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The article focuses on the relationship between people and places from the perspective of a participant observer. We use examples of assisting living facilities in the mental health field, and demonstrate how the process of understanding a research setting as language and text, may allow for new perspectives to emerge. Mainly by introducing the Norwegian architect Christian Norberg- Schulz’s phenomenology of place, and complementing it with the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur’s theory of interpretation; we demonstrate how these understandings help us to include the physical environment. Norberg-Schultz describes places by following characteristics: a) The place's basic language, b) The place's material language and c) The history of the place. Inspired by Ricoeur, a place becomes a text which has d) emancipated itself from its origin and e) is living its own life. The discussion relates to how, by taking the material surroundings into account, the researcher becomes able to better understand the way people live. The conclusions show the importance of the role of the researchers’ personal experiences and emotions when being present together with the participants in the same physical environment.

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