AIA Central Idaho March Luncheon and Presentation

March 17, 2026

Please join Shopworks Architecture (Denver, CO) for a presentation on Dignified Design

Please join Shopworks Architecture (Denver, CO) for a presentation on Dignified Design (formerly trauma-informed design) – a concept they have been researching for over a decade. Research shows that environments have a direct impact on our physical and mental health, the effects of which are amplified by the fact that humans average upwards of 90% of their lives in the built environment. Some environments can have a detrimental effect, while others are known to be restorative. As such, influencers of the built environment have a responsibility to make decisions that minimize harm and maximize benefits for individuals and communities. Dignified Design is one such design approach that seeks to bias the health and well-being of end users, recognizing that modern life is stressful, and the built environment can play a critical role in supporting mental, physical, and social health. As an ideal, Dignified Design aims to create places that protect, promote, and celebrate the dignity of life and human wholeness. The presentation will offer an overview of this multidisciplinary approach (research as well as case studies), which draws on the latest evidence in neuroscience and psychology, anthropology and ecology, and of course architecture and design as well as the lived expertise of end users to deeply understand the relationships between brain, body, culture, and environment.