Design for Well-Being: Architecture to Reduce Health Inequity

Author

• Paige Falk

Files

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/29814

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Rights

NDSU Policy 190.6.2

URI

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Abstract

As a society, we are faced with ever-changing healthcare costs and quality of care. Unfortunately, not everyone can access, or afford, the care that they need. Throughout the country, many people are facing illness and injury untreated, due to the cost of healthcare. While the issue has been addressed on a national scale, the problems are not always dealt with on a local scale for the needs of the community. Dealing with the factors of health inequity, such as housing, community, food shortage, education, and environment, will lead us to changing the communities where the problem is located and bring about a society where everyone can achieve health and wellbeing. Finding a solution to health inequities is a problem that needs to be solved. This thesis will seek to develop the efficiency of healthcare architecture in a way that makes it more affordable to those it who cannot currently access it. This will be done through cost evaluation, efficiency analyses, and green design, with the goal of creating a community center and clinic for neighborhoods on a local scale. If designed correctly, this design may be implemented as a base model for other neighborhoods with health disparities across the country.

Recommended Citation

Falk, Paige, "Design for Well-Being: Architecture to Reduce Health Inequity" (2019). Architecture Theses. 752.
https://digitalcommons.ndsu.edu/architecture-theses/752