Every first Monday of October, building professionals of many disciplines across the globe come together to celebrate World Architecture Day.
According to the International Union of Architects (UIA), this celebration is a moment to reflect on the critical needs in building design and discuss the future of architecture through global initiatives. As such, World Architecture Day sets off a yearlong scheme focussed on a specific theme.
The theme for 2022-2023 is “Architecture for Well-Being, and it couldn’t be more fitting insofar as the technological innovations the construction industry has witnessed over the past year. Builders, engineers, architects, and designers have had to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and sweeping green reforms across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. As such, “Architecture for Well-Being” seeks to promote design elements that address how buildings affect occupant health and the planet’s health as a whole.
Healthy architecture for the built environment
Since the onset of the pandemic, people across the globe have spent more time at home than ever before. Whether in quarantine, working from home, or attending school virtually, the indoor space has rapidly evolved to accommodate more than one function. Design and engineering have quickly shifted toward meeting the aesthetic and functional needs of occupants who spend more time inside. This year’s theme for World Architecture day addresses how architects must now optimise these built environments with health as a key consideration.
Following last year’s theme of “Clean Environment for a Healthy World”, World Architecture Day discussions take things indoors for 2022. According to organisers, their goal is to “develop and restore health” looking at “how architects can contribute to humankind’s physical, emotional, environmental, financial and social wellness while enacting a positive impact on the environment.”
This year’s theme challenges architects to consider the health and quality of the liveable environments they design.
Takeaways for the future
The construction industry is sadly a leading contributor to greenhouse gases globally. Current numbers estimate that buildings generate upwards of 38% of total CO2 emissions worldwide. Daunting numbers.
Because buildings generate such high emissions, the results and consequences can be catastrophic. Not only do buildings contribute to global warming and pollution, but also medical complications, diseases, and other health-related shortcomings. Architects and Engineers have the power to enact significant changes in how structures can impact the health of people and the environment.
To coincide with these architectural initiatives over the next year, the UIA is following the United Nations’ call to develop safer and more liveable environments. As such, architects can be major players in helping achieve the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
In the UK, recent overhauls in building regulations are already taking on green and sustainable approaches, and more can be expected with the country’s goal to reach Net Zero by 2050. Already, many of us are witnessing the effects first hand with a nationwide retrofit of heating systems as the government goes gas-free.
Given that the built environment significantly impacts the health of those who live within it, we can expect to see additional advancements in health-oriented design – big and small.