Interesting and Green Views are Best – “Science News”
Recent research looking at which views people prefer has thrown up an interesting result. Batool, Rutherford, and McGraw, when investigating what people prefer to see out of their windows when they’re in urban areas...
Why Certain Shapes Make Us Buy More – “Science News”
Chen and colleagues link particular nonverbal messages to package shapes; it is likely that their findings are useful more generally. The researchers found that “a tall, slender package creates the perception of higher brand...
Why ADHD Children Need Green Space – “Science News”
Research by Thygesen and colleagues indicates that spending a little extra to provide greater access to green spaces for children may be money well spent. The Thygesen-lead team reports that when they reviewed data...
Leaving on a Jet Plane
As we start to be inoculated, worldwide, it does start to seem likely that someday soon we may again find ourselves on airplanes, actually travelling, maybe even for fun. Remember vacation? Airplane Design from...
Outsiding & Mingling
The weather is finally starting to recover from its winter slump. Leaves are beginning to unfurl on tree branches and flowers are pushing through the soil to soak up some of the increasingly warm...
Happy Memories
Don’t ignore your own positive prior garden or yard experiences. If your childhood garden featured brightly coloured furniture you loved, use the same style again in your current garden if you can, regardless of...
Water Features
Now, for the water element. If a river or stream or pond or lake or ocean borders your property, great. Make sure people in your yard or garden have an unobstructed view of it. ...
Get Ready for Mingling!
Not being able to be in the same place at the same time with friends and family during the pandemic has made us even more interested in doing just that. Humans are a social...
Importance of Greenery during COVID – Biophilic Design does it Again!
In another of our science-based research short reports we bring you this lovely study. Dzhambov and teammates probed links between the presence of indoor and outdoor greenery and the wellbeing of people during the...
Outdoor Plants
First, let’s talk about outdoor plants. The research consistently shows that mental refreshment and lower stress levels flow most smoothly and certainly from looking at green leafy plants. If you live in a desert,...
Art and Light
Art and other decorative elements can be great additions to gardens, particularly ones that have an organic curvy form, since they’re relaxing to look at, but what’s designed to be seen but missed visually...
Making Space for Meditating
Meditation is, for many, a spiritual activity, and for all a relaxing, calming one—but no matter why people have decided to meditate, studies indicate that it has positive repercussions for their minds and bodies....
Zoning Out!
Zone out! Create zones in your yard or garden, even if they’re tiny, so that users can, to the extent possible, develop their own sets of experiences, having options boost moods. Some areas should...
Curves & Hedges
Cushions that have curves The links we make between curving things and feeling comfortable is quite strong. Curving lines in art make it likely that piece will make a space feel more blissful and...
Design for Exercise – how to make the most out of your exercise
‘Tis the time for exercise. Nothing inspires a person to spring into action, body management-wise, faster than the prospect of leaving the house in a summer ensemble that’s snugger, in a debilitating sort of...
What to do with the TV?
In a space for mingling people should be able to make ready eye contact with each other. Eye contact opportunities are the reason that in so many living rooms and family rooms around the...
Scent your space for Mingling
Your home and office will smell like something as you mingle and you might as well use this smell for the good! It is important to get rid of any bad smells, the odor...
Add a bit of You to Your Space
Say who you are with some things that mean something to you.. but not too much! In a space where people will have a great time together, which is what mingling is all about,...
Why to Scent Subtly!
Humans “communicate” extensively via scents, according to research recently published by Hofer, Chen, and Schaller; these findings support subtle scentscaping. In another of our “in the news” articles, here is some really interesting information...
Value of Green Spaces
A paper published in the Journal of Happiness Studies confirms the value of regularly spending time outdoors (which indicates how important that we have ready access to outdoor areas near our homes, etc.): “Previous academic studies...
We hear what we think we’ll hear…
Do we expect to hear what we think we’ll hear? Our brain is a marvellous, wonderful and consistently interesting thing! Learning more about what makes it tick is one of the keys to understanding...
Temperature Matters!
When it’s cold we need more social warmth. Fay and Maner found that “Laboratory studies have linked variability in temperature to the psychology of social affiliation. In colder ambient environments, for example, people report...
Cute Rectangles
Yes, research indicates that some shapes are cuter than others; while this research at first might not appear to be very useful, it can be handy the next time you’re selecting a baby gift,...
Home Design and Lockdown Depression
The bottom line of this research is that we need larger spaces and look out onto greenery, awe also need natural lighting, better acoustics, art, greenery and privacy… Design-depression links have been identified using data...
Office Curves and Creativity
As you know, every month we share Short Reports from recently discussed academic journals which you might like to delve into or drop into conversations on your next zoom meet! We love curves here...
7 Ways to Boost Work performance at Home
You can use neuroscience to develop spaces where you work to your full potential and, more probably, achieve the goals you set yourself (including those New Year Resolutions you may have set a while...
Which Colours work best when working from home?
The first question that you probably have about spaces for work is what colour you should paint their walls. Science has answers to those questions. The colours that are best for surfaces, walls and...
Well Wood do you know? We all need Wood
Salvador, after completing a literature review, reports that “A literary review based study revealed wooden materials in interiors and objects to have a positive psychological influence in humans, with a pacifying and relaxing effect.” Salvador. 2019. “Human...
Clean Air for Boosting your Mind
Mullen and colleagues confirm how important it is to breathe clean air and their work supports efforts to make sure air inside buildings is filtered. The researchers report that “Fine particulate air pollution is harmful to...
Water Magic
Intentionally adding water to a space is a good idea, as long as that water stays where it belongs—rogue water from a broken pipe is a psychologically debilitating stressor. Looking at water that’s gently...
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