Beatriz Colomina: Architecture as disease and cure.

Architecture functions as a prophylactic defense against disease, yet modern design often inadvertently creates its own pathological environments. Historically, modernist innovations—such as large windows, rooftop terraces, and elevated pilotis—emerged as direct responses to the tuberculosis epidemic. However, the contemporary trend toward hermetically sealed, energy-efficient buildings creates environments that lack microbial diversity, potentially exacerbating autoimmune disorders and extremophile-driven infections. Architectural historian Beatriz Colomina argues that the field must move beyond the "normalized" human subject—the athletic, white, male ideal—to design for the most vulnerable. By integrating a "more-than-human" perspective and acknowledging that illness is a constant rather than an exception, architects can create spaces that foster health rather than sterility. This shift requires abandoning the obsession with antiseptic surfaces in favor of ecological balance and accessibility for all bodies.