ADAC expands 2026 Wellness in Design programming

              

This is the second year ADAC is hosting a Wellness in Design Symposium on Thursday, May 7. The day long event aims to build on the momentum created during the 2025 symposium that put interior design at the intersection of health and well-being. Michelle Westcott - Richards, Senior Manager, Marketing Events at ADAC, says the event has been expanded beyond the traditional panels to create a full - day journey that mirrors the principles the panelists will be discussing.

“Last year proved there’s a real appetite for this conversation, so this year we intentionally went deeper and more experiential.”

The day starts with a guided sound bath to physically ground attendees, then moves into layered conversations around neuroaesthetics - how the brain processes aesthetic experiences, such as perceiving beauty, art, music, and nature, biophilia - the innate human tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life, mental health in design, and ends with an interactive reception focused on color, scent, and personal expression. Each offering supports wellness and demonstrates how design in home impacts day-to-day life 

Westcott Richards says. 

“What’s really enhanced is the level of application—attendees aren’t just hearing ideas, they’re experiencing them and walking away with tangible tools,” Westcott - Richards says. “Whether that’s understanding how sensory inputs affect mood or how to translate wellness-driven concepts into real projects.”

Wellness is becoming foundational to how the industry defines good design. Westcott - Richards says it’s no longer just about aesthetics—it’s about how spaces support people physically, mentally, and emotionally. For ADAC, it’s important to create programming that reflects where the industry is headed, while also moving that conversation forward. Westcott-Richards says there’s a growing interest in the subject matter from both clients and designers.

“We also saw it with a snapshot of our attendees from 2025. We had more than just designers and design enthusiasts attend including medical and mental health professionals,” Westcott - Richards says.”

The Wellness in Design program aligns with ADAC’s role as a resource and thought leader. The program balances inspiration with credible, research-backed insight. Concepts like neuroaesthetics and biophilia are giving designers a framework to explain why certain choices matter, beyond simple aesthetics. Westcott - Richards says it’s elevating the conversation and making wellness-driven design feel less like a trend and more like an essential part of the process.

The topic of wellness in design is evolving quickly, so it was important to include voices who are not only respected in the industry, but who are actively integrating concepts like neuroaesthetics and biophilic design into their work. The ADAC event includes a mix of designers, architects, and thought leaders who bring both personal perspective and data-driven thinking.

“Whether that’s drawing from institutional research or sharing real client applications," Westcott - Richards says. "We also prioritized panelists who can speak to how design impacts daily life—mental health, resilience, and overall well-being—so the conversations feel relevant and immediately useful.”

Mike Peterson, founder of Science in Design - a concept based on neuroaesthetics, is a sought-after speaker on neuroaesthetics and biophilia. He presents at markets all over the United States, including the HighPoint Market in North Carolina, and will be presenting at ADAC at the Wellness in Design Symposium. He works with institutions to help interior designers better understand their role in health and wellbeing.

“I take that information and I’m sharing what science already know is that when we create beauty, we also improve health,” Peterson says.

Peterson will be co-presenting with Kat Blue, founder of Blue Lantern Studios and a Science in Design certified professional, on the scientific elements used to inspire the room in the virtual show house.  

An example of neuroaesthetic design
 from the virtual showroom

Peterson started presenting about eight years ago to a room of about 15 people. Today his monthly webinars averages 175 attendees. He says the industry is moving from an industry that creates pretty rooms to an industry that creates health. Peterson uses fractal beauty or geometric shapes you find in nature like a tree canopy, ocean waves or snowflake that ascend or descend in scale as an example of biophilic design concepts. Fractals are considered be some to be the building blocks of nature, Peterson compares the lines of a tree canopy to the lines of the veins in our body as example.

“Our species has spent 99 percent of our time in nature and only 1 percent in the modern world,” Peterson says. “We fundamentally need nature in our lives. We don’t have a choice.”

A neuroaesthetic shower design
from the virtual showroom

He trains and certifies interior designers to do their job through the lens of neuroaesthetics. As a result, interior designers are going far beyond the idea of decoration, to use neuroaesthetics and biophilic design to impact the biology of the homeowner or individual.

Westcott - Richards says it’s important because wellness in design is about how spaces make you feel in real time. Even moments like the lunch in a showroom or the closing reception in the Designer Lounge are designed to reinforce the connection between environment and well-being. Programming is intentionally spread throughout the building—from showrooms to the presentation room to shared spaces—so attendees are constantly moving through and engaging with different environments.

“There’s a growing awareness—especially post-pandemic—of how much our environments impact everything from stress levels to focus to overall health," she says. “As a result, we’re seeing more demand for spaces that prioritize natural light, materiality, air quality, and sensory experience.”