The year 2022 saw a rise in conversation around health and well-being. Two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the architecture industry is more informed about healthy building practices and equipped to drive forward impactful solutions. World Architecture Day 2022 was themed around “Architecture for well-being”, paralleling the designation of 2022 as the UIA Year of Design for Health in buildings and cities. As we wind up the year, ArchDaily explores “healthy spaces” as a trend along with insights that will last well into the future.

We spend around 90% of our time indoors. In 2022, lockdown lethargy still continues to drive most people’s lifestyles. The pandemic served as a turning point in the architecture industry’s understanding of health and wellbeing. Ideas and experimentation in the following two years have allowed architects to better implement the science of wellbeing through design strategies. Becoming increasingly aware of the impact built environments have on us, there is a growing interest in understanding the universal effects of building design on bodily health.