Anyone who has felt oppressed by a gloomy office building or comforted by a cosy home already knows it to be true – the environment in which we live and work has a huge influence on our wellbeing. Thanks to recent research into wellbeing and the built environment, this is now scientifically proven.

For example, a landmark study by the University of Oregon demonstrated in 2011 that employees who work in offices with little natural light, and have no views of trees and shrubs from their desk, are significantly more likely to take sick leave. A study in Chronobiology International later linked working in environments without windows to depression and difficulty sleeping.

Beyond the workplace, high-rise residential complexes and lack of green spaces and recreational facilities have all been shown to have deleterious effects on wellbeing, leading to social isolation, anxiety and low mood. It is no surprise, then, that improving the quality of our environments is beginning to appeal as a way to contribute to people’s health and happiness.

Scientists are now investigating how the built environment can be designed to promote healthy and happy lifestyles. The Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Design at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, is providing new insights into how different elements of our environment – parks, bars and water – can not only help people stay active, socialise and keep in touch with nature, but also affect their stress levels.

Researchers at the Wellbeing in Sustainable Environments (WISE) centre of the University of Warwick, UK, have been investigating for more than a decade how architectural, interior and civic design influences our health and happiness. They say that combined kitchen-dining rooms, small front gardens with soft edges and winding streets incorporating local amenities are the keys to good family life, neighbourly interactions and community spirit. 

The research at WISE has led to some interesting findings, particularly around the importance of well-designed residential and public outdoor spaces in promoting the wellbeing and aging at home of older people, including those with dementia.

These findings have not gone unnoticed, as governments are interested to hear how cities’ environmental design can be applied in response to support an aging population. “There is a huge amount of interest from governments at the moment about how you design communities that work to make us happier and healthier later in life,” says David Sinclair, head of policy and research of the think tank International Longevity Centre UK.

For example, the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has invested £1.5m in a multi-university project, which aims to investigate how outdoor spaces, including private gardens, should be designed to maximise the wellbeing of older adults.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), meanwhile, has launched the Global Age-Friendly Cities initiative to encourage the development of urban environments that address the needs and abilities of older people, fostering independence, good health and a rich social life. The initiative follows data showing not only that the global population is ageing, but also that just as many older people live in cities as younger age groups.

This bodes well for newly built environments, especially those that are designed for elderly inhabitants. But the research also raises a more difficult question: if today’s urban environments are shown to impair citizens’ health and mental wellbeing, are city authorities obliged to make them more liveable?

Does the environment you live and work in help or hinder your wellbeing? Share your thoughts on the Future Realities LinkedIn group, sponsored by Dassault Systemes. 

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