What is it about wood that makes it, when entering a space where it is present, let's feel a sense of home, calm and well-being?
If you think about a mountain hotel, with wooden ceilings and floors; or in one cabin between trees; or even to walk through the forest: always that same feeling appears that is difficult to explain.
It's not just an impression. In recent decades, Science has begun to study how the presence of wood influences our physical and emotional well-being.
And the results help to understand why this material has such a special effect on the way we live and feel spaces..
In this article we are going to see:
What does scientific evidence tell us about the sensations generated by contact with wood??
Why is it good for us to integrate a natural material like wood at home??
How does wood make our home healthier??
Let's find out in this article: Wood in architecture: how well-being improves, reduces stress and creates healthier homes.
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Table of contents
Why wood relaxes us
Science has been investigating for years how wood influences our body and today we can talk about different and numerous studies that demonstrate the positive effects that this natural material has on our well-being.
Today we know that the presence of wood in interior spaces influences how our body responds.. Regardless of how pleasant it may seem to us, there is something else, which has to do with how our body reacts when surrounded by natural materials.
One of the investigations that opened this line of study was David Fell's doctoral thesis, from the University of British Columbia (Canada), titled Wood in the Human Environment: Restorative Properties of Wood in the Built Indoor Environment.
This study is focused on the use of visible wood in work spaces, and provides us with conclusions that we can transfer, For example, to our work or study space at home. Among them, It was observed that those who stayed in spaces with wooden surfaces:
- – They presented a less activation of the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for activating our body in situations of alert or stress
- – They recorded a faster recovery after facing stressful tasks.
That is to say, It was not just a subjective sensation of “be more comfortable”, but a response that could be measured in the body itself.
Another recent study, called Psychophysiological responses to the use of wood in interior spaces, meeting Fifty investigations carried out in the last twenty years, to extract the key points from the scientific evidence about wood when it is part of the spaces we inhabit:
- – Promotes states of relaxation
- – Reduces the physiological response to stress
- – Generates more emotions positive
Maybe, that's why, many describe a wood-paneled library, a mountain house or a shelter among trees as places where they feel they can relax.
Because there is something in our body that is happening when we come into contact with wood., and relaxes us.
How wood makes us feel better through the senses
As with all the materials that are part of our house, We experience wood through the senses. we breathe it, we touch it, we see it... and all this generates feelings of well-being in us.
What happens to us when we see Wood
Wood is one of the most used materials in biophilic design, a topic that we explain in this article and which is summarized in that Human beings retain an innate affinity towards nature because for thousands of years we have evolved in contact with it..
The explanation is simple: For thousands of years we evolved surrounded by trees, vegetation, land and water.
Consequently, our brain learned to recognize those environments as safe places to live.
and today, although we spend most of our time in buildings, We continue to respond positively when we encounter natural elements in our environment.
As if we were returning to what was our home for millennia, nature, inside our homes today.
What we feel when we touch wood
Have you ever wondered why it's so nice knock on wood? It's more than a matter of taste, and let's see why.
In Japan, For centuries the idea has been rooted that contact with wood transmits calm and improves well-being.. And a few years ago, A group of researchers set out to verify whether this perception had a physiological explanation..
The result is the study Psychological Effects of Knocking on Wood, published in the United States National Library of Medicine (National Library of Medicine).
To carry out the investigation, compared the body's response when touching wooden surfaces with that produced when touching materials such as aluminum, plastic or steel.
While the latter caused greater activation of the body and changes associated with stress, contact with wood maintained a much more stable response.
The results showed that Touching wood promoted greater activity of the parasympathetic nervous system —related to relaxation and recovery of the body— and less brain activation associated with stress.
In other words, The body interprets contact with wood as a more comfortable and relaxing experience than contact with many synthetic or metallic materials., which helps explain why this material makes us feel so good in the spaces we inhabit.
Besides, a slight texture or roughness is usually perceived positively because it conveys authenticity. Against completely smooth or artificial surfaces, the wood retains small variations that they remind us of nature.
Why we love the smell of wood
The smell of wood connects us with nature and, if we pay attention, we can see that each species -cedar, pino, oak…- has its own scent.
And our sense of smell responds to the compounds emitted by wood., forest characteristics, that have a real effect on the nervous system, promotes relaxation and calm.
Various studies have observed that inhalation of natural wood compounds can reduce heart rate and blood pressure, improve mood and increase positive emotions.
For example, una investigación realizada con cedro japonés encontró incluso una disminución de la actividad del sistema nervioso simpático, favoreciendo una respuesta más relajada ante situaciones de estrés.
More properties of wood that make your house healthy
In addition to its influence on our sensations, Wood provides other properties that contribute to creating more comfortable and healthy spaces..
One of them is its ability to help regulate environmental humidity.
Wood absorbs some of the excess moisture when the environment is stuffy and releases it when the air becomes drier.. It is not a substitute for good ventilation, but it does contribute to maintaining a more stable and comfortable indoor environment.
It also offers a good acoustic performance.
Depending on how it is used, can absorb and diffuse part of the sound, reducing reverberation and creating quieter spaces.
Yes indeed, It is worth remembering that when choosing wood for our healthy house, There are two key factors to take into account:
1 – The origin: Choosing wood from responsibly managed forests and treated only with healthy finishes is decisive for it to be a truly healthy material..
2 – The treatment, always choosing untreated wood or wood treated with natural waxes or oils. This is very important because the usual, unfortunately, is to apply synthetic polyurethane varnishes on the wood, that seal the pore completely and cause the properties of the material to be lost.
Learn to choose wisely when building/renovating your healthy home.
The important thing is to learn to decide. That's why, In our Casa Sana program you will not only learn about materials, natural solutions and finishes, besides, you will gain the knowledge to decide with judgment and confidence.
You will be clear about what you want to create or transform your home or project into a healthier space., natural and toxic free.
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