Linstow has been granted NOK 16 m for research into health-promoting developments.

By applying more comprehensive planning for buildings and the environment, awareness of what gives better public health will be integrated into the development process, allowing us to contribute ultimately to a better society. Research shows that buildings and their immediate environment are not used as they were intended, and more awareness is needed as to how a location can be health-promoting in practice.

The project period runs over four years, during which we will develop health-promoting physical and social solutions, which will be integrated into future property and development projects through new working processes supported by technology.

Health in focus

In recent years, we have established healthcare as a new focus area. We are building a long-term portfolio within healthcare properties, and specialising as a player within location and urban development with a healthcare perspective. The objective is to create good buildings and local environments adapted and perceived as beneficial and attractive for all.

Unique research project

The support we have received from the Research Council of Norway is very important, and the project will enable us to offer completely new products to the market. The aim is to provide housing and neighbourhoods that stimulate physical activity, social engagement, achievement and security for their residents and users. We want to see what motivates and engages residents towards and in an active lifestyle irrespective of gender, age and ability, and to design the physical environment accordingly. We also want to see how designing the physical environment can contribute to postponing or reducing the need for care services, e.g. for the elderly, with and without cognitive impairment. Concepts that can be integrated into large-scale development projects and smaller infill-projects need to be developed.

A resource group has been set up for the research project consisting of Lillestrøm and Larvik Municipality, the Nordic Office of Architecture and Universell utforming AS. We want to use R&D results in relation to selected, ongoing projects, such as the expansion of Romerike Helsebygg in Lillestrøm and development of Sjøparken Agnes Stavern.

We intend to be the first on the market via Building Health to realise knowledge-based solutions for health in property and location development in Norway, and will go on to develop ourselves into the preferred partner in projects that regard property and health in the same context.

Jenny M. Bergschöld, researcher at SINTEF Digital Dept. Health, and head of research activities in Building Health says:

«This is an exciting research project that will be able to make a real difference to society. We will develop new knowledge on how locations can be health-promoting in practice, and how property development can help create synergies through location development, public health and innovation in the care sector.»

For more details, contact:

Hege Hidle Aaser, Director of Linstow Helse, tel. 97521717
Jenny M. Bergschöld, Project Leader SINTEF, tel. 46314138

Download the full press release as a PDF here.