There could be a very simple reason.

As a designer we call the spaces you live in, work in and play in your ‘Environment’.

Neuroscience tells us that we all perceive our environment in different ways. It might just be that one of your environments is causing some form of threat to your brain.

When our brain is in threat we do 1 of 3 things. (Fight, flight or freeze) Fight – we get agitated, we get confrontational and resist. Flight – we want to leave that environment. Freeze – we do nothing, we freeze up and hope the threat will go away.

So what has this got to do with design?

Simply – we can control most of our environments with a little bit of work.

With all our clients we carry out an environmental audit of their current environment. How does it make them feel? How productive do they feel in that environment? How relaxed do they feel in that environment? What elements of that environment do they love? What elements of that environment do they hate? What associations do they have with ‘stuff’ in that environment or room? Are they positive or negative associations?

Now we have a great picture to move forward in designing a truly bespoke environment for our clients, rather than a building or space that they think they want due to traditional models of living, working & socialising.

Good design has now created an environment where:

Staff are more productive and a business can make more money.

Families enjoy being in their kitchen and hopefully make better choices when it comes to food and nutrition.

Social spaces feel better to be in and therefore attract more customers.

A bedroom feels more relaxed allowing the user to get a better night of sleep.

Ryan, HBK Architects