INTRO (CONT) .
Thermal control, access to daylight, air ventilation and a reasonable noise level are things we consider basic requirements and we can feel uncomfortable
The “wow factor” can stimulate our senses and fill us with a sense of joy and wonder. The senses are unique to every person andmultisensory design can enable those with a sensory impairment to create a dialogue within a space. We need a place to be functional but we can sometimes forget to add beauty for the sake of adding beauty.
Research has shown that those who had spent time outdoors in nature felt the positive benefits up to seven hours later. Visibility of nature is hugely beneficial in our interiors. Homo sapiens lived in caves and we were highly connected to the outdoors. Our senses were directly responsive to the climate, daylight cycle and seasons. Likemany mammals we havemore energy in the summer, we stay up later and sleep less than in winter. In winter, there are not as many hours of sunlight, it is harder to get out of a warmcosy bed on a cold dark morning because of some deep instinct to hibernate. Our lifestyles todaymean we spend 90% of our time indoors, in buildings designed to shut out the natural elements. While it is essential to be sheltered from the harsh weather - elements of frost, rain and wind -
we also lose a vital restorative connection to health giving elements such as vitamin D from the sun and relaxation fromnature. Industrial sites and urban locations may not always offer a pretty view but nature can be brought directly into a building through plants, and indirectly through daylight, fresh air ventilation, natural finishes such as wood, and water features. Images of nature can be helpful but living nature has a stronger impact than substitutes. A study (Ellard 2015) found stress levels increased when participants walked past boring building facades. We are emotional creatures and love to embrace design that tantalises the senses. Tactile fabrics, decorative lighting, enticing smells, aesthetic colour schemes all interplay with our memory and create amultisensory experience.
if any one of these are not harmoniously balanced.
“Wehopethisbookcanbe your guidetocreating the wowfactor inyour interior..” Jemma Saunders, Crown Colour Specialist
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