Pathways to EnvironMental Health, an interdisciplinary Symposium at Oxford

Many thanks to Prof. Lambros Malafouris and his colleagues at the University of Oxford for inviting us to participate in a very inspirational workshop/symposium this past January (25-26). According to Dr. Malafouris’ press release, “The Pathways to EnvironMental Health symposium brought together interdisciplinary researchers and practitioners to explore the intersections of materiality, cognition, and mental health … {and was organised} under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme … the event featured diverse discussions spanning cognitive archaeology, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, design, art, architecture, museum studies and digital technologies, fostering new perspectives on the relationship between material engagement and mental well-being.“ In a joint lecture titled “Towards a Rich Environment – Interdisciplinary Design and Active Atmosphere“ with PSYCH.RAUM partner Dr. Martin Voss (Charité/Berlin), Jason Danziger contributed to the workshop by presenting the Soteria / Haus Josef project as a case study to discuss the architecture & psychiatry design nexus and share their developing ideas around Active Atmosphere in therapeutic mental health contexts. More information about the symposium can be found here (external) or on our archive here.

Pathways to EnvironMental Health participants (from left to right): Carey Jewitt, Minna Nygren, Steven Brown, Katrin Wilhelm, Martin Voss, Thomas Kador, Wendy Ross, Miranda Creswell, Helen Jury, Maria Danae Koukouti, Roger Kneebone, Paul March, Axel Constant, Jason Danziger, Lambros Malafouris in the O’Reilly Theatre, Keble College, Oxford on January 26, 2025.

New video of the Soteria - Haus Josef posted / neues Video der Soteria - Haus Josef veröffentlicht

This short, 5-minute video introduces the Soteria Berlin, "active" atmosphere & milieutherapy.

A new video – “Soteria Berlin / Haus Josef” – has been posted on our website. The roughly 5-minute long “project trailer” introduces the Soteria Berlin along with the fundamental concepts it embodies such as "active" atmosphere and milieutherapy. We are very thankful to Dr. Martin Voss and the team at the Soteria Berlin for their help with the video. See: https://thinkbuild.com/soteria-2 for more information about the project. We hope you enjoy it!

Ein neues Video (auf Englisch) - "Soteria Berlin / Haus Josef" - ist auf unserer Website veröffentlicht worden. Der ca. 5-minütige "Projekttrailer" stellt die Soteria Berlin und ihre grundlegenden Konzepte wie "aktive" Atmosphäre und Milieutherapie vor. Wir bedanken uns bei Dr. Martin Voss und dem Team der Soteria Berlin für die Unterstützung bei der Erstellung des Videos. Weitere Informationen über das Projekt finden Sie unter: https://thinkbuild.com/soteria-2. Wir wünschen Ihnen viel Spaß damit!

Best Practice Paper – Presentation to the ARCH24 Conference @ the Aalto University in Espoo, Finland

Jason Danziger presented a new paper, “Soteria Berlin – A Case Study in Active Atmosphere and Inclusive Design” on June 17, 2024 in the afternoon Research and Design Methods session of the ARCH24 Conference in Espoo, Finland at the Aalto University. Written with Dr. Martin Voss , the paper looks broadly at the development of the Soteria movement in general and tracks the development of the two Soteria projects built at the St. Hedwig’s Hospital in Berlin. It also shares ongoing research on design methods based on the sociopetal concepts of late modernist Japanese-Canadian architect Kiyoshi Izumi in combination with 'active atmosphere' mechanisms developed in an ongoing inter-disciplinary process with PSYCH.RAUM Partner Dr. Martin Voss of the Charité Berlin.

With great appreciation to conference chairpersons Professor Laura Arpiainen and Dr. Ira Verma of the Aalto University for encouragment and support, we are proud to announce that the paper has now been published in the 06/2024 issue of the open access Aalto University Publication Series.

Update: December 12, 2025 > The Best Practice Paper has been published and is available here as an extract (from the thinkbuild website) or here (official publication link at Aalto University (Finland), see pages 185–186).

FYI the full citation of the Conference Best Practice Paper is: Verma, I. & Arpiainen, L. (ed.)(2024) ARCH24 Design for Health and Wellbeing – Best practice papers from the 6th International Conference on Architecture, Research, Care and Health 17-19 June 2024, Espoo, Finland. For more Info on the ARCH24 Conference in Espoo, click here.

Jason Danziger to speak @ imm cologne 2024

Jason Danziger will lecture next Monday, 15 January at 2.30pm in the Studio at the imm / Cologne. The title of the lecture is, “Active Atmospheres – Designing to Support Better Mental Health Outcomes”. If you are planning to visit the international möbel messe this year and are there on Monday, stop by at the Circle Café, Hall 3, C26 and join!

This lecture will focus on how the new Soteria 2 ward was designed using the sociopetal concepts of late modernist Japanese-Canadian architect Kiyoshi Izumi in combination with 'active atmosphere' mechanisms developed in an ongoing interdisciplinary process with PSYCH.RAUM Partner Dr. Martin Voss of the Charité Berlin. The lecture will also explore the inclusive and interdisciplinary consensus design method used for the project.

One of the greatest challenges architects face in mental health projects is balancing the needs of the institution with the needs of the individual patient. Critical decisions that can affect the outcome of a patient's health are often made by designers who prioritise scaled efficiencies without a full understanding of the consequences for those in recovery. Co-education and common language methods can help to level the playing field.

We will also look at the development of sociopetal concepts and their use in mental health design which can help support communities in transient use cases, such as inpatient psychiatric wards, which need ways to help people quickly connect and identify with their environment as they find their way back to health. Finally, there will be a few slides on active atmosphere and how colour has been used in combination with bespoke lighting solutions to reinforce identity, provide intuitive orientation and thereby support the wider therapeutic goals of the team.

For more Info on the event (in English) click here.

Detail of the Soteria 2 (thinkbuild architecture BDA, 2023) / photo by Werner Hutmacher

Joint lecture at the Groot Begijnhof of the University of Leuven in Belgium / PSYCH.RAUM Vortrag im Groot Begijnhof der Universität Leuven in Belgien

On October 12, 2023, PSYCH.RAUM partners Dr. Martin Voss (Charité/Berlin) and Jason Danziger (thinkbuild architecture BDA/Berlin) had the honour of giving a joint lecture in the Faculty Club (zaal Lemaire) of the Groot Begijnhof – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – at the University of Leuven in Belgium. The lecture, entitled "Architectuur en psychiatrie” (Architecture and Psychiatry), was the first of five training evenings for doctors and paramedics for the 2023-2024 academic year continuuing education programme. After an introduction by Prof. Filip Bouckaert, Medical Director of the UPC KU Leuven, we discussed questions such as: What is the impact of hospital infrastructure on wellbeing? How can architecture reduce aggression? And how can it promote interaction between staff, patients and society? The lecture was followed by a discussion (Q&A) chaired by Koen Coomans, architect and visiting professor at the KU Leuven Department of Architecture, Research & Design.

More information about the lecture can be found here, including a webinar.
The lecture was in English.

Photograph: Trougnouf (Benoit Brummer), via Wikimedia Commons

PSYCH.RAUM kehrt zum Management Forum Starnberg zurück / PSYCH.RAUM returns to the Management Forum Starnberg

PSYCH.RAUM-Partner Dr. Martin Voss (Charité/Berlin) und Jason Danziger (thinkbuild architecture BDA/Berlin) freuen sich darauf, nächste Woche nach München zurückzukehren, um an der diesjährigen Konferenz zum Bau und Betrieb von Psychiatrischen Kliniken und Einrichtungen teilzunehmen, die vom Management Forum Starnberg organisiert wird. Wir werden einen Workshop anbieten, der sich speziell mit interdisziplinären Planungsmethoden und der Optimierung von Atmosphären zur Verbesserung der Patientenversorgung beschäftigt. Weitere Informationen zur Fachtagung finden Sie hier.

PSYCH.RAUM partners Dr Martin Voss (Charité/Berlin) and Jason Danziger (thinkbuild architecture BDA/Berlin) are looking forward to returning to Munich next week to join this year’s conference on the construction and operation of psychiatric clinics and facilities organised once again by the Management Forum Starnberg. We will be offering a workshop looking specifically at interdisciplinary design methods and ways to optimise atmospheres to help improve patient outcomes. More information about the symposium can be found here.

31st European Congress of Psychiatry in Paris - Architecture & Psychiatry Workshop

Jason Danziger will serve as co-chair together with psychiatrist and PSYCH.RAUM partner Dr. Martin Voss of the Charité/Berlin (SHK-Soteria) for an interdisciplinary workshop titled, “Architecture and Psychiatry - Spatial Mechanisms that promote Social Cohesion” at the 31st European Congress of Psychiatry (EPA) confrence at the Palais des Congrès de Paris on March 27, 2023. The workshop is a joint production together with architects Dr. Julia Kirch of sander.hofrichter architekten (Ludwigshafen, DE), Ross Warren of hoopers architects (Ipswich, UK), and psychiatrist Dr. Nikolina Jovanović of Queen Mary University of London and the East London Foundation Trust. It will focus on the potential of the built environment to promote social interaction and cohesion in psychiatric facilities. More information is availaible on the EPA website here (search for WP08) or here.

The EPA 2023 Logo, superimposed on a photograph of the Eiffel Tower under construction in 1888 taken by Louis-Emile Durandelle.

Here a couple photos from the workshop. First, our interdisciplinary team (from left) Ross Warren, Dr. Nikolina Jovanović, Dr. Julia Kirch, Dr. Martin Voss, and Jason Danziger.

One of the questions we asked the audience during the workshop was, “What topics should architects address in order to improve mental health care?” Using mentimeter, we were able to view an “instant” word cloud which collected the responses of the roughly 100 psychiatrists and others who attended our session at the 2023 EPA Congress. Clearly, there is more work to be done to better allow therapists as well as service users and patients to positively influence healing environments. We would like to explore the topic further as a group, hopefully in the format of offering a follow-up Continuing Medical Education (CME) workshop for the EPA 2024 Congress in Budapest. Stay tuned for more information!

Colour at Play - Jason Danziger to speak at the Royal Institute of Architects in London on November 17, 2022

The Royal Institute of Architects, London - Photo by Philip Vile / RIBA Collections, Courtesy of RIBA

Jason Danziger is honoured to join a conversation together with distinguished speakers Morag Myerscough and Kevin Haley at the Royal Institute of Architects at 66 Portland Place in London on November 17, 2022 for an evening talk titled Colour at Play. The event is part of the Well Being: Well Built series organised by the RIBA + VitrA. This will be a chance to share some of the ideas behind our work for children, and will “explore the theory and practice of architects and designers who use colour in different ways to inspire, empower and enlighten the lives of those that come into contact with the space.” Kick-off is at 7pm - join us! Tickets and other details here.

Colour at Play in the R90B Kindergarten in Berlin - Photo by Werner Hutmacher

Soul in Space – Psychiatrie trifft Architektur / Psychiatry meets Architecture

Jason Danziger will lecture on Friday, September 9, 2022 at the Alexius/Josef Krankenhaus in Neuss.

We are honoured to have been invited to participate in a Fachtagung (symposium) co-organsied by Linus Hofrichter & Dr. Julia Kirch of a|sh / sander.hofrichter architekten together with Dr. Martin Köhne & Dr. Andrea Kuckert-Wöstheinrich of the Alexius/Josef Krankenhaus Neuss. The symposium (in German) will celebrate the publication of the new book, “Soul in Space,” to which Dr. Martin Voss and Jason Danziger (as PSYCH.RAUM) contributed to with a narrative case study description focusing on the design process of the Soteria Berlin (01 @ Haus Monika). More information about the book can be seen here; if you are curious about the about the symposium itself, feel free to browse the program here. Hope to see you there!

Jason Danziger to lecture at the FARBE & GESUNDHEIT Conference at the Humboldt University / Berlin

Jason Danziger will lecture (in German) about the relationship between Colour and Design Concept during the upcoming FARBE & GESUNDHEIT, Mench / Natur / Licht / Material / Raum conference at the Humboldt University of Berlin on August 25, 2022.

The interdisciplinary symposium is being organised by the Deutsches Farbzentrum and features a series of lectures and workshops on a range of topics related to colour, perception and spatial experience. Our session will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Axel Buther of the Institut für Farbpsychologie at the Ber­gi­sche Uni­ver­si­tät Wup­per­tal and will be shared with Natalie Pagels of Pagels-Farbkonzepte, Düsseldorf. Join us! (Anmeldung hier)

PSYCH.RAUM lecture in Munich at the Management Forum Starnberg / PSYCH.RAUM Vortrag in München an der Management Forum Starnberg

PSYCH.RAUM partners Dr Martin Voss (Charité/Berlin) and Jason Danziger (thinkbuild architecture BDA/Berlin) gave a joint lecture on May 20, 2022 at the Bau und Betrieb Psychiatrische Kliniken und Einrichtungen 2022 symposium organised by Management Forum Starnberg. It was a fascinating two-day conference, filled with lectures on healing architecture, suicide prevention in psychiatric facilities, and other topics, set in the dynamic Werksviertel close to the Münchner Ostbahnhof.

A great highlight of the conference was the lecture by Dr. Julia Kirch (pictured, in the middle) of a|sh (sander.hofrichter architekten, Ludwigshafen) titled “Bauen für die seelische Gesundheit” which, among other things, outlined typolgies of pyschiatric buildings and shared recent projects from her office. An archive of the symposium schedule can be seen here.

From left: Dr. Martin Voss (Charité/Berlin), Dr. Julia Kirch (as|h architects/Ludwigshafen), and Jason Danziger, Architect BDA in front of the WOW fassade by MVRDV and N-V-O Nuyken Von Oefele Architketen.

FARBWELT Kindergarten ÖFFNET TORE FÜR DESIGNSTUDENT*INNEN / Colourworld Kindergarten opens its doors for design students

Students from the Burg Giebichstein Kunsthochschule Halle visiting the newly completed Phase 2 “Coulourworld” Kindergarten on the Stettiner Strasse, Berlin.

On March 28, 2022, thinkbuild project partner Christa Fischer and Jason Danziger were honoured to welcome an interdisciplinary group of design students to visit the newly completed phase 2 Kindergarten project, Farbwelt Stettinerstrasse in Berlin-Mitte. The students from the Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle (University of Art and Design Halle) were visiting Berlin under the leadership of Prof. Karin Schmidt-Ruhland and came to explore the spaces, color design, and furniture of the new project. There was also an oppourtunity to meet with Rhona Koop, the assistant director of the kindergarten and discuss how the the design is being used on a day-to-day basis.

Our project partner, interior architect Christa Fischer (left) disusses door details with a group of visiting students.

Our public client, Kindergärten City (EB Land Berlin) also documented the visit - more information can be seen here or by visiting their website here. We will also be posting more photos of this project soon.

Jason Danziger (right) and members of the group from the Burg discussing construction details of the new shelving on March 28, 2022

Photos courtesy of Julia Simon/Kindergärten City, EB Berlin

R90B - KitaAmGleis featured in the 2020 Tag der Architektur / Berlin

Come visit our new Kindergarten project,  R90B - KitaAmGleis this coming Sunday, June 28 as a part of the Tag der Architektur 2020  More information about the Open House itself can been seen here. We are excited and proud to participate in the Tag der Architektur this year together with our project partners An-He Kinzelbach (KNOWSPACE) and Oliver Collignon.

The meeting point is at the Bautzener Straße 22, 10829 Berlin, corner of Größgorschenstrasse at 11:30 or 13:30.

R90B / KitaAmGleis - Photo by Werner Hutmacher

GEMEINSCHAFT ALS MODELL / COMMUNITY AS MODEL

Detail of the Model in the Gallery…

We are proud to participate in the new exhibition organised by the BDA-Berlin, GEMEINSCHAFT ALS MODELL (COMMUNITY AS MODEL) now showing at the BDA Galerie through August 13, 2020. The exhibition shares architectural models of offices in the Bund Deutscher Architekten Landesverband Berlin, which, according to curator Jens Brinkmann, “represent the subject of the community in various forms.” Our models track the development of an inhabited wall from our project, Drachenreiter am Alex. To learn more about the exhibition and to visit it online via livestream, goto https://www.gemeinschaft-als-modell.de . More information about the Drachenreiter am Alex Project can be seen here.

And – if you can, stop by on Thursday, August 13, 2020, at 7pm to see all the models live and to join our open discussion/Finissage at the gallery on the Mommsenstraße 64, 10629 Berlin.

See you there!

»Here be Dragons« – P98A PAPER #07

I am excited to have been asked to read my short essay – Notes on the Origin of a Farbplan – as a part of the release party of the latest post-digital issue of P98A PAPER on Wednesday, September 25 at 6:30pm. The printed offset magazine is all about maps, and apart from my own short contribution features, “nonfiction by longtime Atlantic contributing editor Toby Lester … and drawn works by German foreign-policy analyst Jan Techau & the New Yorker's Rick Meyerowitz and Maira Kalman, whose "shithole" map forms the fold-outable cover/poster of this issue…”

Join us to see me and Jan Techau read at Analog (Potsdamer Strasse 100, 10785 Berlin) and celebrate the release of PAPER #07/ Hic Sunt Dracones …

To learn more about P98A visit here. To enjoy the article itself courtesy of P98A, check our publication archive here.

P98A Paper #07 is coming! - listing image courtesy of P98A/PAPER

Jason Danziger lectures at the 2019 European Congress of Psychiatry in Warsaw, Poland together with Dr. Nikolina Jovanovic (London)

It was a great honour and inspiration to address the 27th European Congress of Psychiatry in Warsaw, Poland together with Dr. Nikolina Jovanovic, MD, PhD of Bart’s and London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University and the East London NHS Foundation Trust on April 8, 2019.

Our joint Workshop had three objectives as listed below and was followed by a fascinating discussion:

• To sensitize mental health professionals about the importance of the environment in determining outcomes for patients, staff and family members alike;

• To encourage mental health professionals to actively engage with designers and workplace administrators to positively influence the environments in which they work;

• To equip mental health professionals with a basic understanding of conceptual tools such as the design metaphor as a method for generating and maintaining inderdisciplinary consensus.

Thanks to all our workshop participants for the great feedback and of course to our session chairs, Dr. Defne Eraslan (Turkey/Germany) and Dr. TM Gondek (Poland) for enabling this workshop and moderating the exciting discussion afterwards!

Feel free to contact thinkbuild for more information about the workshop or the objectives listed above should you be curious to learn more…

Jason Danziger and Dr. Nikolina Jovanovic at the EPA 2019 Congress in Warsaw, Poland

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Aus Karlsruhe > Auszeichnungen Beispielhaftes Bauen für die Tischmanufaktur Adam Wieland vergeben / From Karlsruhe > Exemplary building Award for the Wieland Tischmanufactur awarded

Am 30. Oktober 2018 verlieh die Architektenkammer Baden-Würtenburg unter der Schirmherrschaft des Karlsruher Oberbürgermeisters Dr.-Ing. Frank Mentrup die Auszeichnungen für Beispielhaften Bauen in der Stadt Karlsruhe 2012-2018. Die Gewinner wurden von einer siebenköpfigen Jury unter dem Vorsitz der Architektin Beatrice Soltys aus Fellbach und des Vizepräsidenten der Architektenkammer Baden-Württemberg ausgewählt. Insgesamt wurden 26 Preise aus 104 eingereichten Projekten vergeben. Es war ein toller Abend!

Begründung der Jury
„Durchdachte Details verleihen dem Bauwerk trotz rauer Schale die gewünschte Eleganz.“ Diese Beschreibung trifft insbesondere im Innenraum zu. Gepaart mit einem funktionalen und aufs Wesentliche reduzierten Raum- und Gestaltungskonzept, das durch die Tischmanufaktur bestimmt wird, ist die Aufgabe optimal und sehr passend gelöst. Die Außenhülle reagiert hingegen weniger eigenständig, eher unerwartet auf die benachbarte Wohnbebauung.

Hier können Sie mehr über unserem Projekt Kennlernen oder schauen Sie hier, um mehr über den Preis selbst zu erfahren.

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On October 30, 2018, the Baden-Würtenburg Chamber of architects officially granted its Exemplary Building Awards for the City of Karlsruhe 2012-2018 under the patronage of the Karlsruhe Mayor Dr. Ing. Frank Mentrup.The winners were chosen by a jury of seven, chaired by architect Beatrice Soltys from Fellbach and the Vice-President of the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects. Overall 26 prizes were awarded from a field of 104 submitted projects. It was a great evening!

From the Jury:
"Thoughtful details endow the building with its desired elegance despite its rough shell." This description especially applies to the interiors. Paired with a functionally minimalist spatial and design concept as determined by the table manufacturer, the building task is optimally solved in an exceptionally appropriate manner to the circumstances. The outer shell, however, reacts less independently, even unexpectedly to the neighbouring residential development.

Here you can find out more about the project or check here to learn more about the prize itself (in German).

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Photos by Christian Ernst / Courtesy of Peter Wieland

Farbwelt Kindergarten Stettiner Straße to be discussed at the Architektur-Quartett 2018 on September 13

Come join an exciting interdisciplinary conversation about diverse strategies for breathing life back into older public education buildings in Berlin! Our Kindergarten project on the Stettiner Straße 21-23, will be featured along with the Carl-Sonnenschein-Grundschule (Haberland Architects BDA) and the extension of the Brewing School (Gerber Architects) as a part of this year's annual Architektur-Quartett. Join us at the Kino Babylon in Berlin-Mitte on Thursday, September 13 starting at 17h. We are honoured to participate in the annual Architektur-Quartett and hope to see you there!

Auszeichnung Beispielhaftes Bauen / Exemplary Building Award – Tischmanufaktur Adam wieland, Karlsruhe-stadt 2012-18 (AK-BW)

Die Neubau Tischmanufaktur Adam Wieland / Karlsruhe hat eine “Auszeichnung Beispielhaftes Bauen, Karlsruhe-Stadt 2012-18” vom  AK-BW - Architektenkammer Baden-Württemberg - erhalten. Aus der Pressemitteilung der Kammer für die Projekte:

Äußere Gestaltung, Maß und Proportion des Baukörpers, innere Raumbildung, Zuordnung der Räume und Zweckmäßigkeit, Angemessenheit der Mittel und Materialien, konstruktive Ehrlichkeit, Einfügung und Umgang mit dem städtebaulichen Kontext und der Umwelt legte die Jury u.a. als Kriterien bei ihrer Entscheidungsfindung zugrunde …{Die} Arbeiten sind in diesem Sinne beispielhaft.

Wir danken unserem Kunden Peter Wieland von der Firma Adam Wieland GmbH & Co KG sowie unseren Designpartnern Bernd Kogel von archis und Erhard An-He Kinzelbach von KNOWSPACE architecture & cities für die spannenden Zusammenarbeit. Und wir gratulieren Matthias Tebbert (zwo/elf) für das sehr gelungene Ausstellungsdesign!

Hier können Sie mehr über unserem Projekt Kennlernen oder schauen Sie hier, um mehr über den Preis selbst zu erfahren.

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The newly built new table factory for Adam Wieland has received an Award for Exemplary Building, Karlsruhe City 2012-18 from the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects. From the press release of the Chamber:

The exterior design, size and proportion of the building, internal space formation, allocation of spaces and functionality, appropriateness of means and materials, constructive honesty, inclusion and dealing with the urban context and the environment were all examined by the jury as criteria in their decision-making ... All the works listed below are in this sense exemplary.

We thank our client, Peter Wieland from the company Adam Wieland GmbH & Co as well as our design partners Bernd Kogel from archis and Erhard An-He Kinzelbach from KNOWSPACE architecture & cities for the exciting collaboration. And we send congratulations as well to Matthias Tebbert (zwo/elf) for the awesome exhibition design. 

Here you can find out more about the project or check here to learn more about the prize itself (in German).

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Atmosphäre als Therapeutikum - Dienstagsvortrag am Detmolder Schule für Architektur und Innenarchitektur

Looking forward to visiting the Detmolder Schule für Architektur und Innenarchitektur on December 12 to share some thoughts and images about Active Atmospheres as a part of the  Dienstagsvortrag organized by Professor Jasper Jochimsen!