WIXLIB

www.bregroup.comWood and WellnessDr Ed Suttie, BRE, United Kingdom

BREEAMOver 561,000 buildings certified inmore than 70 countries.www.breeam.com

CHARACTERISTICS LINKED TO COMFORTTemperatureHumidityAcousticsLightVOC sColoursSurfacesLuukku House, Aalto University

– Social sustainability

Wellness1

Health & Wellbeing Mental Health – how we think, feeland cope with daily life Physical Health – absence ofdisease and optimal function ofbody Social Health – how we react toother individuals and groups andhow they react to us

Why now?– WHO forecast stress related illness primary cause of sickness by 2020– In 2015/16 stress accounted for 37% of all work related ill health cases and 45% of allworking days lost due to ill health.– WHO Common mental conditions such as depressive and anxiety disorders in the workingpopulation accounts in the European Region for costs of 140 billion pa.– Urbanisation in Europe 74% 2018 – up from 51% in 1950– Technology impacts 93% of UK adults have smart technology and over 30% admit tochecking smart phones in the middle of the night– 13% of households within the EU-28 in 2013 are composed of a single person aged 65 orover– We spend 90% of our time indoors - losing our connection to nature– Think of a place where you feel relaxed and inspired?

Activity

Image Courtesy of World Green Building CouncilHealth, Wellbeing & Productivity in Offices report

森林浴– Picture of forests and woodlands

The Biophilic Office project2

What defines a great indoor environment?

Biophilia– Biophilia hypothesis, idea that humans possess an innate tendency to seekconnections with nature and other forms of life.– The psychoanalyst Erich Fromm in The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness(1973)– Harvard Professor of Biology Edward O. Wilson in his work Biophilia (1984),proposedOur genetic connection to nature

Key constructs of Biophilic designContact with natureWater, trees, plants, lightNatural analoguesEvoking a sense of natureHuman spatial responseEnergising, relaxing, restorative

14 Patterns of Biophilic DesignDirect ConnectionIndirect – natural analogues1. Visual Connection with Nature8. Biomorphic forms & patterns2. Non-Visual Connection with Nature9. Material connection with nature3. Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli10. Complexity and order4. Thermal & Airflow Variability5. Presence of Water6. Dynamic & Diffuse Light7. Connection with Natural SystemsHuman Spatial response11. Prospect12. Refuge13. Mystery14. Peril

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Q-Free office, Trondheim– Noise reduction– Interest– Promote health and creativity

The workplace of the future?

The project Grow and deepen the evidence base for health, wellbeing and productivity impacts ofrestorative office refurbishment

The questions What practical interventions can office owners implement to improvehealth and wellbeing? Can these be quantified as part of the decision making process? Measures of better business outcomes - occupant productivity? Provision of practical guidance to engage refurbishment contractors, realestate owners and designers

The building– 1980s concrete framed office– Civil service cellular offices– ‘Standard’ refurbishment heating,lighting and ventilation strategyand controls

Materials and services inventory

IAQ monitoringContinuous monitoring using Tinytag loggerso Temperature and RHo CO2 levelPeriodic monitoringo Ventilation rate (ACH - using tracer gas)o VOC (total and individual compounds by ISO16000 & 16017 methods)

Assessment of daylight levelsComputer modelling of daylight: Daylight distribution across office space Annual profiles of daylight illuminance at eye level,working plane level and window levelDaylight monitoring: Outdoor level of daylight – roof-mounted light sensor plusinternally mounted power supply and data logger Indoor level of daylight

Assessment of acoustic environmentModelling of acoustic environment: Reverberation timeCharacterising acoustic environment Walk through surveyNoise monitoring: Decibels in office Background External

Biophilic office project: Occupant monitoringPsychology: Questionnaires, tools, cognitive tasks, interviewsPhysiology: Biomarkers, wearablesBusiness “productivity” measures

Proposed Plan Developed with NOVATION

Kellert Area – Integrated DesignCreating An Integrated Biophilic StrategyIn the Kellert area we are focusing on Biophilic design solutions which could beeasily adopted and integrated in the beginning of any refurbishment project.Example Features:Timber clad walls with integrated planting, a “quiet” zone with window seat forrecuperation and new flooring design which mimics patterns found in nature.

Wilson Area – Innovative DesignCreating An Innovative Biophilic StrategyThe Wilson area is being developed with a high level of Biophilic design interventionand innovation. This space is an opportunity to showcase new products, newsystems and innovative design ideas for the ideal workspace.Example Features:Living green walls, timber biomorphic screening, a complete sound scaping systemand water wall, intelligent furniture with integrated heating and cooling.

Project TeamProject Team

Dissemination partners

The biophilic office project– www.bregroup.com/biophilic– LinkedIn Group Biophilic Design: Realising our Need for Natureat Work– 6-7 June 2019 @BRE, Watford UK Wellness and BiophiliaSymposium - Using Nature-Inspired Design to Foster WorkplaceWellness

Wood3

The role of timber in healthy buildings

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Influences on building occupant health and wellbeingBuilding environmentWoodOccupantIndoor air qualityAcoustic qualityDaylight and lightingHygrothermal massThermal comfortHumidityViews of natureIndirect contact withnatureVisual varietyHaptic qualitiesColourAestheticDesign, layout andergonomicsChoiceEngagementComfortOccupancy level

Research1. Perceptions of wooden surfaces and ‘wood preference’2. Physiological and psychological benefits of wood3. Evidence in practice from around the world

Perceptions of wooden surfaces and‘wood preference’4

Hypothesis 1People have positive attitudes towards wood ininteriors. Wood is commonly perceived as natural,warm and healthy, and is often preferred over othermaterials.

Consumer perceptions of wood– Johnsson (2008) Between wood product study for solid wood, wood-based panels andcomposites. The solid wood samples were most liked by consumers - preferred corecategories were naturalness, smoothness and living impression.– Nyrud and Bringslimark (2010) noted that attributes that can influence aesthetic preferencecorrespond with some of the preferred physical properties of wood, namely complexity,coherence and naturalness.Nyrud, A. Q., & Bringslimark, T. (2010). Is interior wood use psychologically beneficial? A review of psychological responses toward wood. Wood and FiberScience, 42(2), 202–218.Jonsson, O., Lindberg, S., Roos, A., Hugosson, M. and Lindström, M., Consumer perceptions and preferences on solid wood, wood-based panels, andcomposites: a repertory grid study. Wood and Fiber Science 2008; 40(4): 663–678.

Planet Ark Wood Housing Health Humanity– Explores the use of wood in the interior of a building as having clearphysiological and psychological benefits that mimic the effect ofspending time outside in nature.– Feelings of natural warmth and comfort that wood elicits in peoplehave the effect of lowering blood pressure and heart rates, reducingstress and anxiety, increasing positive social interactions andimproving corporate image.– Important for environments in which it is difficult to incorporatenature indoors, such as hospitals where strict health and safetyguidelines may prevent the presence of plantsPlanet Ark, Wood housing health humanity report, 2015, at net Ark, Wood nature inspired design: an update of the Wood: housing, health, humanity report, 2016, ure-inspired-design-report-final.pdf.

Wood preferenceMaterialPerceptionCreates a naturallook and feelCreates a warmand cosyenvironmentVisually appealingFeels nice to touch EnvironmentallyfriendlyRelatively tic141824361471Results of the Planet Ark survey asking how participants perceive different material types (score out of 100)

Wood vs wood-look?– Usually wood is compared to carpets, glass, leather, stone or plastic, but is not compared toa visually similar material such as laminate.– Jiménez (2016) analysed and compared the psychological characteristics related to woodenand laminate materials in interiors . Their results show that wooden floors were evaluated assignificantly better than laminate floors regarding ‘atmosphere’ and ‘values’ and ‘function’.For the criterion ‘health’, a tendency to favour solid wood was found.Jiménez, P., Dunkl, A., Eibel, K., et al., Wood or laminate? Psychological research of customer expectations. Forests 2016; 7(11): 275.

Wood preference in hospital rooms– Nyrud et al. (2014) investigated preferences for wood inpatient rooms– Patients and clinical staff were asked to evaluatecomputer-manipulated images of rooms with differentamounts of wood on surfaces - a room that had no woodpresent, some wood present and a lot of wood present.– The room with some wood present was preferred, thenthe room without any wood and then the room with a lotof wood was liked least.– Suggests a limit to how much wood is preferred.Nyrud, A. Q., Bringslimark, T. and Bysheim, K., Benefits from wood interior in a hospital room: apreference study. Architectural Science Review 2014; 57(2): 125–131, ds/2014/12/Nyrud-et.al pdf.

Wood preference in homes– Rice (2006) demonstrated that the colours and texture of wood elicitfeelings of ‘warmth’, ‘comfort’ and ‘relaxation’ in people.– People’s responses to wood are, for the most part, extremelypositive, with subjects generally showing a strong preference forrooms containing many wood details.– Appears to be a strong belief that the use of wood can help createhealthful environments, and commonly evoked descriptors for woodrooms include ‘warm’, ‘comfortable’, ‘relaxing’, ‘natural’ and ‘inviting’.Rice, J., Kozak, R., Meitner, M. J. and Cohen, D. H., Appearance of wood products and psychological well-being. Woodand Fiber Science 2006; 38(4): 644–659.

Wood preference in living rooms– Sakuragawa (2006) quantified the impact of visual stimulationfrom interior wood finishes on the impression of room interiors,and user feelings– Four types of room interiors with interior wood finishes used indifferent proportions were simulated– In an evaluation of ‘living’, the photograph of a room interiorwithout wooden materials was evaluated as a place that testsubjects did not feel like living in.– The photograph showing wood materials used only as flooringwas evaluated as the place that test subjects most felt like livingin and considered most suitable as a living space. This points tothere being a balance of amount of wood products in interiors.Sakuragawa, S., Change in the impression of rooms with interior wood finishes arranged differently:questionnaire survey with the use of photographs for the analysis of impressions of rooms concerning livingactivities. Journal of Wood Science 2006; 52(4): 290–294.

Wood odour preference– Matsubara (2014) assessed subjective differences inwellbeing in a room equipped with walls of Japanese cedarwood compared to a control room with no wood.– The timber was screened from view and crenelated tomaximise VOC release– Responses of the panellists were significantly differentbetween the two conditions, with a preference for the woodwalled room.Matsubara, E. and Kawai, S., VOCs emitted from Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) interior wallsinduce physiological relaxation. Building and Environment 2014; 72: 125–130.