Room 205

What causes health? What if health were the basis for judging every public space and building? There is no such thing as neutral space. What we build affects how we experience the world and therefore either causes or undermines health. Historically, attitudes toward health have been holistic and salutogenic, focusing on the origins and causes of ecological, physical, societal and mind health. Architecture and design have frequently followed suit. Recently, however, Western medicine has embraced pathogenesis, or the causes of disease. Why? Medical researchers have identified more than 8,000 diagnoses or symptoms of diseases. Why haven’t we identified 8,000 causes of health or symptoms of wellness that lead to a healthier society, interconnecting ecological health, with physical, societal, and importantly mind health? What if we created high environmental and human performance buildings – nutrient-rich environments – that would accelerate optimal health? In this session, Tye Farrow will draw on his designs for a wide range of projects, including a proposal for a mixed-use archipelago park inspired by Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons; a new cancer center in Jerusalem that communicates life’s beauty and fragility through a butterfly-like wood structure; a project in Dublin inspired by Celtic mythology; a Montessori School campus in Toronto embedded with tree-like natural affordances; and a building in Sechelt, British Columbia, that reflects Indigenous notions of generosity.