Wellbeing: how can we ensure our buildings deliver a better quality of life?

By Sadie Morgan2019-02-26T06:00:00

A trip to New Zealand reveals that even on the other side of the world, designers of the built environment could do more to put wellbeing first

I was recently in New Zealand, speaking at the Institute of Architects’ conference, and everyone I met talked about the benefits of living there, with “quality of life” referenced in almost every sentence.

It is hard to disagree with the perfect climate, abundant landscape, clean air and a self-sufficiency that The Good Life’s Tom and Barbara could have only imagined. The cities, however, tell a different story: a straining infrastructure system, lack of affordable housing, a surprising dearth of good public realm, and a focus on the car rather than the pedestrian.

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