Zeidler-Evans Lecture: Architecture That Cares

This year’s Zeidler Evans Lecture explores the innovative work of NORD Architects, with a focus on their groundbreaking approach to designing for healthcare. Known for integrating architecture with social and humanistic concerns, NORD is redefining how the built environment can support health and well-being—both at the individual and community scale.

The lecture will examine how architecture can address current and emerging healthcare challenges, particularly those driven by demographic shifts and aging populations. It will highlight NORD’s strategic and design-based responses through key projects such as dementia villages in France, Norway, and the United States; the Urban Hospice and a rehabilitation centre for cancer patients in Copenhagen; and the Lyngdal Nursing Home. In addition, the lecture will explore how healthcare-promoting neighbourhoods and new housing typologies are reshaping the way care is delivered and experienced, illustrating architecture’s vital role in building healthier, more resilient communities.

Mia Baarup Tofte holds a Diploma in architecture from the Royal Danish Academy. She has designed and innovated healthcare buildings for more than 15 years at NORD Architects. Through extensive user-involvement and thorough analysis she has developed a large base of knowledge of how design and architecture can improve the experiences and health of an ageing population. Her notable work includes The Centre for Cancer and Health, which was a groundbreaking healthcare project in Scandinavia.