Loneliness and the Built Environment is a research project based on the study of the implications and influence of the built environment in the phenomenon of loneliness. The project has been developed at Tampere University since 2019, involving different disciplines from philosophy, gerontology, social psychology to technology and architecture. Professor Fernando Nieto and former Postdoctoral Research Fellow Rosana Rubio have acted as the project leaders at the Tampere University’s Faculty of Built Environment, School of Architecture.
The research project has obtained the Second Prize at the International Innovative Design for Health Awards organised for the second time in 2026 by the Public Health Work Programme (PHWP) of the International Union of Architects (UIA). The award, open to architects from around the world, was given in the award ceremony at the UIA World Congress of Architects celebrated this year in Barcelona.
[Picture: Anna Mas]
In the research work category, the jury evaluated the projects according to the relevance of their health outcomes, methodological strength, originality and innovation, connection to evidence-based design, and a clear contribution to design for health, as well as credible research methods, clear findings, and a convincing translation of research outcomes into tangible design solutions.
The research project Loneliness and the Built Environment was found by the jury as “a strong second-prize winner because of its well-established research foundation and its focus on the relationship between loneliness and the built environment at the urban scale. The project was praised for drawing on a solid theoretical framework, ethnographic approaches, urban mapping, and clear measures based on existing theory. Jurors noted that the project appeared to be a collection or series of related studies rather than a single, unified design project. They appreciated that much of the work had already been validated through publication or presentation in academic and professional venues. The involvement of students was also seen positively, especially in relation to research, education, and public health design. Overall, it was valued as a substantial, credible, and meaningful contribution linking loneliness, public health, and the built environment”.
The research project and the publications derived from it have been recognised previously in other forums such as the award at the 17th Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urban Planning (BEAU) and the COAM Commendation 2022 and COAM Commendation 2025 at the COAM Awards organised by the Professional Association of Architects in Madrid, and it was shortlisted as one of the finalist projects at the Premios ARQUITECTURA organised by the Higher Council of Associations of Architects in Spain (CSCAE).
More information about the project and the International Innovative Design for Health Awards can be found in the following links:
UIA International Innovative Design for Health Awards 2026 — Winners Announced
Article in Tampere University’s website: How architecture can help tackle loneliness
Article in Tampere’s Aamulehti newspaper