Design nerds take note!
Recently,we’ve gotten access via photographs to two interesting spaces: the chambers of the US Supreme Court (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/06/27/us/supreme-court-chamber-photos.html) and the room that British royals are in just before they step onto the famous balcony, the...
Utopias, Monsters and Paradise….
Weller highlights places iconic to our era and text on the amazon.com page for his book describes its contents well: “The book takes the reader on an intellectual adventure through a carefully curated selection...
More benefits of Biophilic Design
Szewranski, Mrowczynska, and van Hoof’s work verifies the value of biophilic design. They share that “the concept of biophilia has made its way into the built environment, for instance, through the introduction of natural...
Scenes seen and Tastes Tasted!
Wu, Li, and Spence confirm that what people are looking at and what they taste are related: “Compared to the urban condition, perceived aroma, freshness, fruitiness and pleasantness [of samples of orange juice] were...
Being good to the earth and happiness
Prinzing’s work indicates that “green” behaviours and positive moods are related. He describes a study he recently completed: “A 10-day experience-sampling study (7,161 observations from 181 adults in 14 countries, primarily the United States)...
Refreshing with Natural light
Madan and teammates learned via studying previously published literature that there is “a promising level of evidence supporting the restorative [mentally refreshing] effects of daylight. . . . Results showed more beneficial effects for...
Extraordinary nature is Powerful
Hao, Zhang, Hou, Lau, and Lau share that “extraordinary, awesome landscapes, such as the mesmerizing Arctic and mysterious underwater scene, particularly contribute to enhancing emotional well-being. . . . volunteers experienced three ordinary natural...
Singing in the Rain…. Negative ions are good for us!
There’s more and more research indicating that negative ions in the air influence what happens inside our heads. Derek Brockway (2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c51157ep524o) in “How Rain Can Make You Happier and Healthier,” reports, for example,...
If you need more evidence that Gardening is good for you…..
In a recent article for The New York Times, Dana Smith (2024, “Why Gardening Is So Good for You,” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/23/well/live/gardening-health-benefits.html) discusses the benefits of gardening. They include getting people moving and outdoors as well....
Why Garden when you’re older?
A research team lead by Corley share that “Gardening in later life was associated with greater gain in cognitive change from age 11 to 79. . . . Higher gardening frequency was associated with...
The Bigger the Window…
Gomez-Sirvent and teammates’ conducted an intriguing study: “a virtual replica of a real conservatoire classroom was used to investigate the effect of window size and views through windows on the perception of the built...
The Biophilic Effect
Via a literature review Vitale and Bonaiuto found that accessing nature, through spending time in nature, looking at images of nature, or something else has positive repercussions: “nature exposure appears to have a positive...
A shout out for Nature!
Amy Thomas, in “Why ‘Biophilia’ Needs to be Part of Your Next Holiday” (2024, BBC Online,https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240502-why-biophilia-needs-to-be-part-of-your-next-holiday) encourages people to improve their mental health by spending time outside—something that we talk about a lot here...
Light artistry
Light has special effects on how we think and behave—ponder for example time you’ve spent beside fireplaces or in sun-filled conservatories—while also sending symbolic messages. Recently, at museum shows, artists have been putting light...
Bringing Plants inside – the benefits to help us live well.
Plants indoors and views of nature scenes outdoors are important tenets of biophilic design, as discussed in this article. A recent article on the BBC Online highlights recent design work that maximizes indoor and...
We eat healthier when we see nature… another “Biophilic” effect!
Via 5 experiments Langlois and Chandon learned that “individuals exposed to the natural environment choose healthier foods when compared to those exposed to urban environments or a control condition. Nature’s effects are observed for...
Nature connection and schooling… Biophilic Design and improved cognitive performance!
You and colleagues report, after a virtual reality-based study, that “the addition of biophilic elements in the Metaverse could benefit [young adult] students’ health due to significantly decreased perceived stress levels and increased connections...
Nature is Good for our HEALTH – it could save £108.7million!
Grellier and teammates report that “Physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of several non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Natural environments support recreational PA. . . . Population-representative data from the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural...
Kids, Trees and ADHD
Buczylowska and team share that they “examined the association between lifelong exposure to greenspace and ADHD diagnosis and potential underlying mechanisms (i.e., perceived greenspace, PA [ physical activity], neighbourhood social cohesion, and neighbourhood safety)...
Can Nature Heal Inflammation?
Ong, Cintron, and Fuligni link pleasant time spent in nature to lower inflammation levels: “Leveraging survey and biomarker data from 1,244 adults (mean age = 54.50 years, range = 34–84 years) from the Midlife...
Can Labyrinths ease Anxiety?
Labyrinths seem to be having something of a moment, as they do from time to time. A recent article on bbc.com—“Labyrinth Walking: An Ancient Activity That Could Help Ease Anxiety,” by Norman Miller (https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240508-labyrinth-walking-an-ancient-activity-that-could-help-ease-anxiety)...
Considering where to work
Many of us now have more choice where we work, at home at the office or anywhere else, at least some days. Neuroscience research makes it clear when some spaces can work out better...
We need Privacy….
Any human older than a toddler needs to be able to have privacy when they choose—privacy is not an option for our mental wellbeing. When we have privacy, we have control over who can...
Airports – Spaces the NEED Science
The airports on our planet need environmental psychology. A lot. They’re packed with people who are stressed, for any number of reasons—some are concerned about making connections, for example, and others are nervous about...
BBC celebrates Value of Building with Nature
Here at The Space Doctors we spend a lot of time singing the praises of views of nature and indoor plants. In a new article on bbc.com, excepts from Carolo Ratti’s introduction to The...
What is the value of Greenspace to children’s development?
Using data collected from over 4 US states, Towe-Goodman and many colleagues link between living near green spaces (for instance, forests, parks, residential yards) and mental health. They report that “greater residential green space...
Speed at perceiving visual signals
In terms of speed of response to what we see, some of us have a clear advantage—which may explain why you’ve never excelled at sports. Haarlem and teammates determined that “some people have an...
Choosing a New Place… The LONG READ
Relocating, changing where you live can be a jarring experience. There are all sorts of practical things that you need to figure out when you move – like the fastest route to the market...
Managing your new garden…
If your new home has a garden, you may be wondering what you should plant. The Space Doctors talked about designing gardens where you can relax and have great times in this article. and...
Building in Privacy
If you were at all happy in your old home you had privacy when you wanted it. To be happy in your new home your need to make sure that you do. Privacy is...
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