You know that calm feeling you get when you're staring at a fine piece of wood flooring? You may not be alone. The visual presence of wood surfaces within a room could lower people's stress, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia and FPInnovations.
In their report, "Wood and Human Health," the researchers conclude that specifiers might choose wood in buildings to promote human health. "The application of wood visual surfaces indoors is one way to reduce stress and promote health in building occupants," the researchers wrote. The study was prompted by different research that suggested indoor plants provide health effects.
To conduct the study, researchers created different office environments-one room furnished with wooden components and white, non-wood control room-and studied the effects of natural materials on the automatic nervous system. Subjects were administered an audio-based mathematics test, and the subjects working in the wood-adorned rooms showed lower levels of stress. The full report can be read here:
FPInnovations is a nonprofit research center affiliated with the Canadian forestry industry.
