Wood & wellness: a natural connection.
There is a deep connection between human beings and nature. In fact, our mental and physical wellbeing is inextricably linked to our exposure to the natural world. The spaces we inhabit have a dramatic impact on our psychological, physiological and neurological responses. So, how do we deliver positive change? We need to let nature into our lives.
Understanding wood & wellness
Global wellbeing movement
There is a global mega trend towards wellness. It’s not difficult to understand why. With one in four of us suffering from a mental health issue during our lives, architects, designers and specifiers need to find new ways to create environments that bolster our wellbeing. This is why the use of materials is coming under extreme scrutiny; and the specification of natural timber products is thought to be the answer.
Biophilia: Connecting with nature.
At Forest & Maker, we subscribe to the concept of Biophilic Design. Put simply biophilia is our innate biological connection with nature. Backed by a raft of scientific evidence, the idea of biophilic design is to create the best possible space for people to inhabit and work in. As most of us spend 90% of our time indoors, finding ways to connect with nature should be a priority for us all.
Human health & performance
Incorporating experiences of nature such as our solid timber furniture – into our built environment has incredible impacts on our health: it can lower blood pressure, reduce our stress hormones and even improve mental engagement and cognitive performance. For example, one research project shows that workplace productivity can be increased by 8% and rates of well-being increased by 13%.
