The Integration of Architecture, Site, and Wellbeing: Design Study of a Fitness and Wellness Center at the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, MD

Abstract

The rise in interest in wellbeing, heightened during the COVID pandemic, challenged the way we think about what it means to be healthy. While many people in recent years have researched well-being as the intersection of physical and mental health, few have explored the role of architecture in spaces with these programs. Like any service profession, architects have a duty to contribute to the health and wellbeing of the users of these buildings. This thesis aims to question the typical building type of fitness and wellness centers and propose a more integrated architectural model, enhanced with elements of the natural environment which play a role in the user's quest for total wellbeing.The final proposal is sited at an all-girls school in Bethesda, Maryland - the Holton-Arms School.