In today's modern world there is a big emphasis on wellness in every industry and in design, this is no different. Different aspects of design can affect our health in numerous ways including its abilities to lower our stress levels. But, it goes far beyond what colors we put on the walls or the fabric used in bedding or the texture of a carpet. Here at Sensory Six, we are always on the lookout for new ways to emphasize wellness in our designs. In fact, our name comes from the strong belief that living spaces should be in harmony with all our senses and create a total sensory experience.
Aligning with our vision, Delos is the world’s first building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness. Pioneered by Delos, the WELL Building Standard (WELL) was created in 2012 and is a combination of the best practices in design and construction and uses it with evidence-based medical and scientific research to build an environment that supports human health, well-being and stress reduction. They set performance requirements on seven concepts that are relevant to occupational health- air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. In a WELL Certified Space, the environment can help improve nutrition, fitness, mood, sleep patterns and the performance of it's residents and occupants.
Delos didn't just want to tell people about the benefits of their WELL Building Standard but wanted a place that they should show everyone the scientific evidence of their research. As a result, they partnered with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to create a research space to demonstrate the benefits of the WELL Building Standard. In the Well Living Lab, the subjects are complete their daily tasks in a mock office and are fitted with sensors to test their reactions to multiple factors. A few factors tested are changes in natural and artificial lights, working while seated versus standing and working in spaces with and without noise-controlling sound baffles.
At Sensory Six, our goal is to create spaces that promote wellness in residential and commercial spaces. There are ways to obtain the goal based on the WELL Building Standard. It's been shown that when people live and work in environments that put an emphasis on wellness they are less likely to be stressed, sick and are overall happier. A few ways to make your living and working environments more stress free are to tailor each space to work best for the activities being completed in the space. This prevents roadblocks that keep us from accomplishing the tasks at hand. Incorporate sustainable measures, like indoor air quality and daylighting, have an immediate positive impact on the people in the space. When people have direct access to daylight or a view outside, it reduces blood pressure and chances for headaches and other health issues.
Another way to create an environment that has a positive impact on it's residents is to create environments which are physically legible. Stress is minimized when people understand how to use a space intuitively and by using materials, lighting and other design elements to help people make sense of a space and reduces stress. By building around social interaction, it allows people to participate and be exposed to the activity of others. Disengagement and lack of connection is one of the biggest issues today. When spaces are created to allow opportunities for interaction the relationship deepens between a person, the space and the other occupants of the space. Lastly, by incorporating natural elements such as courtyards, outdoor spaces and using natural materials it creates a naturally calming effect on both biological and neurological levels, reduces stress hormones and physical fatigue.
Are you interested in making your home or office a space that promote and a stress free environment? We would love to work with you to create a well living space that you not only love to spend time in but helps you relax and be productive. Call us today at 518.306.1099 to set up a time to discuss how we can bring wellness into your home or office!
Content:
https://www.littleonline.com/think/the-connection-between-space-and-wellness
Image:
http://delos.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/WELL-Building-Standard.png
