Our Buildings Should Promote our Health

Alvar Aalto , renowned Finnish architect, approached his design for the Paimio Sanatorium as, in his words, a "medical instrument”. Inaugurated in 1933, the building was designed following the principles of functionalism, with the goal of creating a coherent environment for the treatment and recovery of patients, with ample natural light, connection to nature, adequate ventilation, and ergonomic furnishings. From ancient cities with carefully thought-out sanitation and ventilation properties, to modern concepts of wellness design and sustainable architecture, the relationship between architecture and health has evolved, influenced by many social, cultural, technological and scientific factors. Today, we have become more aware of materials that can be harmful to our health or design practices that do not promote adequate wellbeing for their occupants.

Sustainable practices and biophilic design are also gaining momentum, with a focus on creating environmentally responsible buildings that promote human health and well-being and allow contact with natural elements. Understanding the impact of architecture on human health has made Aalto's approach increasingly popular, and architects have an important role in helping to promote healthy living. In this third edition of our Building Future Newsletter , we will focus on the relationship between architecture and health through the use of innovative materials, lighting and design solutions in interiors.

Our first highlight couldn’t be more relevant to the topic, with a comprehensive look into What Materials Can Promote Health in Interior Architecture . With the plethora of solutions, products and materials currently at our disposal, it is important that we prioritize those that contribute to clean, healthy and energy efficient interior environments. Another issue that is often ignored is the quality of the lighting in our environments . It is always important to remember that even though most of the world's population lives in cities and has a very different lifestyle from our prehistoric ancestors, our bodies are not that different. This means that the lack of connection to natural light can still harm our sleep cycles and, consequently, our health ; which is why interior lighting in the future will be as similar as possible to the type of light we have in nature. And this quest has driven researchers and inventors to find solutions, such as young Danish architects who, by seeking to improve the quality of sleep of astronauts in space , might also end up improving the way we light our homes.

Below is a selection of recent articles in the Materials section that touch on this topic. We hope you enjoy it. See you in the next edition!

Eduardo Souza , Senior Editor, Brands & Materials

What Materials Can Promote Health in Interior Architecture?

We explore modern, non-toxic and sustainable building materials that are purposely created for safe homes, promoting physical, mental and environmental health.

How Will We Illuminate Our Interiors in the Future?

Discover future lighting trends and technologies, including more efficient LEDs, OLEDs, quantum dots and bio-lighting.

Young Architects Innovate for Better Sleep in Space and (Hopefully) on Earth

SAGA Space Architects have developed a solution to improve astronauts' sleep in space: the Circadian Light lamp.