Monday, 22 July 2019 15:11

The science behind the sensory space

    Awareness of mental and physical wellbeing has never been greater, yet many of us still struggle to find the time, freedom and sanctuary we need to recover from the stresses of every life. Drawing on content from a new white paper, Sophie Weston, Channel Marketing Manager at Geberit, explores the role architects and designers have to play in sensory bathroom design.

    Faced with increasingly busy lives, nearly three quarters of us struggle to find time to relax according to Geberit research and almost three quarters of people in the UK have felt so stressed they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope in the last 12 months. It’s a damning snapshot of modern lives consumed by technology and an ‘always on’ mentality.

    As a result, good design is increasingly less about how spaces look and more about how they make us feel – seeking to improve both mental and physical wellbeing through a multi-sensory approach. And where better to help restore the natural balance of our sensory system than in the bathroom, so often a place of sanctuary and rest.

    Reimagining bathroom spaces

    Whether at home, in a hotel or at work, the washroom space offers a retreat from the pressures of modern life. In fact, Geberit’s research shows that in the quest for some respite, the most popular place of refuge was the bathroom.

    That is why the modern bathroom or washroom should not be designed as a purely functional zone, but as a relaxing space to unwind, combining clever product innovations and intelligent design with nature-inspired materials and textures which help to restore the natural balance of our senses.

    Key to this is biophilic design, an increasingly popular approach which covers everything from surfaces and design choices, to air quality, ventilation, acoustics and lighting, creating valuable opportunities to deliver sensory spaces.

    With this in mind, finding the formula for a well-considered bathroom or washroom space at home, at work or in hospitality could be the key to unlocking better lives.

    Bathroom solutions

    To do this, designers must first understand the four key senses of auditory (sound), visual (sight), kinaesthetic (touch) and olfactory (smell) and the impact they have on our wellbeing, before applying this understanding to specify the bathroom technologies and innovations that can help reduce the impact of each.

    Take auditory, for example. Architects have a role to play in minimising noise in any space and even behind the wall, particularly in office and hotel projects, by taking advantage of product developments such as acoustically optimised pipework with noise reducing properties and decoupled pre-walls. These innovative sound-proofing solutions help to mitigate the age-old issue of noise from flushing toilets, contributing to a better sensory experience for all.

    Preventing overstimulation of the visual sense can be achieved through orientation lighting, which helps preserve the sanctuary of sleep by eliminating the need to switch on additional lighting, or by innovative storage solutions, which support decluttering to instill a sense of calm in the bathroom.

    Manufacturers have also developed solutions to support designers in meeting kinaesthetic demands, such as clean lines and sleek corners, the use of natural materials and even touch-free flush plates, as well as olfactory solutions – most notably modern, efficient odour extraction technologies.

    A sector-specific approach

    These are just a small selection of the technologies and products available, of course. The key is in finding the solutions you need for the sectors in which you work, whilst still applying the same sensory considerations.

    Hotel bathrooms, for example, have very different requirements to office washrooms and likewise residential projects too. Sector-specific trends will impact design and delivery, as will the individual requirements of end users – hotel guests, for example, inevitably want undisturbed rest and recuperation, whilst washrooms in a prestigious office development must maintain brand perceptions and create a seamless continuation of quality from reception and meeting areas.

    However, whether you are designing a hotel room with spa-inspired bathroom, a washroom for a sustainable office development, or a luxury bathroom for a high-end residential property, designing for sensory wellbeing remains essential to the delivery of restorative and recuperative spaces.

    With a greater societal focus on physical and mental health and wellbeing to help combat the stresses of modern life, we have identified that good design in the bathroom or washroom space at home, at work or in hospitality could be the key to unlocking better lives. And it is critical for designers to be aware of this opportunity.

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