Master in Health and Wellbeing in the Built Environment

About the course

Research into health and wellbeing in the built environment addresses the positive and negative effects from people-environment interactions. Understanding the role of the environment, particularly the built environment, and its effect on human health and wellbeing, can help to improve people’s quality of life and provide a sustainable approach to the design and management of our environments. This type of research requires an interdisciplinary approach and the research team includes staff with backgrounds in environmental psychology, epidemiology, town planning, architecture, and community psychology. The group work with engineers, designers, and managers to explore the implications of designed and engineered environments on people’s experiences and subsequent health and wellbeing. There are six main themes to our research: Ageing-in-place and home; Environmental health effects; Healthcare environments; Restorative environments; Sensorial experiences; Urban nature. Ageing-in-Place and Home The home and community can directly support health and well-being, providing a setting where people feel a sense of security, independence and choice. Yet the ability to live at home may be compromised for vulnerable groups, for example older adults living with mobility or functional difficulties or those experiencing housing insecurity and are at-risk of becoming homeless. The built environment, through the design of housing and supportive community spaces, should reflect the desire to age-in-place through providing opportunities for social participation and community engagement. For example, housing that incorporates features of Universal Design, including aids and adaptations, enable older adults to complete activities of daily living and thereby supportive of autonomy and independence, obviating the need for institutional care. Environmental Health Effects Interests in the environment and health are long-standing. A major part of this work has concentrated on understanding