WHAT:
Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), will join leading experts in public health, architecture and healthy buildings - including healthy buildings expert and author Dr. Joseph G. Allen, Director of Harvard University’s Healthy Buildings Program - for a discussion during 2026 Aspen Ideas - Health on how the design and operation of buildings can improve human health, resilience and quality of life.
The session, "Healthy Buildings for Healthy Lives," will explore the growing body of evidence showing how healthier indoor environments—from cleaner air and better ventilation to healthier materials, daylight and biophilic design—can help reduce disease transmission, support mental health and strengthen resilience in the face of climate change.
As people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, the conversation will examine why healthy buildings have become an increasingly important public health strategy and what building owners, employers and policymakers can do to create healthier places where people live, learn, work and heal.
WHO:
- Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, International WELL Building Institute
- Joseph Allen, Director, Healthy Buildings Program, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Diana Araoz-Fraser, Vice President and Studio Design Leader, HKS Architects
- Moderator: Céline Gounder, CBS News Medical Contributor and Editor-at-Large, KFF Health News
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
1:40 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Aspen Ideas: Health
East Lawn Tent
MEDIA OPPORTUNITY:
Rachel Hodgdon is available for interviews before and after the session to discuss:
- Why investing in healthy buildings is an investment in public health and a C-suite mission
- The business case for healthier workplaces and communities
- Healthy buildings as a strategy for climate resilience and disease prevention
- How evidence-based building design can improve health, well-being and organizational performance
- The growing global movement to advance health through the built environment
For interview requests, please contact: [email protected]
