From Workflows to Well-Being with Designed Spaces

In an attempt to chase an ideal lifestyle, the daily routine vlogs have grown in popularity in the past couple of years. “At present, the TikTok hashtag #nightroutine has 9.3 billion views; #morningroutine has 27.3 billion.” (Serena Smith, 2023). It is also important to realise that a major part of these aesthetic routine videos is the thoughtfully designed spaces around them, which elevates the whole experience. In our day-to-day life, architecture has a direct impact; from workspaces to fine dining experiences to a workout space. Architecture has always been known to affect in people’s productivity and mental health. There are various design elements through which a space can be used for a specific purpose without giving a name to the space. Let us understand how designed spaces impact our daily lives through some examples.

Coming Together Spaces vs Private Spaces

Any building is designed by constantly keeping the requirements of the users in mind. Therefore, architecture has a major influence on the daily lives of the users. A Space can be divided into two different functions without having to build a physical barrier (like a wall) between them. At the same time, a separated space is connected by adding just one simple element.

Hierarchy of Spaces

The Belapur housing in Navi Mumbai by Architect Charles Correa depicts the hierarchy of designed spaces quite well. The architect proposed that cities should be built using a spatial hierarchy that extends from the private realm of each individual’s home through the “doorstep,” the communal court, and the larger public space—the community’s public promenade—based on his observations of traditional Indian settlements. This syntax is directly interpreted in Belapur’s geometry. Dwellings are connected by a courtyard, which leads to more expansive public areas, which act as coming together spaces and/or marketplaces for small businesses. 

On the other hand, with privacy PODs, students can concentrate fully on their work in a dedicated, partially covered area. The goal of university libraries has always been to give students a peaceful place to study. The requirement for a barrier between the student and outside distractions is even greater in today’s busy settings with more distractions. Studying in a private booth isolates the learner from outside distractions.

Natural Lighting and Ventilation 

The Institute of Indology, in Ahmedabad, India designed by Architect B.V. Doshi has brilliantly used Natural lighting. This institute stores the ancient manuscripts and hence had certain light and temperature requirements. In the following sectional view of the building, it can be seen that the windows were tilted in the south façade to restrict the direct light entering the building, yet still reflecting enough light in the building. The building uses, ‘Brise soleil’, which is an architectural element that reduces heat gain by reflecting sunlight. The manuscripts are preserved in the basement level of the building which is half underground to keep the place naturally cool. 

It is generally understood that ventilation is good for health, but it is also good for the building. Public spaces are designed keeping proper ventilation in mind. But some countries also have laws to maintain private spaces in order. In German, there is a specific word for it known as ‘Stoßlüften’ which translates to ‘shock ventilation’ and refers to opening windows and doors to allow a surge of air to enter. In Germany, there is a law for maintaining proper ventilation which requires the tenants to open all of the windows for a brief period. According to conventional recommendations, you should do it twice a day for 30 minutes in the summer, then ten to fifteen minutes in the spring and fall, and only five minutes in the winter. This is done to protect from developing mould. 

Ergonomic Design

“The ergonomic design discipline focuses on designing products and environments that are comfortable, efficient, and safe for humans. It is a multidisciplinary field drawing on knowledge from engineering, psychology, and physiology, to improve the interaction between humans and their environment.” It is an example of the unseen influence of a good design on a person’s productivity boost and physical health. To lower workplace injuries, boost productivity, and raise employee happiness, ergonomic design is crucial across all industries. Ergonomics-focused settings and products are safer and easier for people to operate, which lowers the chance of accidents and boosts output. Designed spaces and products that are safe, comfortable, and easy to use is a goal of ergonomic design, which can be accomplished by taking into account elements like:

– People’s mental and physical capacities
– The arrangement and style of work areas
– The nature of the work being done

Work From Home 

When the COVID pandemic hit in Early 2020, and people were restricted to their homes and required to work from home, there came an immediate and massive requirement to have a designated workspace in the house. Numerous studies were conducted, and articles following those studies, like the article ‘What happens when you work from bed for a year’ by Bryan Lufkin in 2021, concluded that people who were working from their bed for the reason of comfort, soon felt unmotivated to work, and an increase in their procrastination. It happens because of muscle memory, where your mind has associated bed with resting, hence, cannot concentrate on work. It affects both their mental and physical health. Therefore, it became crucial to design spaces required for the specific function. The ergonomic design comes into the picture here once again, which helps in designing better spaces for people.

These were a few examples that made us realise the importance and Architecture’s influence on Daily routines. Designs are forever evolving as the requirements change from time to time, as material changes from different seasons through different climates in the world.

Citations:

1. Ventilation and mould prevention (no date) Hamburg.com. Available at: https://www.hamburg.com/residents/housing/ventilation-18918.  
2. Privacy pod (2024) Agati Furniture. Available at: https://www.agati.com/privacy-pod/.  
3. Hidden Architecture (2023) Belapur housing , Hidden Architecture. Available at: https://hiddenarchitecture.net/belapur-housing/.  
4. Dazed (2023) Why are we all still so obsessed with routine videos?, Dazed. Available at: https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/61579/1/routine-videos-tiktok-trend-psychology-gen-z-millenials.  
5. Lufkin, B. (2022) What happens when you work from bed for a year, BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210217-is-it-bad-to-you-work-from-your-bed-for-a-year.  
6. What is ergonomic design? (2023) Kesseböhmer Ergonomics. Available at: https://kessebohmerergonomics.com/what-is-ergonomic-design/#:~:text=2.1%20Definition,between%20humans%20and%20their%20environment. 

Images:

1. Belapur Housing. [Photograph]. (https://hiddenarchitecture.net/belapur-housing/ )
2. Privacy Pod, Florida Gulf coast University. [Photograph]. (https://www.agati.com/installation-gallery/florida-gulf-coast-university/ )
3. Pujara, P. (2018). Section of Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad. [Photograph]. (CEPT University)
4. Imago / Imagebroker. Ventilation. [Photograph]. (https://www.hamburg.com/residents/housing/ventilation-18918 )
5. Ergonomic design. [Photograph]. https://kessebohmerergonomics.com/what-is-ergonomic-design/#:~:text=2.1%20Definition,between%20humans%20and%20their%20environment. )
6. Work from Home. [Photograph]. (https://kessebohmerergonomics.com/what-is-ergonomic-design/#:~:text=2.1%20Definition,between%20humans%20and%20their%20environment. )