Next World Congress on Design&Health will be held in Singapore on 29 Oct - 02 Nov 2025
Addressing the challenges of climate change and global warming necessitates ecological design that emphasizes efficient energy use and the preservation of clean air, water, and soil. We need to envision hospitals that are as efficient and cost-effective as a “Toyota Corolla,” maximizing output with limited resources. The active participation of individuals in managing their own health and medical conditions is crucial. To effectively support and promote this dynamic system, new approaches in building design must incorporate salutogenic principles, fostering environments that enhance well-being. By good design, we can create hospital environments that not only optimize resource use but also promote the well-being of patients and staff.
Moreover, a holistic approach to designing care environments includes exposure to diverse forms of beauty—such as visual art, music, nature, and architecture—which profoundly impacts mental and physical health by exerting neurotrophic effects on various brain regions.
In alignment with these principles, the World Congress on Design and Health (WCDH) stands as a vanguard in promoting this transformative agenda.
•The value of good design, case study of design for healthy society
• Healthy cities, urban health, livable and walkable cities
• Salutogenic design for healthy communities - Active Aging
• The ‘salutogenic hospital’: efficient and cost-effective
• Case studies, healthy housing, salutogenic learning environments,
• Art, culture and health: Stimulating built environments
• Developing international benchmarks on design and health
• Designing healthy workplaces in all settings
• AI in health infrastructure: Integrating technology, services within the built environment
Invited Keynote Speakers for WCDH2025
Pan Pacific Orchard Congress venue
Singapore on 29 Oct - 02 Nov 2025
Designed by WOHA
Ecological Design
“The challenge for ecological design is to provide a green context for a healthy society, dealing with built infrastructure that creates clean air, clean water, clean food, and clean land. These principles are intertwined with those of salutogenic design, which support human health in daily life through stimuli of psychosocial supportive design factors.”
Dr Ken Yeang, Ph.D.
Architect, planner and the founder of Ecological Design, The world's leading green skyscraper architect
Salutogenic Design
The Salutogenic Design support the sense of coherence that fostered by people’s ability to comprehend the built environment (Comprehensibility), to be effective in his behavior (Manageability) and to find meaning from the stimuli and exposure from their built environment (Meaningfulness). The high degree of Sense of Coherence supports people in managing stress and promote health and wellebing.
Dr Alan Dilani, Ph.D.
Architect, Public Health Scientist who develop the theory of Salutogenic Design
Neurobiological salutogenic mechanisms of architectural beauty
“The salutogenic design with curvy-shaped architecture are able to activate brain centers of the beauty circuit, with impacts on particles such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins that can interfere with anxiety, stress, depression. These are precisely the health benefits of salutogenic effects of architectural beauty and its contribution.”
Prof. Enzo Grossi
Medical doctor, scientist,and researcher in the field of Pharmaceutical Medicine, ArtificialIntelligence, Art Culture and Health.
Duties of the Architect
“We are committed to the key illuminations of theoretical neurobiology and expanding the value creation and artistic function of architecture in order to produce the best performing and most optimised salutogenic environments for today’s interconnected world.”
Kristen Whittle, RIBA AIA M. Arch SCI-Arc BA Hons
Studio Kristen Whittle is focused exclusively on the creation of human health and planetary health environments.
“Salutogenic design is ‘good design’
It is not only because of its direct applicability to people’s health but because it’s based in research, science and quantifiable evidence. By adopting salutogenic design, advocates for ‘good design’ in government share a common purpose with decision makers. It is precisely from this evidence base that design professionals can rebuild trust in their profession and design more broadly—a worthy intellectual and creative pursuit for the public good.”
Stefano Scalzo
Executive General Manager, Infrastructure Planning, Victorian Department of Health, Australia
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