Join AIA Baltimore’s Health and Wellness Design Committee for a partner program at the University of Maryland.
3835 Campus Drive
Architecture Building (145 ARC)
College Park, MD 20742
Also viewable on Zoom.
1.0 LU|HSW approved
The space that surrounds us has a direct influence on our perception and thus on how we feel. Whether a room evokes a feeling of well-being or discomfort is directly related to how the room manifests itself. Architecture acts like a second skin. Atmosphere, light, color, acoustics and materials all play an important role. Nevertheless, it is not enough to simply add up these factors. In order to achieve the subtle spatiality that really “touches” us humans in the design, it is necessary to perceive and understand the real needs of the users, and not only the physical but also the psychological needs are of great importance. Only when the needs and identity of the users are perceived can one build for them.
People in healthcare facilities are particularly sensitive to the built environment because of their vulnerable condition. If this does not connect with their real needs, such as a sense of emotional security, this can lead to agitation, aggression and misunderstood behavior, while an environment with which users identify can create a sense of well-being and contribute to healing. Andrea Möhn has been researching this effect in her projects for years.
Andrea Möhn is managing director of AM__A Andrea Möhn Architects, an international architectural practice in Rotterdam, and a lecturer at the Academy of Architecture and Urbanism in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and the University of Applied Sciences Dortmund, Germany, and formerly at the TU Delft and the University of Applied Sciences Frankfurt. For the past 25 years, she has designed custom, high-quality architecture at all scales, from master plans to bespoke solutions, with a focus on healthcare design. Her primary interest lies on the influence of the built environment on human behavior, particularly architecture for mental health. She studied at the Technical University of Berlin, the University of Stuttgart and the Delft University of Technology. Her multidisciplinary design approach, based on research, intensive interaction with clients and building users, and her extensive experience with “evidence-based” design, has led to many innovative new concepts resulting in numerous successful projects, many of which have won international awards and appeared in publications around the world. In addition to her work, she is a board member of EUI – Epidemic Urban Initiative.
