Architectural Practices in Health and Care
Summary
Architectural practice in health and care has evolved from a focus on purely functional clinical spaces to holistic environments that support healing, well-being and operational resilience. Contemporary research emphasises evidence-based design, drawing on empirical studies of patient outcomes to guide choices in light, acoustics, materials and spatial layout. There is growing attention to bioinformed design, where the microbiome of the built environment informs material selection and ventilation strategies to promote occupant health. Concepts of flexibility and adaptability now underpin the planning of wards and outpatient areas, enabling rapid reconfiguration in response to epidemics or shifts in care models. Atmospheric qualities—encompassing light, colour, texture and furniture—are recognised as powerful mediators of emotional comfort and social interaction. Interdisciplinary collaboration among architects, clinicians, microbiologists and sociologists is driving innovations in assisted-living settings, cancer care centres and intensive-care surge spaces, with global applications ranging from temporary pandemic wards to bespoke support hubs for chronic illness.
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Architectural Practices in Health and Care publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in architectural practices in health and care across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Evidence-based design: systematic use of empirical research findings to inform architectural decisions with the aim of improving health outcomes and user well-being.
Bioinformed design: an approach that integrates knowledge of the indoor microbiome and material–microbe interactions to enhance environmental health and sustainability.
Assemblage: an analytical concept that views buildings as dynamic networks of spaces, materials, technologies and human actors interacting to produce care environments.
Architectural atmosphere: the affective qualities of a space arising from the interplay of light, colour, texture and form, which influence mood and social behaviour.
Aerography: a framework for understanding and visualising the socio-material flows of air and airborne agents in healthcare settings to guide infection-control design.
References
- The fluid hospital: On the making of care environments in COVID-19. Health & Place (2023).
- Making microbiology of the built environment relevant to design. Microbiome (2016).
- Affecting care: Maggie's Centres and the orchestration of architectural atmospheres. Social Science & Medicine (2019).
- Air care: an ‘aerography’ of breath, buildings and bugs in the cystic fibrosis clinic. Sociology of Health & Illness (2020).
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