Wood and Human Heath – Wood Really is Good

A recent study at the University of British Columbia and FP Innovations has established a link between exposure to natural wood surfaces and human health.

In the study, the presence of natural wood surfaces lowered sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation – which is responsible for stress responses in humans.

Four office environments were created to study the effects of natural materials in the built environment on autonomic nervous system responses. The effects of both plants and wood were studied on a sample of 119 university students.

More on the study can be found on the FP Innovations website.

The study supports a fact that has been long known - exposure to nature and natural materials is good for human health.

“The application of wood visual surfaces is one way to reduce stress and promote health in building occupants. If we are to benefit from the stress-reducing properties of nature we need to spend more time outdoors or find a way to bring nature indoors. This has been achieved in the past by introducing plants into the built indoor environments”

The connection of natural materials and healthier environments and the concept of “causing health” has been promoted by award winning architects such as Tye Farrow of Farrow Partnership Architects Inc.