Designing Belonging in Rental Housing

Dwell-Well is a design-led research and innovation project exploring how rental housing for students and early-career professionals can foster wellbeing and a sense of belonging through spatial design, storytelling, and co-creation. The project addresses the emotional and aesthetic dimensions of mid-market and semi-furnished rental apartments in European cities, aiming to humanize temporary homes and create adaptable, beautiful, and inclusive living environments.

We are developing a toolkit and design framework to support housing providers, urban designers, and policymakers in designing spaces that empower tenants, encourage place attachment, and support community integration—especially in transitory urban settings.

We are The Mindful Scapes (TMS), a spatial research and design studio dedicated to creating environments that support holistic health and wellbeing. Our practice integrates environmental psychology, mindfulness, and health-oriented design, and spans public spaces, interiors, exhibitions, and community-engaged workshops.

We are looking to join/form a consortium as a spatial design and research partner and are seeking a larger organization or institution to lead the project. We are particularly interested in collaborating with developers, housing associations, universities, municipalities, social sciences researchers, or architecture practices with experience in EU-funded research and community-based urban innovation.