Learn how to make a really comfortable environment

A comfortable environment is essential for people’s physical and emotional well-being. Whether at home, at work or elsewhere, feeling comfortable in the space you are in is essential for quality of life. But what makes an environment considered comfortable? Is it just a matter of aesthetics and decoration, or are there other factors that influence this perception? When this same environment is seen from the concepts of neuroarchitecturethe proposal goes far beyond the comfort provided only by its aesthetic elements.

Cozy and pleasant space

The climate adopted, the desired acoustic condition and the lighting most suitable for the environment are elements that also make up the list of factors considered essential to offer users a “qualified and positive experience”, as explained by architect and urban planner Lorí Crízel, president of ANFA (Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture) in Brazil and author of the country’s first book on neuroscience applied to architecture, design and lighting.

“When we talk about environmental comfort, for example, we are talking, in technical terms, about thermal, acoustic and light comfort. These are the pillars of comfort environmental. However, when we seek an experiential level of space, the same elements must be seen not only as part of a technical scope, but humanized, where geography, culture, identity and appropriation, among other aspects, must be considered”, highlights the specialist. .

Comfort is not the same for everyone

Lorí Crízel points out that neuroscience tools do not follow a standard recipe and, to be applied in architecture, they need to prioritize the profile of their users and the characteristics of the places, which will guide the choices to be made in each project in a personalized way. “A comfort index technically regarded as acceptable in a given region may not be perceived as such in another”, she says.

The universe of neuroarchitecture is structured around different human conditions of perception, appropriation, identity, culture and even symbolism and meaning. Clearly, the condition of environmental comfort is one of them.

If we follow the line of reasoning that the feeling of comfort is also an individualized element, per person or group of people in a given activity, and that this element is one of the configurators of a given experience, it can be considered that “the temperature An environment considered normatively ideal would be between 20ºC and 23ºC, but is it ideal for whom, where and under what circumstances?”, he asks.

Other factors to define the acoustic condition

The architect and urban planner also points out that several factors have to be taken into account in order to define the acoustic condition of a building. certain space. “I can consider an NBR (Brazilian Standard) that measures comfort in decibels. But, if you go to a club and, consequently, want to listen to loud music, the technical condition falls apart when you privilege the condition of the experience”, he points out.

In this case, it is necessary to take into account the set of perceptions and responses of people in that environment. “It is clear that there are technical norms foreseeing certain uses, mainly in relation to the operation of these places, but, here, as preservation of the surroundings, since the users of the place itself want another sound perception. Bearing this example in mind, it is clear that the ideal is to work with the issue of user experience”, says the expert.

Environments and behavioral response

Lorí Crízel explains that the elements of this technical area of ​​neuroarchitecture in the projects seek to generate a behavioral response in the behavior of users: “The simple act of listening to a song can become a behavior configurator. This is not necessarily connected with the intensity (higher or lower sound), but with what I am translating as the meaning of the sound I am hearing and the way in which I connect with it, what it represents for me, to which he refers me”, he says.

Influence of lighting

Behavioral reflexes and feelings of comfort in environments will also vary according to the type of lighting chosen, points out the expert. Lorí Crízel explains that lighting, depending on its color temperature, intensity and the way it is designed, can provoke different stimuli, which, in some cases, can even be harmful to the type of activity carried out in a space.

“We organize the lighting project in countless ways so that this type of situation does not occur, so that you do not have the inappropriate physiological activation for a certain time or for a certain function. An example that I can cite is that of people who have difficulty sleeping and before going to bed they watch TV or use their cell phones”, he exemplifies.

According to him, this type of lighting alters the natural sleep cycle. “Both the TV screen and the telephone screen emit a light with a large portion of the blue spectrum, which induces our body to release hormones that trigger attentional states and/or keep us awake, and, thus, these people take longer to wake up. state of drowsiness”, he explains.

By Rafael Franco