NYSA Industry Updates -Why Wellbeing is Hard to Deliver — and How to Design for It Anyway
The West Park Hotel, Harrogate, HG1 1BJ
Tuesday 9th June 2026
RIBA CPD Topic - Inclusive Environments
Session overview
Many buildings meet regulatory standards but still fail to support the health and wellbeing of their occupants. Despite growing awareness, wellbeing is often reduced to a set of principles that are difficult to implement in practice, fragmented across disciplines, or lost during delivery.This talk explores why designing for wellbeing remains so challenging—and why it matters. Drawing on personal experience working in practice, alongside the renovation and construction of her own homes, Catherine reflects on the gap between intention and outcome, and what it takes to close it.Using insights from the WELL Building Standard alongside project experience, the session will highlight ways architects can embed wellbeing more effectively into everyday projects, supporting healthier environments and better long-term outcomes for occupants.
About the speaker
Catherine Borse is an interior designer specialising in sustainable and healthy building design. As a WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP), she works with architects and clients to create spaces that actively support health, comfort, and everyday wellbeing. Her work sits at the intersection of design, building performance, and human health, with a particular interest in how the design and construction industry can evolve to better support population health. Alongside her design work, Catherine writes and speaks about healthy buildings, encouraging others to take a more active role in creating healthier, more sustainable spaces.
About the sponsor
This event is sponsored by Five Rise Contractors Ltd. Five Rise are construction experts with demonstrable experience across a range of construction projects, from design to completion. They pride themselves as a family firm built on strong values and have a broad range of commercial and residential construction contractor experience, with a particular focus on sustainability.
We hope you can join us and look forward to seeing you at the event.
Each ticket comes with a tea/coffee. Please feel free to stay afterwards for a drink and more conversations in the bar.
By reserving your ticket, you agree to be contacted by the events partners and sponsors and to be added to the North Yorkshire Society of Architects mailing list.
Credits: Images - Gagarin Studio https://gagarinstudio.co.uk/
Session overview
Many buildings meet regulatory standards but still fail to support the health and wellbeing of their occupants. Despite growing awareness, wellbeing is often reduced to a set of principles that are difficult to implement in practice, fragmented across disciplines, or lost during delivery.This talk explores why designing for wellbeing remains so challenging—and why it matters. Drawing on personal experience working in practice, alongside the renovation and construction of her own homes, Catherine reflects on the gap between intention and outcome, and what it takes to close it.Using insights from the WELL Building Standard alongside project experience, the session will highlight ways architects can embed wellbeing more effectively into everyday projects, supporting healthier environments and better long-term outcomes for occupants.
About the speaker
Catherine Borse is an interior designer specialising in sustainable and healthy building design. As a WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP), she works with architects and clients to create spaces that actively support health, comfort, and everyday wellbeing. Her work sits at the intersection of design, building performance, and human health, with a particular interest in how the design and construction industry can evolve to better support population health. Alongside her design work, Catherine writes and speaks about healthy buildings, encouraging others to take a more active role in creating healthier, more sustainable spaces.
This event is sponsored by Five Rise Contractors Ltd. Five Rise are construction experts with demonstrable experience across a range of construction projects, from design to completion. They pride themselves as a family firm built on strong values and have a broad range of commercial and residential construction contractor experience, with a particular focus on sustainability.
Each ticket comes with a tea/coffee. Please feel free to stay afterwards for a drink and more conversations in the bar.
Credits: Images - Gagarin Studio https://gagarinstudio.co.uk/
