The built environment is a primary determinant of public health, with design affording us a potent vehicle to promote well-being. A significant amount of time, as city dwellers, is spent within designed environments. In the same way that physicians take an oath to do no harm, so too must environmental design professionals, such as architects & interior designers, ensure that buildings, landscapes, spaces and places promote rather than degrade our physical, mental and spiritual wellness. The manner in which environments are conceived and constructed have demonstrable impacts on our behavior, our physiology, and our cognitive state. The present paper explores the design of health-promoting environments through the lens of Salutogenesis. In contrast to the reactive posture of Pathogenesis, the concept of Salutogenesis fosters a more proactive, holistic and efficacious approach to nurturing health. Understanding the vital place of environments in equations for health, Salutogenesis engages architecture alongside healthcare provision in more integrated models for well-being. A senior graduate research studio in Architecture was developed and delivered, focusing on the design of a comprehensive 5000 M2 Salutogenesis Institute located in Canada. The studio, departing from a conventional pedagogical structure, included a major collaborative research component with four interrelated themes: Agile Architecture, Alternative Medicine, Resilient Design, and Systems & Cybernetics. The outcomes of this research directly informed the design of 15 schemes for the Salutogenesis Institute. The paper explores values and value that a Salutogenic orientation proffers to the design of architecture and landscapes that aim for better user health outcomes.

Authors:
Brian R. Sinclair, University of Calgary; Sinclairstudio Inc., Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Brian R. Sinclair is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at University of Calgary in Canada

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