Dedicated to providing detailed information
Natalia Olszewska, MD MSc
Health Systems in the Built Environment
Physician, researcher, and entrepreneur advancing the integration of neuroscience and architecture into health systems.
CURRENT FOCUS
Natalia is preparing to undertake a professional PhD dedicated to integrating neuroscience and health sciences into architectural and urban decision systems. Her work spans research, education, and applied implementation, advancing the operationalization of health within architecture and urban design through neuroscience, physiology, environmental sciences, and clinical insight.
Through IMPRONTA and related initiatives she co-founded, she develops structured frameworks and emerging tools that translate biological knowledge into measurable design parameters.
Her focus is to move health in the built environment from discourse to method — from concept to operational system.
TRAJECTORY
Medicine & Neuroscience
Natalia trained as a physician in Poland and Italy at Jagiellonian University and Tor Vergata University of Rome. She subsequently completed a Dual Master’s degree in Brain and Mind Sciences at University College London and Sorbonne University, developing a sustained focus on neurophysiology, cognitive regulation, and the environmental determinants of health.
She later completed the postgraduate program Neuroscience Applied to Architectural Design (NAAD) at IUAV University of Venice, becoming the first Polish professional formally trained at the intersection of neuroscience and architectural design.
Human Metrics Lab – HUME (2018–2020)
Natalia led the Human Metrics Lab within HUME, the architectural studio founded by Itai Palti, operating at the interface of human sciences and architectural practice. Her work contributed to early applications of science-informed design within real-world built environment projects.
During this period, she collaborated on projects and research initiatives involving EDGE, Landsec, R&D for the Built Environment at Google, the Association of Children's Museums, and HKS Architects, among others.
IMPRONTA (2022–present)
Co-founder and Chief Science Officer of IMPRONTA, an international research studio advancing health-driven decision systems in the built environment. Through IMPRONTA, Natalia develops structured frameworks that integrate neuroscience, physiology, and environmental health into architectural and workplace strategy. Selected collaborations include the ARUP Warsaw Office (FRAME Awards 2023 – Best Small Office in the World), the SKANSKA Neurodiversity in the Office Report, Green Science Zone (Zielona Strefa Nauki), the SKYCITY project for Allcon, and a collaboration with OKNOPLAST in Poland and Italy. Her work in Poland in the early 2020s contributed to introducing structured, research-based applications of neuroscience into architectural practice.
The Venetian Letter (2020–2025)
Co-founder of The Venetian Letter, an independent editorial platform exploring the intersection of human sciences and architecture.
Through a selection of essays and interviews with international thought-leaders the publication examines how neuroscience and psychology inform spatial design and urban systems. The Venetian Letter contributes to expanding dialogue between human sciences and the design disciplines, foregrounding human experience as a foundational variable in spatial practice.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Natalia has contributed to academic and professional discourse across journals, edited volumes, and architectural platforms, including:
-
Journal of Science-Informed Design
-
Conscious Cities Anthology
-
Intertwining
-
Architektura & Biznes
-
Builder Polska
-
PULSE Journal.
TEACHING
Faculty Member
Neuroscience Applied to Architectural Design (NAAD), IUAV University of Venice
Guest Lecturer
Politecnico di Milano
Faculty Member (2026)
Moving Boundaries, Kyoto
SELECTED TALKS
2025
Cyprus International University
PULSE Festival, Ostrava
II Neuroarchitecture Meeting, Lisbon
2024
Bridging Medicine and Architecture: Journey of Connection, The Centre for Conscious Design
Łódź Design Festival – Archiblok
TEDx Prague
2023
Knowledge Chamber, European Parliament
Canadian Healthcare Infrastructure Conference
2022
Smart City Provocations, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Singapore
2020
Carlo Ratti Studio
2018
Biennale Architettura di Venezia – Presentation of NAAD Thesis