A global call to reimagine how environments support human health and wellbeing
What if the spaces we design could actively support how people feel, function, and connect?
The Intentional Spaces Design Challenge invites interdisciplinary teams to explore how environments can be intentionally designed to support human health, wellbeing, and experience, grounded in emerging research and creative practice.
This initiative builds on the growing field of neuroaesthetics, which explores how our surroundings influence the brain, body, and behavior. It positions design not simply as an aesthetic exercise, but as a powerful lever for shaping human outcomes.
The Challenge
About the Challenge
The Design Challenge brings together interdisciplinary teams of designers, researchers, artists, and community leaders to develop bold, evidence-informed proposals that demonstrate how space can make a measurable difference in people’s lives.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is a core requirement of this challenge. We are seeking teams that meaningfully integrate multiple perspectives—bridging design, research, lived experience, and other forms of knowledge to shape more holistic and impactful solutions.
Submissions may explore a range of contexts, including:
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Mental health and healthcare environments
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Education and learning spaces
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Workplaces and organizational settings
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Public and community spaces
Selected proposals will help advance a shared understanding of how design can move from inspiration to implementation–linking research, lived experience, and real-world impact.
Why It Matters
We are at a pivotal moment.
Advances in science and technology are making it increasingly possible to understand how environments influence stress, attention, connection, and overall wellbeing. At the same time, there is growing recognition that the spaces we inhabit shape our daily experiences in profound ways.
This challenge seeks to:
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Make the impact of space more visible and measurable
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Support new models of collaboration across disciplines
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Generate practical, real-world applications that can be tested, refined, and scaled
Who It’s For
We welcome interest from professionals and students in these and allied fields:
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Architects and designers
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Researchers and scientists
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Artists and creative practitioners
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Health and wellbeing professionals
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Developers, policymakers, and community leaders
Interdisciplinary collaboration is strongly encouraged.
Stay connected
Interested in staying informed about the Intentional Spaces Design Challenge?
Please signup to stay connected. We will send you an email when the Design Challenge officially launches