WOOD • WORKPLACE • WELLBEING

In a global Study conducted by the World Green Building Council, natural elements, particularly wood and light had impacts on happiness, creativity and productivity. Workers in the UK reported 15% increase in well-being and are 6% more productive with a reduction in abstention rates.

There is a growing awareness of the importance of connecting buildings with the natural world. With biophilic design and using natural elements like wood we can bring nature indoors and provide a healthier, happier environment for all (1)

Research has long shown that exposure to the natural environment positively impacts human health and well-being, both physical and psychological. Lower blood pressure and reduced levels of aggression are just some of the measured positive outcomes in humans. Increasingly, those same benefits are being attributed to wood visible in the built environment, such as timber systems and finishes. The link between wood and human health has been demonstrated clearly in studies in Japan, the US, Canada and are also emerging in Europe. A study conducted by the University of British Columbia refitted similar offices with different materials and measured health aspects of the occupants. It is found that as visual wood surfaces in a rooms increased, sympathetic nervous system activation was lowered, which is responsible for physiological stress responses.(2)

(1)(source https://makeitwood.org/healthandwellbeing/)

(2)Augistin, S and Fell, D., Wood as a restorative Material in Healthcare Environments, FPInnovations, University of British Columbia, 2014