Physiological and psychological relaxing effects of visual stimulation with foliage plants in high school students

With lifestyles in modern society becoming increasingly stressful, there is growing interest in the physiological relaxing effects of the natural environment. Particular interest has been paid to the physiological effects of indoor plants, however, no studies have revealed the effects of such visual stimulation on minors. In this study 85 (41 male and 44 female; 16.5±0.9 years; mean±SD) students were exposed, or not as control, to a typical foliage plant, dracaena (Dracaenaderemensis; Lemon Lime), for 3 min. Physiological indices included heart rate variability (HRV) and pulse rate, using an accelerated plethysmography at the fingertip, were collected continuously during the experiments. The results indicated that the high-frequency component (HF), a general index of parasympathetic nervous activity, was significantly higher; the low-frequency component [LF/(LF+HF)], a general index of sympathetic nervous activity, was significantly lower; and the pulse rate was significantly lower. After exposure, or not, the subjects completed a questionnaire as psychological evaluation. A 13-point rating scale was used for following parameters: "comfortable-uncomfortable", "relaxed-awakening", and "natural-artificial". Results of the study showed that subjects felt more comfortable, relaxed and natural after visualizing the dracaena plants. Overall, the physiological and psychological relaxing effects of visual stimulation with foliage plants in high school students is confirmed

Physiological and psychological effects of olfactory stimulation with D-limonene

Although D-Limonene can be considered an important component of nature-based stimuli, the physiological effects of olfactory stimulation with D-Limonene have not been completely clarified by scientific studies. The physiological and psychological effects of olfactory stimulation with D-Limonene were studied measuring heart rate variability (HRV), heart rate, and subjective evaluation using a modified semantic differential method; thirteen Japanese female university students (mean age±SD, 21.5±1.0 years) participated in the study. A concentration of 60 μL of D-Limonene was used as olfactory stimulant and room air as control. Subjects were exposed for 90 s while sitting with eyes closed. During D-Limonene inhalation: (1) the high-frequency (HF) value of HRV, a marker of parasympathetic nervous activity that is enhanced in relaxing situations, was significantly higher; (2) the heart rate was significantly lower; and (3) subjects reported feeling significantly more comfortable during D-Limonene administration than control. The results obtained clearly indicate that olfactory stimulation with D-Limonene induced physiological and psychological relaxation, providing important scientific evidence of the health benefits of D-Limonene

Designing Building Skins with Biomaterials

This chapter presents several successful examples of biomaterial facade design. It discusses facade function from aesthetical, functional, and safety perspectives. Special focus is directed on novel concepts for adaptation and special functionalities of facades. Analysis of the structure morphologies and aesthetic impressions related to the bio-based building facades is supported with photographs collected by authors in various locations. Finally, particular adaptations and special functionalities of bio-based facades going beyond traditional building envelope concept are supported by selected case studies

Sick building syndrome: are we doing enough?

Health and well-being are vitally important aspects of people centric building design and are the roots of productivity. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a collection of factors that can negatively affect physical health in several ways. Besides physical health is also related to psychological well-being because the human body is one interactive biological system. This paper focuses on reviewing the current state of knowledge on building sickness syndrome which has been prevalent as a building illness since the 1970s especially in offices and schools. While the concepts of intelligent, smart and sustainable buildings have gained considerable attention during recent decades, there is now increasing attention being given to designing healthy buildings. This study provides a review about SBS symptoms. Several negative effects of SBS are identified and potential solutions are advocated. Finally, the study stresses the role of built environment and concludes that ongoing research towards tackling SBS and developing healthy indoor environments should not be limited to a single formula as any health-related building design approach is dependent on several interacting factors

Biophilic architecture: a review of the rationale and outcomes

Contemporary cities have high stress levels, mental health issues, high crime levels and ill health, while the built environment shows increasing problems with urban heat island effects and air and water pollution. Emerging from these concerns is a new set of design principles and practices where nature needs to play a bigger part called “biophilic architecture”. This design approach asserts that humans have an innate connection with nature that can assist to make buildings and cities more effective human abodes. This paper examines the evidence for this innate human psychological and physiological link to nature and then assesses the emerging research supporting the multiple social, environmental and economic benefits of biophilic architecture

Empirical investigation to explore potential gains from the amalgamation of Phase Changing Materials (PCMs) and wood shavings

The reduction of gained heat, heat peak shifting and the mitigation of air temperature fluctuations are some desirable properties that are sought after in any thermal insulation system. It cannot be overstated that these factors, in addition to others, govern the performance of such systems thus their effect on indoor ambient conditions. The effect of such systems extends also to Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) systems that are set up to operate optimally in certain conditions. Where literature shows that PCMs and natural materials such as wood-shavings can provide efficient passive insulation for buildings, it is evident that such approaches utilise methods that are of a degree of intricacy which requires specialist knowledge and complex techniques, such as micro-encapsulation for instance. With technical and economic aspects in mind, an amalgam of PCM and wood-shavings has been created for the purpose of being utilised as a feasible thermal insulation. The amalgamation was performed in the simplest of methods, through submerging the wood shavings in PCM. An experimental procedure was devised to test the thermal performance of the amalgam and compare this to the performance of the same un-amalgamated materials. Comparative analysis revealed that no significant thermal gains would be expected from such amalgamation. However, significant reduction in the total weight of the insulation system would be achieved that, in this case, shown to be up to 20.94%. Thus, further reducing possible strains on structural elements due to the application of insulation on buildings. This can be especially beneficial in vernacular architectural approaches where considerably large amounts and thicknesses of insulations are used. In addition, cost reduction could be attained as wood shavings are significantly cheaper compared to the cost of PCMs