Committee on Design

It is time for a paradigm shift in our approach to the design of built environment. As most people spend more than 90% of their lives in and about the built environment i.e., architecture, we need to address the human health and wellbeing as the central mission of all architecture. It is not enough to only address health issues in healing environments but we need to understand our responsibility as the architects of the de facto human environment which has replaced the natural environment. 

Over 3.5 billion years life's biological rhythms have evolve in direct response to the natural environmental conditions. The built environment in which we spend most of our living hours, now, differs from the natural environment with consequential impact on our health and overall wellbeing. As architect we need to be familiar with physiological impact of the designed environment and design for health optimization.  

Now, I know well, that we are alway dealing with extremely critical issues which need our attention but we must understand that at the heart of all those issues, the main goal should be human condition. Today we are occupied with carbon footprint, energy efficiency, sustainability, and more but if we lose sight of the central mission of architecture we have no business calling ourselves architects. I am not saying the issues above are not worthy of our attention, on the contrary, I want to emphasize that what we do at the end is for human habitation on Earth and not some abstract notion of carbon for carbon sake. Look, Earth will live with or without us but we are the vulnerable subjects in need of certain environmental conditions.  

So, please join me in this conversation to explore the conditions which can optimize the built environment for better mental and physiological health, performance, and wellbeing. 

Mar 2024 - With respect, in my experience truly good and worthy architects have been doing exactly this for the duration of my career (i.e., began in early 1970's, registered in 1974).  We were mentored and guided, and the ethics of 'healthy' design was emphasized. Perhaps there is need for more discussion of this in schools (however, I doubt it - professors and students discuss this often).  I fear this is yet another 'let's talk about it' item that will fight for air in an already over-crowded arena where talking is valued above action.  I regret the possible record-scratch here but in my current experience and opinion there is far too much 'talk' these days instead of good solid practice action in offices.  Thank you. 

Scott, 

It is so great to hear that health has been a part of your education as well as your professional practice. 

Here, however, I am talking more about evidence-based scientific approach to architectural environment which plays a crucial role in our mental and physiological health. During the last 30 years there has been great scientific discoveries that prove the built environment has larger impact on our health and wellbeing, more than we had ever believed. 

We also, collectively, spend much more of our day hours indoors. As you mention, going beyond just talks, we need a paradigm shift in the way architects approach the design and construction of our living environment. Architects and designers have more impact on human health and wellbeing than medical professionals. I am almost certain that the discussion of ethics of health in architecture has never had the evidence we have today. We need to take this responsibility much more seriously than all other issues with which we are preoccupied. 

The impact of built environment on health and wellbeing must be at the center of our sustainable approach, energy reduction approach, carbon sequestration approach and so on. We are designing the built environment for people's habitation and not some abstract machine. We need to bridge the chasm we have caused between the natural and built environments. And until then we, the architects, are making people sick without knowing it. 

The health science has improved tremendously since the 70s and architects must learn to improve the built environment accordingly. 

Ali Heshmati AIA