Our Work and Team

BHL is an Urban Health Think & Do Tank devoted to make neighborhoods healthier as strategy to build healthy cities. 

About Us

At Building Health Lab, we are dedicated to transforming cities into healthier, more sustainable places to live. Our people-first, evidence-based approach integrates nature-based solutions with a strong emphasis on community engagement. We tackle four main urban health challenges: walkability, urban heat, stormwater management, and biodiversity loss—all of which impact the quality of air, water, and soil in our cities.

What We Do

Our process is rooted in a transdisciplinary method, used at leading higher education institutions such as Chalmers University of Technology and the Technical University of Berlin. This approach brings together experts in public health, climate design, and active mobility to develop comprehensive solutions for urban environments.

Our Pilot Projects

We pilot our strategies in climate-diverse urban areas across Europe, allowing us to test, refine, and scale our solutions to other cities facing similar challenges.

Who We Work With

Our clients include municipalities, urban planners, architects, community organizations, and public health agencies that share our commitment to sustainable urban transformation. While we operate globally in countries such as Brazil and India, our primary focus is on urban settings in Europe.

What Sets Us Apart

Unlike traditional firms, we emphasize community engagement, ensuring that our solutions are shaped by the people they are meant to serve. Our evidence-based, interdisciplinary approach delivers health-centered, nature-based solutions that are both sustainable and bankable, setting us apart from competitors.

Our Commitment to Diversity

We’re proud to collaborate with universities in low- and middle-income countries, offering mentorships and internships that provide real market opportunities. This ensures a diverse, inclusive approach to urban transformation.

Alvaro Valera Sosa

BHL Director
Dipl. Arch | MSc Public Health
Research & Development

Sonia Medina

Project Manager
Active Mobility and Gender
Urban Management TU-Berlin

Silvan Händeler

User Experience
Visual Communication
Weissensee Kunsthochschule Berlin

Anna Au

Health Research & Media
MSc Urban Management TU-Berlin
BSc Public Health Fu Jen Catholic University

External Collaborators

Netra Naik

UrbanCare Climate Design
MSc Urban Environmental Planning
Research Fellow Humboldt Foundation

Anita Fuchs

Participatory Action Research
MA Scenic Art | Set Design
TU-Berlin | MFA Boston University

Carolina Schwedhelm

Health Research Advisory
MPH, MSc Epidemiology
German Institute of Human Nutrition

Juan Cequera

Prototyping & Visualization
MSc Arch. TU-Berlin 

Akarsh Chandran

Streetscape Design
Dipl. -Ing Arch
Urban Management TU-Berlin

Gregorio Pezzoli

UrbanCare GIS
M.Sc. Geography and Urban Planning
Research Fellow University of Bergamo

Andres Otero

Ing. Estructural y Sismorresistencia
Universidad Central de Venezuela
MSc Earthquake with Disaster Management
University College London

Agustín Andrade

Asesoria Jurídica y Comercial
Abogado
Derecho Integración Económica
Universidad de Salamanca