Architects have a responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare (HSW) of the public. The inclusion of mental well-being within the definition of welfare has the potential to both add value to the role of the architect and shape the regulatory environment within the field of architecture—but it also comes with unique challenges and opportunities.
While design alone may not be able to resolve this mental health crisis, new technical advancements in neuroscience data collection and biometric analysis allow architects to study the effects of the built environment on public well-being. This data can lead architects to make more informed design decisions and produce buildings that promote positive well-being outcomes. By incorporating protection of mental well-being into the definition of welfare, the industry has the potential to add new value and meaning to the role of the architect.
NCARB’s Futures Collaborative, a committee of expert volunteers, has been exploring how emerging trends and technology—including well-being—will impact architecture practice and regulation. From their research, the collaborative has identified five key factors that architects should keep in mind when considering the impact that the built environment can have on mental well-being. Read the Future Trends Report to learn more.
- There is a direct correlation between health, well-being, and the built environment. Studies show that certain factors in the built environment—such as limited access to daylight, quality light, and unnatural patterns—can trigger neurophysiological stress. Chronic exposure to these stressors can affect neuroplasticity, memory, emotional regulation, and mental health, as well as issues related to immune function and inflammation. By designing spaces centered on healing, architects can provide sensory support to optimize well-being and the related cognitive responses.
- While architects play a significant role in promoting public well-being, architectural regulation has historically focused on physical welfare. NCARB’s mission, and that of many licensing boards, centers around protecting the public’s health, safety, and welfare. NCARB is beginning to incorporate aspects of well-being into its definition of welfare, thanks in part to feedback from practicing architects—NCARB’s 2022 Analysis of Practice identified several attributes as related to welfare, ranging from a sense of safety and security and access to sunlight to indoor air quality. However, more could be done to align the competencies required for licensure with the level of well-being defined by the National Institute of Health: “an active process of becoming aware of, and making choices toward, a healthy and fulfilling life.”
- Increased interest in the field of neuroarchitecture is posing fundamental questions regarding an architect’s ethical responsibility to design environments that support psychological well-being. Neuroscience & Neuroarchitecture is an interdisciplinary field that explores how the built environment affects human brain function, behavior, cognition, and psychological well-being. Evidence-based design assessment techniques use factors like heart rate variability and brain activity to measure how successfully a design promotes well-being.
- The health industry offers a variety of metrics that can be used to evaluate and regulate well-being-focused design in the built environment. These metrics include biometric testing of allostatic overload, biophobic testing, comfort performance testing, and more. Through the use of wearable fitness trackers; air, sound, and water quality management systems; community engagement opportunities; and other clinical mental and physical well-being assessments, architects can better evaluate the impact of their designs and begin to establish standards for future regulation.
- Many of the metrics used to assess the built environment’s impact on well-being are still considered subjective. It can be difficult to measure well-being in the built environment because it is widely considered a uniquely individual aspect of human life—and therefore, to some extent, subjective. Despite this sense of subjectivity, the built environment’s large-scale impact on human well-being raises the potential for neuropsychological studies to be considered when regulating architectural practice; similarly, cognitive data could be integrated as part of project design goals.
Want to learn more about trends impacting the future of architecture and regulation? Explore the Future Trends Report.
About the Futures Collaborative
NCARB’s Futures Collaborative is a volunteer-led effort comprised of practicing architects and other experts from across the country. Since 2017, the collaborative has been exploring how the practice of architecture is evolving, both in the near-term and the long-term. Through their research, NCARB is able to ensure that the regulation of practice can adapt proactively to change.
