Today, the first Monday in October, is World Architecture Day, along with UN World Housing Day, an initiative of the International Union of Architects (UIA). This year it is dedicated to the “Architecture of Health”, helping to declare 2022 the “Year of Design for Health”. At 14:00 (CET) on the UIA website (www.uia-architectes.org) you can follow the web discussion moderated by Ruzika Bozovic Stamenovic (Serbia). It includes a presentation by Thiago Errique de Sa of the WHO Social Determinants of Health on the key role of architecture in well-being, and American Pascal Champlain (Adjaye Associates) contributes to the topic Architecture in the Service of Society. Nicosia’s master plan presented by Agni Petridou and Ali Guralp, South African Jaco Nice (Studio Konstruk) talks about “healthy buildings”, Chinese Konjian Yu (Turenscape) prioritizes healing landscape in a sustainable built environment, and Dane Jan Gell engages in human-centered urban planning .

Can architecture heal? Does design contribute to faster patient recovery? “Rejuvenating” buildings benefit the body and soul, argues Charles Jencks, architect, postmodern theorist and co-founder of Maggie’s Cancer Centers, in The Architecture of Hope. Complementing England’s National Health System hospitals, they are designed by star architects as pioneering hospitality homes rather than cold medical facilities. Embedding in nature, transparent connections through large openings, exteriors and gardens, microscale and thoughtful sun/ventilation are key compositional features of a number of modern public hospitals such as Heatherwood in Berkshire (BDP), the Waldkliniken Eisenberg Round Wing of Germany’s major orthopedic center in the Thuringian Forest (Matteo Thun & HDR) and of course three hospitals (Rendso Piano/Betaplan) to be built in Komotini, Sparta and Thessaloniki (supported by Stavros Niarchos). Foundation).

Nature plays an essential role in the process of rehabilitation of the sick, as in ancient Asclepius.

Nature plays an important “healing” role in the process of rehabilitation of patients, as in the ancient Asclepius: “Holy places, but also places of healing,” as Konstantinos Moraitis, Emeritus Professor at the NTUA School of Architecture, UIA member, pointed out in April in the discussion “Healthy Cities and public spaces.” The discussion will be moved to Copenhagen, where together with Nikos Caseros, Architect, UIA Member, they will represent Greece on the theme of Public Spaces.

In hard-to-reach places and climatically harsh environments such as Africa and Asia, architecture is investing in local materials and traditional construction methods that allow ventilation without the use of air conditioners for maximum energy savings, adapting to hot climates with functional shading systems and semi-open spaces. Prominent examples of “wellness architecture” include the Ghana Infectious Diseases Center, a 100-bed hospital in Accra built in a record 100 days in response to COVID-19, a clinic in Senegal, the Children’s Hospital in Johannesburg, a maternity ward. in Uganda and general hospitals in Nigeria, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal.

World Architecture Day is not only about good design for restoring health, but also about protecting and improving health before we get sick. COVID-19 health protocols covered both social distancing and effective indoor air filtration. With successive lockdowns, people living in substandard housing have experienced the irrationality of the pandemic the most. The tools of “architectural well-being” are, first of all, good infrastructure in work and living areas, where we spend most of our time: proper lighting / ventilation / orientation, adequate “common” spaces, environmentally friendly materials and proper floor organization. plan. What role do climate change and uncontrolled development play in recurring pandemics? Traffic, pollution, waste, lack of greenery, rejection of public space? COVID-19 has highlighted the vast inequalities on the planet that have contributed to the rising death toll from the virus. The global decline of the welfare state is resulting in poor and unsanitary housing conditions, a lack of adequate outdoor public spaces in high-density areas, and limited access to public health, sports, and education. Purposeful, people-centred economic and social policies with unhindered access to public goods and services and the promotion of healthy urbanization will certainly improve health by “building” sustainable, inclusive cities.

The Role of Architects in Policy Development

Fani Vavili-Cynika, Emeritus Professor at the Department of Architecture of Athens and President of the Greek Department of UIA, has been involved in the architecture of health, care and welfare facilities for many years, even editing books such as Designing for the Elderly and Buildings for the Mentally Ill. He believes that architects as a collective should participate in the formation of public policy that serves the needs of society. This is exactly what the Greek branch of the UIA is doing, bringing valuable contributions from its members to the international architectural debate. Of course, he needs more support from TEE to take more initiatives.

In May, a forum on Affordable Affordable Housing was organized in Madrid, and the UIA’s Social Housing work program, in which Tonia Caterini, former president of the Association of Architects, participates, advocates for the fundamental right to Housing. “Greece is always present with actions, proposals, participation in seminars and conferences, inside and outside the borders,” emphasizes Fani Vavili-Cinika. “Last year, the UIA Hellenic Section and the Association of Architects co-hosted an online discussion about the impact of COVID-19 on the public and private spheres. From July 2 to 6, we will visit Copenhagen, declared by the UIA and UNESCO as the “World Capital of Architecture 2023”. The global conference, under the general theme “Sustainable Future – Leaving No One Behind”, will focus on architecture’s response to the challenges of our time, especially in the field of the environment, while at the same time appreciating the value of design in everyday life,” he says, inviting architects to apply – until February 8 – for the “International Healthcare Innovation Design Award” with a realized or theoretical project.