Environmental Psychology

Environmental psychology is quite an interesting field of expertise – also to Gispen and our own interior architects and designers. But what does it really mean? And how can we apply insights from this field of study to our projects? Interior architect Nelleke Lagerwerf presents her point of view in in this interview.

No, not quite. It takes many years of studying to become one. I did obtain a partial certificate in this field at the University of Amsterdam, which has given me new insights and has made me look at things more from other people’s perspectives. I now start with my design after I’ve done research. I use my conclusions as an underpinning and final check on my work. I ask myself: ‘Am I on the right track?’. Ideally you would work together with an environmental psychologist, who would use different methods to find out how the environment in question affects people, and who would then come up with solutions. I would then compare these recommendations with my Programme of Requirements, making sure I am still en route. Such checks will prevent costly ‘misfits’ from sneaking into your design, as well as guaranteeing an interior with a longer lifespan.

There are studies that show that poorly designed workstations or bad acoustics will result in an increasing rate of absenteeism. So when your workstations are well matched to the people’s needs and their activities, you will accommodate them better and increase their well-being. This – in turn – will result in a reduction of absenteeism. Therefore I think it’s safe to say that an interior design which is more user-oriented will result in a reduction of absenteeism.

In healthcare I am receiving more requests to apply environmental psychology into interior design projects. But not as often as I would like to see. There is also a demand for it in the office market. You sometimes hear that The New Way of Working is not in line with a company’s work method. Many studies have been dedicated to this very topic, from which many conclusions can be drawn. But if you ask the environmental psychologists themselves they will tell you this: ‘People often call upon our services after the fact’. Ideally you would have them involved right from the early stages of the project. This is easier said than done, however, because there are often budgets involved.

What I see in healthcare is that hospitals are starting to think less from within their own perspectives and are relying more on research. This also has to do with the competition between them, which is rising. People can decide for themselves which hospital to visit, making it even more important for hospitals to look appealing and put people at ease. This is what hospitals will spend more and more time on.

Try to provide your visitors and staff with an environment that is suited to their needs. Try to see beyond functionalities, and include what people can relate to in your Programme of Requirements. This is becoming a requirement in itself, and luckily a more frequent one too.