“Intentional Spaces”: Thought Leaders on Intersections of Health, Architecture, and Design

An increasing number of studies across multiple fields demonstrate an association between individuals’ built environments and their health, indicating the value of intentionally designing spaces for well-being. However, the application, accessibility, and advancement of this research remains limited. Given the emerging nature of this field, it is important to gather thought leaders in this work to obtain their insights regarding current efforts and next steps. This qualitative study used convenience and snowball sampling to convene international experts representing multiple disciplines (n=13) to participate in four focus groups, in which they described the state of the field of health and the built environment; made recommendations for research and practice; and discussed challenges and opportunities. Subsequent thematic analysis of transcripts was iteratively conducted by an interdisciplinary, inter-institutional research team, resulting in six themes: Opportunity, Engagement, Interdisciplinarity, Research, Funding, and Recommendations. Participant priorities included the need for public and professional awareness, interdisciplinary collaboration, funding, improved research, and equitable application. Discussions illuminated action steps and overarching directions for the field. On the whole, findings indicate that important opportunities exist to improve health and well-being outcomes through design, architecture, and the built environment, and that robust interdisciplinary processes could help ensure these opportunities are taken up to further support health and health equity.