Yes, There is a Link Between our Buildings and our Mood
It feels right that there is a link between the environment we are immediately surrounded by and our wellbeing. Sure, we all have different preferences, but it’s not a stretch to suggest that sitting in traffic, surrounded by cars and fumes might cause a rise in your stress levels. On the other hand, sitting by a stream in the shade on a warm sunny day might lift your spirits and lead to a zen-like state.
OK, so these examples are pretty cut and dry. But what about our workplaces, homes, schools and hospitals? There is a growing field of research that supports the theory that buildings have an impact on our levels of stress, wellbeing and even concentration.
What does the research say?
I’m the first to admit, traditionally architects don’t do a whole lot of research – the peer reviewed, control-group, in the lab kind of research. It’s expensive and most architecture practices don’t have the scale, reach or time to do in-depth, long term studies on the relationship between buildings and well-being. So we often rely on and true rules of thumb or ideas we’ve learned from other buildings. But there is a growing body of evidence that supports the link between buildings and well-being:
One of the first studies in this field found that patients took less to time to recover from gallbladder surgery if they had a view to green spaces outside
Nurse’s mood and communication was improved in environments that had natural light and views to the outside
Workplaces also have a growing amount of research. You can see how large companies would be interested in creating more productive, healthy and happy employees and customers
Research has shown that indoor plants have a beneficial effect on stress reduction and pain tolerance. One study showed that as the density of plants increased in an office space, productivity increased. Another showed that plants with red flowers lead to higher levels of concentration and fatigue (the more you concentrate, the quicker you fatigue)
Nature improves our mood – but so do re-creations of nature
You might notice that the examples above revolve around natural processes or views of nature. Even if you’re not an outdoor type its generally recognized that we feel more comfortable in environments where we have a controlled relationship to nature and the outside world.
What is interesting is that images of nature also has a beneficial impact, sometimes more than the real thing.
In the gallbladder example above, the views to nature were most beneficial when they looked out over green fields. Recovery times were longer when patients looked out over brown fields in autumn. A follow up study found that images of green spaces improved recovery time more than the real views of the brown fields, suggesting that the quality of the view was more important than the real thing.
The use of natural materials in building design is beneficial to mood and recovery time. There is limited research into this, but one study found a link between natural materials like timber and the perceived restorative quality of the space by patients.
OK great, but I’m not living in a hospital or workplace.
So how can I incorporate these principles into my home?
Most of the research focuses on hospitals and workplaces. This makes sense. Research ain’t cheap. Hospitals, health departments and large companies can fund this research. They have deeper pockets than homeowners and a larger incentive to ensure that they are spending their money in the right areas. Therefore, they can afford to fund this research. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t translate to our homes and apartments.
Leave enough space at the margins of your house for small courtyards and plants. Locate your windows strategically so that you get views of the gardens
Other studies have shown a link between natural light and mood. We can orientate and arrange our buildings so that they get lots of natural light, while being careful not to let too much heat in.
Look for opportunities to add natural materials into your home. Research shows some timber can help improve mood. Other natural materials may help, but there is limited research into this.
Finally
Is a little bit of timber or a few plants going to ensure your home is always a sanctuary of calm? You don't need me to tell you that that's pretty unlikely, but these are some relatively low cost, easy to implement ideas that build from the modest evidence we have on the link between our environments and our well-being.