OVERVIEW
Have you brought flowers to someone in the hospital? It turns out that this age-old practice is on sound scientific footing: many peer-reviewed studies show that natural beauty helps people heal faster.
When scientific findings are applied in the design of an interior space or building, it’s known as “evidence-based design.” EBD originated in the healthcare industry, where a number of strategies like these can be systematically applied to encourage good patient outcomes:
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views of nature and natural imagery
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natural daylight
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control of comfort, lighting, and acoustics
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access to the outdoors
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wayfinding cues
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distractions and entertainment
EBD is applicable in any building type where specific outcomes can be studied and measured. Here you’ll find guidance not only on what works but also on why it works.
IN-DEPTH
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Green Design: What’s Love Got to Do with It?
December 2, 2013Feature Article
Beauty, place-making, and even love are motivating many green designers, who see these values complementing core sustainability tenets.
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Health and Wellness Rating System Comparison
March 8, 2017Infographic
How LEED, the Living Building Challenge, WELL, and Fitwel compare on key measures of wellness in buildings.
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Neuroarchitecture: Thinking with Our Buildings
March 8, 2017Primer
Can the fields of cognitive science and neuroscience improve the built environment? Those studying neuroarchitecture think so.
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Sitting Is the New Smoking: Fad or Fact?
January 4, 2017Primer
Active design is looking less like a luxury and more like a public health imperative.
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We Spend 90% of Our Time Indoors. Says Who?
December 15, 2016Blog Post
Where the oft-quoted statistic comes from, and what the underlying study says about health in buildings
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Verifying Project Outcomes: Which Metrics Work?
September 7, 2016Feature Short
Project success is increasingly tied to performance metrics, especially EUI. But that doesn’t always capture what owners are really looking for.
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Health and Wellness Guidelines Coming from ASID
November 2, 2014News Analysis
With demand for healthy buildings on the rise, interior designers are developing protocols to put principles into practice.
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Children's Hospital Named First LEED-HC Platinum Building
September 3, 2013News Brief
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Daylighting Correlates with More Sleep in New Study
July 28, 2013News Brief
Employees with windows in their offices had healthier lifestyles and got more rest at night, researchers say.
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Better Hospital Design May Reduce Violence
March 1, 2013News Brief
