- PROJECT TITLE: Nature-Inspired Design for Human Wellbeing (BUILDWELL)
- PROJECT LEADER: Michael David Burnard, PhD
- PERIOD: 1.1.2025 – 31.12.2026
- BUDGET: 99,996 EUR
- FINANCING: ARIS
- PROJECT COORDINATOR: InnoRenew CoE (Slovenia)
The built environment is a complex sociotechnical system that, at its best, protects and nurtures us, supports our health and wellbeing, and supports and just and equitable society. At its worst, the built environment can harm our health, limit us, and separates society unjustly. Buildings, as a major component of the built environment, offer an exceptional opportunity to support the wellbeing of their occupants through design solutions that enhance wellbeing rather than simply limit harm. Inspiration for supporting wellbeing in buildings can be drawn from natural ecological systems which have the remarkable ability to heal themselves after environmental stressors. People can experience the restorative capacity of nature as well by visiting natural environments. Yet, in modern society, our built environment often separates us from nature, making it difficult to access for many.
Bringing nature to where people spend most of their time through nature-inspired design solutions can provide restorative and wellbeing being benefits to people where they live, work, and play. Like the growing trend in personalised medicine that targets treatments for individuals, design solutions should be personalised as well, as there appears to be cultural, regional, and personal differences in responses to elements of nature in the buildings. BuildWell will conduct an explore which key factors of nature-inspired solutions, the built environment, and personal moderating factors lead to or inhibit wellbeing in buildings. Then, a robust methodology for gathering this data will be designed, tested, and validated.
