How Architecture Can Combat Loneliness
$0 | 1LU|HSW
In a time of hyper connection and communication, many of us report feeling lonely and detached, and there is strong evidence that this has a toxic effect on our health and happiness. Peavey will share an evidence-based framework to design for social connection, examine scalable strategies — some unexpected — that lead to social environments that promote meaningful connections. Huge opportunities await architects who can leverage this knowledge to build a future marked by connections that boost our collective health.
Learn about the link between social health and overall health outcomes, specifically how loneliness has toxic health outcomes worse than smoking and obesity, and how social connection fosters health.
Explore how the built environment is a determinant of social health, working on a systems level to help to foster social interaction and health.
Understand how third places impact social health and what tangible steps we can all take to reduce feelings of loneliness in our lives and in our communities.
Explore a six-factor framework for designing research-informed third places for connection.
Presenter
Erin K. Peavey is a believer in the power of place to heal, connect, and serve vulnerable people. As Vice President and Social Design Leader for HKS, she helps integrate research and practice to advance design for well-being, combat loneliness, and foster community health across the globe. She was named Best Under 40 in Architecture for Health by the American Institute for Architects (2015), 40 Under 40 by Building Design and Construction (2020), a Top Young Professional by Engineering News Record (2021), and a Rising Star by Healthcare Design Magazine (2019). She is an industry scholar with the Cornell Institute for Health Futures and is a widely sought-after author, speaker, and facilitator. Her podcast, Shared Space shares fascinating stories of how the places we live, work, and play shape how we think, feel, and behave.
