegrate into out-patient care and their own home, by finding ways in which architecture can increase the autonomy that patients in clinics have. For this research, the subject of feeling at home is taken from J. Habraken (1961), who says that a place can only feel like a home when you are able to build, to change it to your preferences. The paper by Golembiewski (2010) is used as it directly posed architectural guidelines. There is no research yet that combines elements of architecture and the built environment into guidelines to increase the feeling of autonomy for patients admitted to psychiatric clinics. Part of the research is done by a case study analysis, in which 5 psychiatric clinics in The Netherlands will be ranked points in five different categories, with a maximum of five points. The categories are: Room for activity within, Activities in surroundings, Possibility to choose your whereabouts, Possibility to personalize and Stigmatization. Another part of the research is done by by interviews and observations in a Field Work. Three interviews were done with members of staff and there have also been observations directed to finding out people’s needs, wishes and relationship with the building. The research resulted in 17 architectural guidelines that architects can use in order to design psychiatric clinics and increase the amount of autonomy patients have. Within the guidelines, there is a clash between those that make sure safety and privacy is provided within the building and thosethat stimulate social contact and activities. It is both important to comfort patients as well as prepare them to live on their own. Key words: Autonomy, personalization, temporary co-living, psychiatric clinics, inpatient healthcare facilities, patient-centred healthcare.