Design & Health Europe 2010 Background

The award-winning Meyer Children's Hospital in Florence, designed by CPSE and Anshen + Allen

Design & Health Europe 2010 is an international symposium dedicated to exploring global perspectives on enhancing health, wellbeing and quality of life within the local context of healthy communities and infrastructure development throughout Europe.

Introduction
As Europe struggles to address a trio of economic challenges in the shape of debt, demographic decline and lower growth, the potential for political crises grows, as fears for jobs and savings escalate, banks continue to fail, companies forecast lower investment levels, and governments promote savage ‘austerity’ cuts to public spending.

Faced with these challenges after many years of capital investment in healthcare infrastructure, there has never been a better time for a new paradigm in understanding how to improve the health status of Europeans and recognising that health and wellbeing are the foundation for a productive society, economic development and social and political harmony.

In 1997, the World Health Organization stated that the ‘health arena’ should be a priority. It said frequently used spaces, such as workplaces, schools, hospitals, correctional institutions, commercial offices, public spaces within our towns and cities – and, indeed, our homes – should be at the centre of health promotion activities in the 21st century.

From a research perspective, health can be divided into a pathogenic and salutogenic starting point. Pathogenic research focuses on explaining why certain etiological factors cause disease and how they are developed in the physiological organism. The primary aim of pathogenic research is often to find medical treatments. Salutogenic research is based on identifying wellness factors that maintain and promote health, rather than investigating factors that cause disease. Together, salutogenic and pathogenic approaches offer a deeper knowledge and understanding of health and disease.

Using the environment as a strategic tool is one of the most cost effective and enduring approaches to improving public health, but it is one that requires new perspectives that consider healthy society as foundation for economic growth in Europe and social innovation by design.

A new paradigm that recognises that human health is significantly related to the designed environment is needed. A ‘salutogenic approach’ to health infrastructure development, embedded at the core of a public health strategy focused on preventative care, changes the focus from risk factors and the treatment of disease to wellness factors and a more holistic understanding of healthy environments.

A focus on health promotion by design in European countries can be used to inspire innovative design and infrastructure solutions that facilitate an active lifestyle and enable the successful management of physical, psychological and emotional stress in our daily lives.

Design & Health International Symposium Europe 2010 will explore how global ‘salutogenic’ perspectives on the planning, design, construction and operation of health facilities can provide a more cost-effective context for enhancing human health, wellbeing and quality of life across Europe.

Programme Objectives

To evaluate different international models of care, health theories and perspectives
To reflect on the socio-economic factors impacting on European health infrastructure
To learning about regional service models delivering real and measurable benefits
To assess the design of specialist care services such as mental health and elderly care
To identify the socio-economic drivers for the development of healthy communities
To recommend actions and initiatives to improve design quality and operations
To explore how to create a sustainable infrastructure that meets Europe’s social, environmental and economic goals

Don’t miss the Gala dinner!
The Design & Health Europe 2010 Gala Dinner will take place on 7 October. Book your table, enjoy an evening of song, dance and entertainment, the very best in European cuisine, and the opportunity to network and meet with friends and colleagues, old and new from all over Europe and the rest of the world.