Sense of Place

What exactly is it about ‘nature’ that improves our ‘wellbeing’? What do these two terms actually mean to people? In wellbeing literature, the value of nature is often understood in terms of ‘green spaces’ or attractive landscapes. In hospitals, nature is often introduced through pictures of landscapes or artificial plants. Such frameworks implicitly assume that the value of nature for wellbeing is inextricably linked to the ability to see it, and they often treat ‘nature’ as homogeneous. What if we remove the visual, and focus on the smells, tastes or sounds of nature? What if we immerse people in unfamiliar or ‘wild’ natural sensescapes? Does everybody associate the same sensory aspects of nature with wellbeing, or are the relationships more diverse and complex? We will use emerging immersive 360-degree sound and smell technologies to explore some of these questions to positively impact hospital design.

To find out more visit: naturesenseswellbeing.wordpress.com/about/

Stephanie Singer

Eileih Muir

Marah Stafford

Ronald Ligtenberg