July 12, 2024

Last May 14, 15 and 16, the first edition of Smart Healthy Environments 2024 (SHE2024) took place at the MECC in Maastricht. Science and practice came together to share knowledge and experiences about healthy and smart living. The HAN (Lectorate Architecture in Health), in collaboration with the TU/e, was responsible for organizing this, through the DEEL partnership. The SHE2024 conference serves as a global stage to explore the collaborative potential of living labs and to jointly tackle social challenges in the field of living and care.

The conference lasted three days in total, the first two of which were scientifically oriented. Inspiring keynote speakers presented their views on the opportunities and challenges in the field of smart and healthy living environments and placed the theme in a broader context of, among other things, aging, inclusion and labor shortages. Researchers presented their recent papers and experts from various disciplines discussed topics such as technology and care and social aspects surrounding health in panel discussions. In addition, inspiring workshops took place with plenty of room for discussion and knowledge sharing.

The third day focused on building bridges between science and practice. In various panel discussions and workshops with practical partners, The New Living was discussed from various angles, including attention to collaboration within the living labs, (social) innovation, dementia-friendly construction and new developments in living with care. The challenges we face when it comes to an aging population, staff shortages and an accessible and empathetic living and care environment are present on a global scale. Consequently, a ‘hybrid conference day’ was also part of the SHE2024 conference where scientists and professionals from all over the world could join in online. Design principles and standardized construction were discussed here, as well as experiences with living labs and client-oriented, smart living environments.

In the run-up to the conference, there was a call for papers, to which many responses were received. All submissions were assessed by a review committee and included in the Book of Proceedings, which contains a total of 57 papers and abstracts. This publication of scientific research on smart and healthy living environments strengthens the further deepening and dissemination of knowledge about this socially urgent theme.

Finally, the conference also had room for some ongoing activities. Posters were displayed where visitors could receive a presentation of the relevant research and discuss the authors. There were posters from both the call for papers and from the living labs, which showed a great diversity in themes discussed. Visitors could also try on a suit which recreates the feeling of being of age. In additions to that, a stand with an AI booth was installed, where the innovative SHE2024 Visualiser app was demonstrated. This AI-powered tool is designed to transform user input into unique visualizations that show their own vision of the future for smart, healthy environments. A prototype of the Guiding Environment was also shown, providing an insight into the current state of affairs regarding intelligent healthcare technology.

The program of SHE2024 was created in collaboration with the Scientific Board, consisting of conference Chair Prof. Dr. Ir. Masi Mohammadi (HAN, TU/e and DEEL), Prof. Dr. Niels Chavannes (NeLL), Camilla Evensson , MSc (RISE), Prof. Dr. Tineke Abma (Leyden Academy, LUMC), Prof. Dr. Marta Fernández (RMIT Europe), Prof. Dr. Nico van Meeteren (Health~Holland) and Prof. Dr. Ir. Gloria Gutma (Simon Fraser University).[TL1]Add link: www.SHEworldconference.com/proceedings

The first day of SHE2024 mainly focused on technological applications to promote health. In the opening speech, Marta Fernandez (RMIT Europe) and Masi Mohammadi (HAN, TU/e) stated that there is simply no more room for ‘business as usual’, given the societal challenges we are currently facing. Technology can play a key role in this, but we must carefully investigate in what form and how it will affect our lives. In other words, in the words of architect Cedric Price: “Technology is the answer, but what is the question?”

Prof. Dr. Milan Petkovic (Philips) argued in his keynote speech AI & Health Living that we wrongfully have the illusion that all Dutch residents have equal opportunities, including access to healthcare. This has not proven to be the case in recent years. With the rise of AI – especially in the commercial sector – there is a risk that this gap will widen. Ethical issues surrounding AI in health should not only focus on traditional issues such as privacy, transparency or regulation, but also on inequality. In his keynote Health and Wellbeing living labs, Dr. Evdokimos Konstantinidis (ENoLL) argued that the attitude of researchers is essential in a living lab. Not the research but the people must be central, which starts with a genuine interest in each other as fellow human beings.

Subsequently, a number of diverse themes related to or using technology were explored in three workshops. Camilla Evensson (RISE), Sarah Latus (TUHH) explained during their Homecare of the Future workshop on behalf of ACE how the North Sea region works together to improve the living situation and home care for the elderly. They shared examples of their empathetic approach, engaging closely with older people and listening attentively to their stories and needs. In their Impact of eHealth workshop, Sander van de Hoef (HU) and Margot Rakers (NeLL) delved deeper into people who are already confronted with ‘not being healthy’ (for example due to chronic diseases). Many innovations require an active attitude from the user, for example by monitoring blood pressure. However, this requires a lot of time and energy from the client and is in addition to the (sometimes long) list of daily activities and the energy that the chronic illness itself demands. Healthy living should not require extra effort from people, but rather feel as an attractive habit. Future research should investigate this more deeply.

Otto Trienekens and Andrea Fitskie (Veldacademie) presented the findings of their exploratory research into informal networks, A methodology to analyze neighborhoods on living and care using GIS. Particularly during the Covid pandemic, official channels disappeared and people became more dependent on themselves. Their research showed that informal networks have started to flourish as a result and that this movement will (largely) remain intact after the lockdowns. The formal parties would do well to learn from this when it comes to recognizing people’s needs.

In the panel session led by Marta Fernandez (RMIT Europe), Camilla Evensson (RISE), Geert Frederix (UMC) and Otto Trienekens (Field Academy) discussed the challenges associated with the adoption of technology. The panel members found each other on the point that we have made things incredibly complicated for ourselves with organizational structures, rules and separate financial flows. Technology could make an important contribution as a connector in this regard.

During two parallel paper sessions, eight fascinating studies were presented briefly and concisely. In the sessions with the overarching theme ‘Smart Health’, Anke Aarninkhof-Kamphuis (UT) argued that in times when healthcare is changing, we must be able to remain flexible with decisions. Organizations can do this by using models such as ‘Dynamic and Adaptive Support Model’. According to Peyman Najafi (HAN and TU/e), seniors are quickly underestimated when it comes to using VR as a democratic means of communication. With small points of attention, especially those that can make use more comfortable and intuitive (such as glasses that do not rest too heavily on the neck, do not walk but sit, not too many interactions with buttons), VR can indeed be accessible to seniors. Sarah Latus (TUHH) talked about her research using VR ski play as a lower back exercise aimed at improving the fitness of older adults. The VR sensors predict body posture using data from cameras to train the ML model.

The other paper session focused on healthy cities and adaptive housing. This covered a wide range of topics. Sara Willems (KU Leuven) discussed her research into the response of users to variable energy costs. Olivia Guerra-Santin (TU/e) talked about her research into modeling user behavior regarding opening and closing doors and windows. Dorus Gevers (UM) presented research into including health in area development and practical tools that could help with this. Finally, Liesbet Rabbinge and Marleen van Beuzekom (HAN) explained their study into healthy workplaces for teachers and the role of biophilic design in this.

After the day’s opening by Camilla Evensson (RISE) and Masi Mohammadi (HAN and TU/e), two inspiring keynotes took place, just like on the first day. The first keynote The future of (nursing) work by Prof. Dr. Ir. David Abbink (TU Delft and FRAIM) addressed the question of the potential of robotics to solve the labor shortage among nurses. He proposes a co-creation process in which nurses themselves are more closely involved in its development and rollout. The other keynote speaker was Prof. Ian Spero (Agile Aging), who made a plea for rethinking when it comes to neighborhood design, entitled Experiences from Livinglabs & Lifetime Neighborhoods That Care. If we put the planet and people first, we can use technology to combat ailments such as loneliness, stimulate well-being and reduce financial and social care burdens.

Melissa Bruntlett, Esmee van Selst (Royal HaskoningDHV) and Bige Tunçer (TU/e) discussed integrating social responsibility and friendliness into the built environment and infrastructure during their workshop. The goal is to improve the human experience and create healthier, more inclusive places for all people regardless of age, gender, disability and economic status. The other workshop Neighborhood Social Interaction by Linh Nguyen and Pauline van den Berg (TU/e and Fontys) focused on encounters between people in high-rise buildings in Vietnam and the role of building designs and the direct response to them.

The second day also encompassed a panel discussion. This time under the supervision of Nico van Meeteren (Health~Holland) who lead the conversation between Marta Fernandez (RMIT Europe), Ian Spero (Agile Aging) and Annette Duivenvoorden (Platform31). The multidisciplinary panel delved deeper into the question of how we can create a more inclusive and age-friendly living environment in an aging society.

Also on the second day two paper sessions took place, which focused on empathetic and caring living environments. The impact of different housing types on the social interaction of the elderly was discussed (Kim Hamers, HAN), as well as co-living concepts on former agricultural locations (Nienke Moor, HAN). Attention was also paid to the Cook3r, a cooking device that helps people with dementia prepare their meals (Masi Mohammadi, HAN and TU/e).

The second paper session focused on ‘citizen science, smart art & place making’. The focus was mainly on methodological themes, such as validity of citizen science (Tamar Shahinian, Leyden Academy), interactive artworks to stimulate encounters in neighborhoods (Sophie Peters, HAN), living labs as a research environment (Karin Dijkstra, Saxion), live experience research among elderly people with dementia (Leonie van Buuren, TU/e) and ‘creative and digital placemaking’ (Peyman Najafi, HAN and TU/e).

The second day also encompassed a panel discussion. This time under the supervision of Nico van Meeteren (Health~Holland) who lead the conversation between Marta Fernandez (RMIT Europe), Ian Spero (Agile Aging) and Annette Duivenvoorden (Platform31). The multidisciplinary panel delved deeper into the question of how we can create a more inclusive and age-friendly living environment in an aging society.

Also on the second day two paper sessions took place, which focused on empathetic and caring living environments. The impact of different housing types on the social interaction of the elderly was discussed (Kim Hamers, HAN), as well as co-living concepts on former agricultural locations (Nienke Moor, HAN). Attention was also paid to the Cook3r, a cooking device that helps people with dementia prepare their meals (Masi Mohammadi, HAN and TU/e).

The second paper session focused on ‘citizen science, smart art & place making’. The focus was mainly on methodological themes, such as validity of citizen science (Tamar Shahinian, Leyden Academy), interactive artworks to stimulate encounters in neighborhoods (Sophie Peters, HAN), living labs as a research environment (Karin Dijkstra, Saxion), live experience research among elderly people with dementia (Leonie van Buuren, TU/e) and ‘creative and digital placemaking’ (Peyman Najafi, HAN and TU/e).

the working language. Plenty of knowledge and experience was shared about the living labs, the places where all stakeholders meet for research projects. Chairman Jan Bart Wilschut (Door de Wind Advies) and Masi Mohammadi (HAN and TU/e) opened the day. Keynotes were then given by Nico van Meeteren (Health~Holland) and Masi Mohammadi (HAN and TU/e). In his presentation The continuation of success of health and care via transforming people’s daily and living context, Van Meeteren underlined the importance of prevention for healthcare through transformations within daily life and the living environment. Mohammadi made a plea for healthier aging by consciously orchestrating the aging process (Designing happiness: key indicators of empathic and caring living environments for aging well). ).

The workshops focused mainly on the challenges we have to overcome in the longer term and the research agendas that can help with this. Willeke van Staalduinen (AFEdemy) and Silvia Arra Ariarte (Tecnalia) talked about the SIRENE project, which develops a framework to stimulate stakeholders such as municipalities, housing developers and healthcare organizations to innovate (Social innovation as a motor for smart inclusive environments).

In the workshop Celebration of Innovation, Anne Binnendijk (SIA), Twan Kerssens (Health~Holland), Lilian Beijer (HAN) and Chantal Huisman (HU) discussed the Dutch Mission-Driven Innovation Policy, in which Dutch universities of applied sciences run research projects aimed at solutions for an aging society. Dr. Oscar Zanutto and Adele De Stefani (ISRAA) discussed in their workshop Challenges to d(HL) in Europe and how to overcome them ‘digital illiteracy’ and its consequences on inequality of opportunity when it comes to access to care. Their research is part of the Horizon IDEAHL project, which follows citizens in 10 EU countries about their challenges when seeking information about health or using digital platforms.

In the field of building for healthcare, the workshops New performance requirements for living with care by Olga Görts-van de Pas (Conceptual Building Network) and How do we build dementia-friendly by Anne de Boer (Alzheimer Netherlands) and Anne van Grinsven (Residential Care Netherlands) took place. Conceptual Building Network works on product market combinations for lifelong homes, clustered housing types and nursing care places. Alzheimer Nederland and Woonzorg are developing a dementia-friendly toolkit in collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology.

The panel discussions on the third day of the conference focused entirely on Livinglabs. These focused on the same theme: Living labs in the field of smart healthy living environments. Moderation in both sessions was provided by chairman Jan Bart Wilschut. In the first session, Prof. Dr. Nico van Meeteren (Health~Holland), Marja Peltenburg (Stadsdorp VondelHelmers), Jessica Vogel (October), Mariëlle Heuvelmans (Talis) and Prof. Dr. Tineke Abma (Leyden Academy) discussed each other about citizens’ ability to work together and encouraging meetings and participation. The second session took place between Hans Adriani (WWZO Boost Team), Paula Nelissen (Treant), Anne van Grinsven (Woonzorg Nederland) and Marlou Kremer (Council of the Elderly). The central question was how we can allow citizens to live independently at home for as long as possible.

For speakers and interested parties who could not attend the conference physically, a hybrid conference day was also organized within SHE2024 around the theme ‘Exploring healthy living through Living Lab research’. These online sessions were led by Prof. Dr. Nurhan Abujidi (Zuyd University of Applied Sciences) and Prof. Dr. Rizal Sebastian (THUAS).

Nurhan Abujidi (Zuyd University of Applied Sciences) kicked off the day with an opening speech, paving the way for a day full of insightful discussions. Prof. Dr Habib Chaudhury (Simon Fraser University) shared valuable insights into designing for people with dementia in her keynote Designing for People Living with Dementia: Principles, Evaluation and Education, highlighting the importance of principles, evaluation and education in creating supportive environments. Dr. Christina Fang Dai (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), in her keynote, Standardization Strategy in the Space Construction of Institutional Aging Care Facilities, then discussed the standardization strategies in the space construction of institutional aging care facilities in China, highlighting the unique challenges and opportunities in this area.

The afternoon session included a series of research paper presentations, covering various topics related to healthy living. Researchers explored the perceived restorativeness of natural landscapes through virtual reality and its effects on mental health, particularly among students in design disciplines in China. The efficacy of landscapes in improving the mental health of older adults through virtual reality was also examined. In addition, researchers examined the influential factors in window design on the mental health of older adults. The methodological approach of the AAL4ALL project, which aims to move from smart homes to care homes, was presented, together with insights from the Portuguese pilot experiment.

Prof. Dr Luis Salvador-Carulla (Australian National University) delivered a thought-provoking keynote address on current challenges in aging research and planning, highlighting the need for innovative approaches and solutions. The conference concluded with a stimulating panel discussion moderated by Rizal Sebastian (THUAS), where experts including Peter Roelofsma (THUAS), Sylvia I. Bergh (EUR & THUAS), Luis Salvador-Carulla and Niels Chavannes (LUMC) discussed urban living labs and their potential to promote smart and healthy living for the aging population.

We can look back on three inspiring days of knowledge sharing between science and practice, during which several concrete learning points emerged. Attendees gained valuable insights into the latest research findings, design principles and technological advances aimed at improving the well-being of individuals across the lifespan.

We have seen speakers, fellow scientists, project partners, students and other interested visitors enter into discussions with each other and fruitful collaborations emerge. A lot of knowledge and experience has also been recorded in the Book of Proceedings. Based on this foundation, we look forward with great pleasure to all the great initiatives and ideas that will arise in the near future.

After this successful first edition, we are very pleased to announce that there will also be a SHE2025. Information about the dates and location will follow shortly. We hope to welcome you there again.