In 2008, the government-appointed New Economics Foundation (NEF) took on the task of creating a clear, simple message that would help everybody to improve their mental health and wellbeing. The result was the Five Ways to Wellbeing: a set of actions that can be applied in almost any situation, at any age, and which act as useful anchors for a more complex set of definitions.
We’ve used the Five Ways to Wellbeing to inform many of our designs – particularly in the schools sector. Half of mental health issues are established by the age of 14, and – shockingly – 10% of 5–16 years olds suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder. By supporting wellbeing in schools, we can tackle this problem head on, giving children the best chance possible for a healthy, happy present and future.
The matrix below breaks the Five Ways to Wellbeing down into a wide range of simple, practical actions we take when designing our schools. It forms part of our ongoing research into supporting wellbeing through design, and we’re pleased to share it with you.
Insights | 22nd May 2020
What does a post-COVID school look like?
News | 11th September 2020
This year’s Education Estates Awards shortlist has been revealed and we are delighted to have two projects on the list. It was announced that our designs for the Joseph Priestley East Building at University of Huddersfield and Braywick Court School, are shortlisted for awards at the Virtual Shortlist Party this week. The Education Estates Awards […]
Insights | 2nd June 2020
Pandemics aren’t new, but they’re rare, and rarely have we had such insight into the workings of the NHS. As a nation, we’ve been a fly on the wall of hospitals across the UK, watching medical staff at work and responsive environments being built, rapidly, in challenging circumstances.
