Wellness architecture: An active approach to preventative health

While health is defined by the World Health Organization as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being," wellness architecture focuses on the relationship between the built environment and its occupants. 

Unlike traditional architecture, which often focuses on the architectural object itself, wellness architecture seeks to design spaces that positively impact the physical, mental, and emotional health of the people who inhabit them, placing human beings and their biological processes at the center of the design.

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The story behind

In the English language, the word 'wellness' means the opposite of 'illness', or the state of being in good health.

However, the modern use of the term dates back to the 1950s, following the publication of Halbert L. Dunn's work, “High-Level Wellness” (1961). In the 1970s, his ideas were adopted by an informal network of people in the United States, including Dr John Travis, Don Ardell and Dr Bill Hettler.

Known as the 'fathers of the wellbeing movement', they developed new assessment tools and wrote and spoke extensively about the concept.

Travis, Ardell and Hettler were responsible for creating the world's first wellbeing centre and the first on a university campus. They also established the National Wellbeing Institute and the National Wellbeing Conference in the United States.

The emergence of workplace wellness programmes between the 1980s and 2000s, combined with the growing popularity of the fitness and spa industries and celebrity wellness and self-help experts, brought wellness into the spotlight.

In the current global health crisis, which is generating unsustainable healthcare costs, attention is shifting towards prevention and wellness. This is also related to designing spaces that promote health.

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The principles

In wellness architecture, structures can be equipped with water and air filtration systems. Given the amount of time residents spend at home, the design also actively promotes regeneration by eliminating stress factors and implementing strategies such as gyms, swimming pools, gardens, therapy or meditation rooms, and relaxation areas.

This approach proposes that the environment be an active tool for preventative medicine, given that humans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, according to studies conducted by the National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS).

Although it is a relatively new term, the wellness architecture is based on these fundamental principles:

Indoor quality: This involves clean air and natural ventilation, as well as the installation of mechanical systems with high-efficiency particulate air filters to capture particulate matter and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. In addition, the use of real-time sensors to measure relative humidity, temperature, and pollutant levels is essential.

Lighting and circadian rhythms: This represents the use of artificial lighting systems that adjust color temperature and intensity throughout the day to synchronize the circadian rhythm, prioritizing natural light by calculating the daylight factor and using solar control devices to prevent glare.

Biophilic design: This involves incorporating views of natural elements, including natural sensory stimuli such as air circulation, variations in light, and natural textures, to reduce the cortisol response.

Healthy environments: It involves creating environments around structures that promote people's prosperity by implementing spaces that encourage physical activity and social interaction.

The future of architecture is one where buildings have the power to heal, connect, and give back to the people and the planet.

Sources: Global Wellness Institute, Wellmodular

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