I am one of many people who have loved ones and close friends suffering from preventable chronic lifestyle diseases. Treating chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) ( obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke and pulmonary conditions ) costs billions of ringgits a year. The cost of treating these NCDs put an incredible burden on families and on our country’s economy and health-care system.
Many of these diseases are either preventable or can be cost-effectively managed if caught early. Our current approach is simply paying to treat chronic disease over the long term.
Instead, we could save money and suffering by encouraging behaviours that would stop these diseases before they start.
Everyone is surrounded by opportunities to be sick, stress is what determines why some people get sick and others never do. Health is a process composed of psychosocial factors, lifestyle, and experience. For all of biomedical science’s impressive achievements in treating illness, it has not been as successful in promoting wellness. Looking at our own city, Kuala Lumpur, we have built some of the most toxic and disturbing environments in our history.
In designing our environments, we can recognize that architecture can have an impact on health. What if the architecture of our homes, workplace and cities could actually make us healthier? What if it could help prevent disease? Reduce violence? Increase productivity?
It may be easiest to understand the word salutogenic by first defining its opposite. If pathogenic is disease-causing, then salutogenic is health-causing. Salutogenic design focuses on creating, enhancing and improving physical, mental and social well-being through well designed and planned environments — environments where making healthy, sustainable choices is easy.
The concept of salutogenic design moves beyond conventional notions of sustainability to encompass not just the building’s impact on the environment, but also its impact on users. It becomes another measure of good design, in addition to other measures such as profitable, efficient, sustainable, programmatically compliant, and dozens other measures of design success.
Salutogenesis, which is to say a belief that, in order to be healthy, you have to address the root of unhealthiness rather than merely treat the illness.
Many of these diseases are either preventable or can be cost-effectively managed if caught early. Our current approach is simply paying to treat chronic disease over the long term.
Instead, we could save money and suffering by encouraging behaviours that would stop these diseases before they start.
Everyone is surrounded by opportunities to be sick, stress is what determines why some people get sick and others never do. Health is a process composed of psychosocial factors, lifestyle, and experience. For all of biomedical science’s impressive achievements in treating illness, it has not been as successful in promoting wellness. Looking at our own city, Kuala Lumpur, we have built some of the most toxic and disturbing environments in our history.
In designing our environments, we can recognize that architecture can have an impact on health. What if the architecture of our homes, workplace and cities could actually make us healthier? What if it could help prevent disease? Reduce violence? Increase productivity?
It may be easiest to understand the word salutogenic by first defining its opposite. If pathogenic is disease-causing, then salutogenic is health-causing. Salutogenic design focuses on creating, enhancing and improving physical, mental and social well-being through well designed and planned environments — environments where making healthy, sustainable choices is easy.
The concept of salutogenic design moves beyond conventional notions of sustainability to encompass not just the building’s impact on the environment, but also its impact on users. It becomes another measure of good design, in addition to other measures such as profitable, efficient, sustainable, programmatically compliant, and dozens other measures of design success.
Salutogenesis, which is to say a belief that, in order to be healthy, you have to address the root of unhealthiness rather than merely treat the illness.
Designers can take this concept to incorporate salutogenic strategies into design on multiple levels.
Single buildings can accomplish this with natural light, viewsheds, ventilation, nontoxic materials, prominent and welcoming staircases rather than elevators, serene colors, and clear wayfinding signals.
Neighborhoods can relieve food deserts, include safe and well-lit sidewalks, and accommodate bicycle paths to make physical activity an easy choice, rather than an out-of-the-way recreational option. Cities can make room for town plazas, unfold according to a simple street grid, and replace congested arterial roadways.
I believe DBKL has practised salutogenesis in a small way with the aerial pedestrian walkway from Bukit Bintang to Chow Kit. Now lets take that walk to better health.
Single buildings can accomplish this with natural light, viewsheds, ventilation, nontoxic materials, prominent and welcoming staircases rather than elevators, serene colors, and clear wayfinding signals.
Neighborhoods can relieve food deserts, include safe and well-lit sidewalks, and accommodate bicycle paths to make physical activity an easy choice, rather than an out-of-the-way recreational option. Cities can make room for town plazas, unfold according to a simple street grid, and replace congested arterial roadways.
I believe DBKL has practised salutogenesis in a small way with the aerial pedestrian walkway from Bukit Bintang to Chow Kit. Now lets take that walk to better health.
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