Next World Congress on Design&Health will be in Singapore
Press Release: 13th World Congress on Design and Health
The 13th World Congress on Design and Health, hosted by the International Academy for Design and Health, took place from April 11th to 14th, 2024, with partnership of Politecnico di Milano. The congress showcased groundbreaking scientific research on the connection between design and health, and the profound impact of the built environment on human well-being. In collaboration with Politecnico di Milano, renowned for its standing as one of the world's premier scientific universities, the congress delivered a resounding success. The inaugural day of the Congress was dedicated to Mentors and Mentees M2 networking, drawing together esteemed experts, scholars, and designers alongside Ph.D. candidates. This assembly represented a global, interdisciplinary community committed to advancing research at the intersection of design, health, science, and culture. The second day commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Emilio Faroldi, Vice Rector of Politecnico di Milano, emphasizing the imperative of interdisciplinary collaboration in driving innovation at the confluence of design and health. Dr. Alan Dilani, President and Founder of the Academy for Design and Health, presented compelling scientific evidence on Salutogenic Design theory, followed by Dr. Stefano Capolongo's discourse on the Role of Architecture in promoting health across society, from urban landscapes to hospital infrastructures. The session was highlighted by the presentation of the Vertical Forest, or "Bosco Verticale," an iconic architectural marvel designed by Arch. Stefano Boeri, which has become a symbol of Milano. The subsequent session featured a keynote address by Dr. David Rakel of the USA, elucidating on the Science of Salutogenesis and Healthcare Delivery. This was followed by engaging discussions and presentations by several architects and medical practitioners, exploring the transformative potential of Salutogenic approaches in healthcare, from hospitals to community facilities, and their broader implications for public health and urban development. On the third day, themes such as Healthy Aging and Dementia Care took center stage, delving into theoretical frameworks and practical strategies for promoting well-being in aging populations. Renowned speakers such as Dr. John Zeisel and Dr. Enzo Grossi presented compelling insights into the cognitive dimensions of architectural design and the neurobiological mechanisms underlying perceptions of beauty. The Congress also featured the International Academy Awards Gala Dinner, honoring leaders in design and health, including Lifetime leadership Awards to Dr. John Zeisel and recognition of the architect Tye Farrow, with others for their exemplary contributions to the field. On the fourth day, participants embarked on study tours aligned with the Congress themes, exploring Urban Health initiatives, Hospital Design case studies, and Healthy Building exemplars. Reflecting on the Congress, attendees expressed profound inspiration and gratitude for the enriching experience. President Alan Dilani commended the leadership of Politecnico di Milano and announced the venue for the next Congress in Singapore, scheduled for October 28th to November 1st, 2025. We look forward see you in Singapore to explore into the forefront of Salutogenic science and its role in fostering a sustainable, healthy society.
Session 1: Scientific Introduction of the Congress
Alan Dilani (Sweden), The Science of the Salutogenesis, Theory and Application
Stefano Capolongo (Italy), The Hospital of the Future
Stefano Boeri (Italy), The Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) Green Residential
Session 2: Healthcare Design
David Rakel, MD (USA), The Science of the Salutogenesis and Healthcare Delivery
Andrea Brambilla (Italy), Sustainability in the Next Generation Hospital. Needs and requirements
Tye Farrow (Canada), Embreathment, Embodiment, Environmental Enrichment, improved outcome
Margreet C. Vos (The Netherlands), Design a Safe Hospital for Patients and Healthcare Staff
Session 3: Case Studies Healthcare Design
Sonika Rawal, Celen Pasalar (USA), Impact of Urban Park Design on Recovery from Stress
Eduard Boonstra (The Netherlands), Why a “Blue Hospital” Design? How to Achieve?
Maddalena Buffoli (Italy), Urban Green Space Design and Frequency Exposure Impact
Erica Brusamolin (Italy), Designing Community Health center to Improve Well-being
Marco Gola (Italy), Rethinking the Territorial Medicine in Italy
Erica Isa Mosca (Italy), Advanced Design Strategies for Community Health Center in Italy
Session 5: Urban Mental Health / Supportive Environment
John Zeisel (USA), Healthy Aging Includes Aging Well with Dementia
Tianzhi Sun (Italy), Supporting Healthy Aging Community by Design and Health Impact
Calvin WH Luk (Hong Kong), Salutogenic design for therapeutic garden in a vertical city of Hong Kong
Silvia Mangili (Italy), Assessing the Quality of Built Environment for People with Dementia
Session 6: Urban Public Health
Antonio Gomez-Palacio (Canada), The Community Well-being Framework
Julia Nerantzia Tzortzi (Italy), Urban Health - Interdisciplinary Resilience Assessment
Ruzica Bozovic Stamenovic (Singapore), Singapore: Shaping the Salutogenic City for Resilient Future
Fei Lian (China), Effects of Neighborhood Environment on People with Cognitive Impairments
Mauricio Rosso (Colombia), The Critical Role of Urban Environment on Health of People
Session 7: Healthy Buildings
Enzo Grossi MD (Italy), Neurobiological Salutogenic Mechanisms of Architectural Beauty
Francesqca Jimenez (USA), New Workplace Design with Positive Effects on Employee Physical Activity
Andrea Möhn (The Netherlands), Healing Architecture: six case studies of room renovations
Argiro Dimoudi (Greece), Zero Energy Building Strategies for Hospitals
Mohana Das (Hong Kong), Salutogenic Design and its Role in Enhancing the Sense of Belonging
Eleonora Zioni (Brazil), Neuro-urbanism and Mental Health: designing the salutogenic city
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
Invited Keynote Speakers for WCDH2024
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