Any Designed Environment

Recently completed research indicates that experiencing higher levels of light at night may not be healthy for pregnant people.  Investigators report in a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal Fetal Medicine that “Pregnant adults who had greater light exposure three hours prior to sleep had a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes than those who had less exposure during this period. . . . Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. It can cause harm to both mother and baby.

Berto, Barbiero, and Salingaros studied human responses to biophilic building façades.  They report that “Built environments that integrate representations of the natural world into façades and interiors benefit occupant psycho-physiological well-being and behavior. However, the biophilic quality of buildings does not depend exclusively on ‘green’, but also upon ‘organized complexity’ in theirstructure. . . . Eight façades varying in their degree of biophilic design (High, Medium, Low, No biophilic qualities) were assessed. . .

Via a literature review McCormack, Paterson, Frehlich, and Lorenzetti add to the body of knowledge linking design to physical health.  They determined that “The built environment (BE) may enhance or reduce the effectiveness of PA [physical activity] interventions, especially interventions that encourage PA in neighbourhood settings.”   For example, “Increased distance to private gyms was associated with increases in self-reported total PA, while the density of private gyms in the neighbourhood was negatively associated with pedometer-determined steps among adults exposed to a PA interventio

Frigione and colleagues probed human responses to natural environments experienced virtually.  They report that their “study investigates the effects of natural and indoor virtual environments (VREs) on psychophysiological and cognitive responses. . . . participants were exposed to two VREs (i.e., a forest and a living room) . . . through a head-mounted display (Oculus Rift). . . . Participants reported a higher perceived sense of relaxation in the virtual forest. . . .

Natapov and colleagues studied how design can support emergency evacuations.  They report that “Effective indoor wayfinding in the event of an emergency is key to guaranteeing safe and timely evacuation. . . . Our findings show that wall transparency only impacts wayfinding when combined with visibility at route starting points, and that staircases and ramps are the most significant architectural landmarks in emergency wayfinding. . . . in cases of more complex evacuation scenarios with low visibility conditions, wayfinding [requires] a greater number of architectural features.”

Stamkou and colleagues investigate the effects of being awed on children. The Stamkou-lead team reports that during their study “children between 8 and 13 years old viewed movie clips that elicited awe, joy, or a neutral (control) response. Children who watched the awe-eliciting clip were more likely to spend their time on an effortful task (Study 1) and to donate their experimental earnings (Studies 1 and 2), all toward benefiting refugees.