Residential Dwelling

Brossoit and colleagues studied the effects of the macro-environment on professional performance. They report that they “examine[d] associations among the built and natural environment at work and home, experiences of time spent outside (i.e., amount of time outside, enjoyment of time outside, outdoor activities), and motivational work outcomes (i.e., job engagement and creativity). . . .

Meagher and colleagues probed bonds people form to their homes.  They learned that among their study participants “home attachment was predicted positively by descriptions of the home’s restorative properties and negatively by . . . a lack of adequate space. . . .  restorative emotional experiences . . . and an adequate amount of physical space were all uniquely predictive of home attachment. . . . there appears to be a close relationship between the psychological experience of emotional restoration within the home and a feeling of attachment to it. . . .

Myers and Rollings investigated the consequences of living in a university dormitory in which bedrooms do not have windows (Munger Graduate Residences at the University of Michigan).  After collecting data from people living in Munger and at other locations, the researchers reported that Munger provides “residential units containing shared living spaces for six or seven residents who each receive their own private bedroom and bathroom. Of the building’s 631 bedrooms, 87% do not have windows. . . .

Latreille, Houle, and Coulombe’s work indicates that young people (age 14 to 20) need to have access to private spaces, their own territories.  The researchers interviewed people 14-20 living in public housing: “Many of the participants in our study mentioned the positive or negative influence . . . of having or not having their own room. Studies have shown how important a private room can be for young people in terms of residential satisfaction . . . their self-esteem . . .  their ability to cope with school stress . . . and achieving their personal goals. . . .

Rotmeier-Keuper and Wunde studied the transitions of older individuals into communal care settings (which the researchers call “elderscapes”).  They learned via interviews with elderly care consumers, and family and professional caregivers that “The transition to the elderscape often compels elderly consumers to strive to preserve their identities. . . . interviews uncovered a strong need among some participants not only to decorate but also to actively design and shape their living environments, mirroring aspects of their previous lives, such as home ownership. . . .

Bloom and colleagues continue their research into working offsite.  The team reports in their most recent journal article that they “ran a six-month randomized control trial investigating the effects of hybrid working from home on 1,612 employees [with university degrees] in a Chinese technology company in 2021–2022. We found that hybrid working improved job satisfaction and reduced quit rates by one-third. The reduction in quit rates was significant for non-managers, female employees and those with long commutes. . . .

Gollnhofer and associates set out to learn more about clutter.  They share that “Most relatively affluent consumers are fighting a losing battle with material disorder in their homes. No matter how hard they try to rein it in, material disorder always comes out on top. We argue that part of the continued obduracy of material disorder is because of its messy understanding. We clarify material disorder’s muddled conceptual boundaries by theorizing from an ethnographic investigation of consumers who recently dealt with material disorder through decluttering their homes.

Buczylowska lead a team that found a link between children living near greenspaces and ADHD among those children generated via the effects of that greenspace on how physically active those children were.  The researchers share that they “examined the association between lifelong exposure to greenspace and ADHD diagnosis and potential underlying mechanisms (i.e., perceived greenspace, PA [ physical activity], neighbourhood social cohesion, and neighbourhood safety) in children aged 10–13 with and without ADHD. . . .