Indesign magazine’s ‘State of Wellbeing’ Issue is now on sale and it’s big. I don’t think there could be a more exciting time to be surveying the state of healthcare and wellbeing in design.

Our appetite for wellbeing is ever expanding. It touches every element of our daily lives and of course our built environment across numerous typologies. From community precincts through to destinations – like workplaces and hotels – right down to hospitals and clinics. In this issue we have asked the industry’s finest architects and designers to deliver their take on the ‘State Of Wellbeing’ in design in 2022.

Some of my personal highlights from this issue include the Vida Glow Headquarters by Arent&Pyke. It’s a headquarters that embodies the values and character of the ingestible beautiful brand in an earthy yet luxurious way. From the ‘Collagen Bar’ reception desk, right through to the luxe fitness studio-style bathrooms, this fit-out is Vida Glow’s “butterfly moment”, as Sarah-Jane Pyke puts it.

Other break-out moments include our article on how buildings can do ‘more good’. Here we ask: How do the places and environments we design support an expanding understanding of wellness and preventative medicine? As our definition of wellness continues to grow, so too does our understanding that the built environment plays a significant role in this. Two precinct-scale projects – Glenroy Community Hub by DesignInc and Bowden Brae for Uniting by PTW – offer us a launch pad for discussion.

This issue we also ask the critical question: Do architects feel well at work? The answer is, not particularly! Byron Kinnaird, research fellow at Monash University for The Wellbeing of Architects project, reports on the project’s findings, noting, alarmingly, that” people working in architecture have a significantly lower-than-average quality of life compared with Australian norms”. What is that owing to? And how do we begin to solve it? You’ll have to read Byron’s article to find out.

Also contained within this monster issue (a monster of great insights and revelations!), is the INDE.Awards Official Shortlist in all its regional design glory. I bring this section up, as the Shortlist represents the best of the best in the region – from projects to products, people and firms. What did we observe in this year’s shortlist? As our INDE.Awards Program Director, Jan Henderson, points out, it is a rare awards program that works with a shortlist of just 12 per category. So, if you’ve made it through, well, you’ve really made it.

You can explore the full shortlist here, and block out your diary on 3 August for the pre-gala INDE.Summit. This year’s INDE.Summit takes us through time, exploring the past, present and future and the way it unfolds across key verticals and sectors in architecture and design. Each session takes a look at place and time and its impact on what has or is to come. It’s going to be revelatory – book your tickets here.

And we’ll also see you at the INDE.Awards Gala, in Melbourne, 4 August, when we celebrate the winners of this year’s 14 categories. Reserve your tickets here.

Indesign 87 is now on sale and can be ordered online, or you can download the issue onto your device. While you are waiting for your delivery, read these 10 articles around healthcare and wellbeing – they’re my top picks.

1. The art of distraction: BLP’s Tara Veldman on the future of healthcare design
2. A profile on Matthews Architects, which delivers projects that give back to community
3. 8 futuristic lab designs, the ultimate round-up of laboratory chic
4. Biophilic design is a prominent feature in these 12 education projects
5. The human element with Downstream: Through its experiential design work, Downstream takes experience design beyond digital interfaces and technology
6. A template for health-giving design: These healthcare units are made from upcycled shipping containers
7. Hybrid workplaces equal happy people: A walk through Dexus Place by Warren & Mahoney, and Burnet Institute by Studio Tate
8. Taking on the world of leisure, together: PMDL and HAD
9. A more inclusive, sustainable future for our communities: Hassell’s Richard Mullane on the future of urban design
10. Inclusive design has an important role to play in shaping our built environment: A comment piece by Daniel Thompson of Warren & Mahoney