Dave Alan Kopec, professor at the New School of Architecture and Design in San Diego recently defined space phycology as “the study of human relations and behaviours within the context of the built and natural environments”.
It’s these basic environments and the ingredients that make them up that have a notable effect on mental wellbeing, and in turn make a property more or less desirable to live in. To highlight the issue further, consider that the human circadian rhythm (the way our internal body clock orientates itself) is built around the basic ingredients of light and temperature.
With generous amounts of natural light, and careful thought given to things like colour schemes (that can actually alter our perception of physical temperature) what materials we choose our furniture to be made from, and basic insulation, you’ve built the foundation for a property that aids alertness, energy and mental wellbeing. Get this right and your property can and will sell itself.
Irving Weiner, an environmental psychology professor at Massasoit Community College in Middleborough, states that “some of these environmental influences we cannot see or touch, yet they have a direct influence on our behaviour or mood.” Simply put, whilst a tenant may not be able to easily identify the design choices we’ve implemented, they will influence their mental state and their decision making abilities even if it’s on a near subconscious level.
As a good example for this take a look at some of our most popular properties, one of which is a penthouse suit. Note how the profile of the architecture, the dashes of natural colour and the generous amounts of natural light promotes a feeling of freedom and serenity.
Mental wellbeing is very much a part of our modern ‘awakening’ as a progressive society. We now inhabit a world beset by a devastating pandemic, a 24 hour news cycle and an almost infinite offering of selfies and memes, pumped through the pipes of our social media. It’s no wonder that large segments of the nations industry are starting to adapt a more natural and honest approach to the design and layout of their working spaces.
In the field of child care, a typical nursery will now utilise natural materials and finishes when creating play and work spaces, interactive toys and ‘adventure zones’ for their children. Gone are the bright colours and synthetic toys.Why? Because our basic evolution orientates us around interaction with nature. It’s hardwired in to our DNA, and it’s something you can take inspiration from when selling a property.
Remember, the tactile will always engage the senses more than the synthetic. The click and clunk will always trump the swipe and tap, especially in a world where technology removes any real need for physical interaction. When engaging a new tenant consider patterned surfaces and natural materials (like a herringbone or natural granite ) and one of our most popular selling assets…original features!
All are painstakingly used to create a feeling of a real and natural environment. One of our most popular apartments comes with a canal side view, complete with large natural areas, trees and a local through fare. It remains one of our premium locations because people love being near nature and will always be prepared to pay extra for it. Take a look for yourself below with some of our newsiest properties. Then we come to colour. Any interior space will feel more compact or empty depending on the ‘temperature’ of the colour you choose. Warmer colours like orange will help make larger rooms feel more compact, pastel shades like olive green help promote themes of serenity and peace.
Trying to make an empty space feel cosy? Use darker, richer hues, and if you’re trying to make a small space feel bigger, use light colours and simple geometric furniture and patterns.
Arch Living is one of the very few Estate Agents that made the conscious decision to move all of our design and marketing decisions in to a separate studio that we run on site. Based from our newly branded Coachourse Studio, all of the marketing for each of our properties is conducted from this one central hub. One of our first projects was to re-invent one of our large student halls of residence in to something unique and eye-catching, and this is where the next level of customisation comes in…the graphical.
By using bold typography, quirky illustrations and colour big things can be achieved with an average looking property. For a small initial outlay you can massively increase the value of ANY property using this method, and if you want to see it for yourself, take a look at the examples below:
With simple graphical additions, illustrations and colour you can turn any door or wall in to something unique. Entire areas can be customised to a particular activity and if you want to change things up, all that’s needed is a lick of paint and the process starts over. As you can see there’s many ways any living space can be made more liveable, and if you bear in mind the key requirements of the human mind even the most basic property can be transformed.
