How architecture shapes human wellness and health

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Indoor spaces have become the places where we spend the majority of our lives, according to a study by Klepeis et al., around 90% of our time. This became even more after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when homes became multifunctional spaces, serving as offices, classrooms, gyms, and entertainment hubs. Now, five years later, many of those changes have stuck around. Family time, work, and relaxation often continue to take place in the same shared space.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has encouraged us to prioritize health and mental well-being for everyone. This challenges architects and designers to look beyond just materials and measurements, and ask ourselves: How will this space support the people who live or work here? How is our perception of interior sound? How does natural light flow through the room? Is there access to fresh air and green views? Can the space accommodate various activities, from productivity to relaxation? These questions are becoming just as essential as the traditional rules of design.

At this key moment, architecture is evolving its role once again. It’s no longer just about creating beautiful or symmetrical spaces, it’s also about recognizing how profoundly buildings actually impact people’s health and wellbeing. The spaces we live in affect how we feel, how we connect with others, and how we function in our daily lives.

The wellness approach emphasizes creating a balanced relationship between the body, mind, and surrounding environment, focusing on the improvement of the quality of the air and water, the protection of exterior and internal sound, the inclusion of nature, and maximizing the use of natural light. 

Currently, there are various design trends that consider these holistic approaches:

Wellness Certifications (WELL)

The WELL Building Standard is a human health-focused certification launched in 2014 by the IWBI. It covers a range of categories, including air and water quality, nutrition, lighting, movement, sound, materials, thermal comfort, community, and mental health, that affect how we feel and function. What makes it different from others is the fact that its standards are based on scientific research, meaning that every single design decision has to be backed up by evidence. 

Passive House Design

Introduced in the 1990s by the Passive House Institute in Germany, it is a standard that sets the criteria for energy-efficient buildings. This sort of design is suited for climates with extreme temperatures, where keeping indoor spaces comfortable can be challenging and expensive using traditional heating and cooling systems. What makes Passive House buildings stand out is how they prioritize both energy efficiency and occupant comfort. 

Biophilic design 

The idea of Biophilic design is to bring nature back into design with the intention of reconnecting ourselves to the natural world. The term was popularized in the 1980s by Edward O. Wilson. By incorporating elements like indoor plants, water features, and natural textures, this approach helps reduce stress, enhance creativity, and improve cognitive performance.

Neuroarchitecture

The concept of Neuroarchitecture emerged in the early 2000s, and focuses on how our brains and bodies respond to the spaces we live and work in; it merges science and design to better support our wellbeing. It draws on architecture, psychology, and neuroscience to help us understand how different factors such as light, layout, and noise affect how we think and feel. Designers can take that knowledge to create spaces that encourage focus, calm us down, or even help us feel more connected to others.

Emotional tone of space 

The notion that the space we’re in can affect how we feel started to emerge in the late 1990s and early 2000s, thanks to new research in environmental psychology and neuroscience. Researchers began to study how elements like light, color, texture, and proportions, could measure how the brain processed an emotional response to a space.  Now, architects use these insights to create environments that can help calm us with simple, minimalist designs, with clean lines often used in places like hospitals or meditation rooms where tranquility is important. On the other hand, spaces meant to inspire energy and creativity, like classrooms, might include bright colors, dynamic lighting, and stimulating textures to keep people engaged and focused.

Fitness-oriented design

Fitness-oriented design gained popularity in the early 2010s as a response to rising rates of sedentary behavior, especially in office settings. In 2010, New York City established the Active Design Guidelines, laying out ways to encourage physical movement through design. 

This approach advocates for the incorporation of fitness routines into daily life and can contribute to long-term health benefits, including increased physical activity, muscle strength, and improved cardiovascular health, making physical activity a part of our life, not just something reserved for the gym. 

As we move forward, we have a common goal: to design spaces that not only look good but also feel good and that truly support our health and happiness.

Sources & credit

• Klepeis, N.E., Nelson, W.C., Ott, W.R., et al. (2001). The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): A resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, 11(3), 231–252. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jea.7500165

• World Health Organization. (2025, March 25). New WHO guidance calls for urgent transformation of mental health policies. https://www.who.int/es/news/item/25-03-2025-new-who-guidance-calls-for-urgent-transformation-of-mental-health-policies

• Dodge, R., Daly, A.P., Huyton, J., & Sanders, L.D. (2012). The challenge of defining wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 2(3), 222–235.

• International WELL Building Institute. WELL Certification. https://www.wellcertified.com/

• Passive House Institute. What is a Passive House? https://passivehouse.com/02_informations/01_whatisapassivehouse/01_whatisapassivehouse.htm

• Kellert, S.R., Heerwagen, J., & Mador, M. (Eds.). (2008). Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life. Wiley.

• Terrapin Bright Green. 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design. https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/reports/14-patterns/

• Beenkens, F. (n.d.). How Neuro-Architecture will change your well-being [TEDx Talk]. TEDx Geneva. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oNK6y18zqQ

• Augustin, S. (n.d.). Effects of interior design on wellness: Theory and recent scientific research. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13173950_Effects_of_interior_design_on_wellness_Theory_and_recent_scientific_research

• World Health Organization. (n.d.). Physical activity – Fact sheet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity

• The American Institute of Architects (AIA). (n.d.). Designing for physical activity in buildings. [General reference].