Aristizabal and colleagues continue their research into the repercussions of biophilic in-workplace experiences. For the project reported here, they again exposed study participants to an assortment of experiences. The space where data were collected “allowed individuals to perform their typical workday task for 10 weeks. . . . After a 2-week acclimation period, participants were exposed to three biophilic conditions (visual, auditory and multisensory) as well as the baseline setting.” In the visual condition, participants viewed “Indoor plants, projections of greenery, and artwork displaying nature scenes.” In the auditory one they heard “Sounds of gentle streams, crickets, and birds native to the Midwest region of the United States” where data were collected. In the multisensory project phase, study participants experienced the biophilic sights and sounds noted. In summary: “Participants felt more satisfied with their workplace conditions during the biophilic interventions compared to baseline conditions. Participants reported feeling more satisfied with the aesthetic appearance and visual privacy in the visual and multisensory conditions. Similarly, participants reported improvements in perceived productivity in the visual and multisensory conditions. . . . results suggest that immersive biophilic environments can improve aspects of cognitive performance, environmental satisfaction and reduces stress in an office environment.”
Sara Aristizabal, Bing Guo, Regina Vaicekonyte, and Carolina Campanella. 2021. “Nature and Stress Don’t Mix: Results form a Biophilic Office Design Study.” Association for Neuroscience for Architecture Conference, Poster presentation, September 17
Sally Augustin, PhD, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com). Research Design Connections reports on research conducted by social and physical scientists that designers can apply in practice. Insights derived from recent studies are integrated with classic, still relevant findings in concise, powerful articles. Topics covered range from the cognitive, emotional, and physiological implications of sensory and other physical experiences to the alignment of culture, personality, and design, among others. Information, in everyday language, is shared in a monthly subscription newsletter, an archive of thousands of published articles, and a free daily blog. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.