From ELLE Decor
We’re strong believers in the idea that a space’s design can impact your mood and even health. But this isn’t just design enthusiasm speaking-it’s a concept that’s stood up to research. Don’t believe us? Look at Google’s latest project.
This week at Salone del Mobile, the international furniture and design fair in Milan, Italy, the tech giant has partnered with Danish design company Muuto, New York-based Reddymade Architecture, and the InternationalArts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University’s Brain Science Institute to explore how design impacts mood and health.
The project comes in the form of A Space for Being, an interactive installation spearheaded by Google VP of Hardware Design, UX, and Research Ivy Ross. It’s Google’s second presence at the fair after its Softwear exhibition last year.
Visitors to A Space for Being are given a wristband (designed by Google and the Johns Hopkins team, so, safe to say the science and technology behind it is legit) capable of measuring body temperature, sweat, movement, and heart and breath rate. They are then invited to visit three rooms with notably different designs, all while the bracelet records their physical reactions.
Each of the three spaces-designed by Reddymade and outfitted with furniture from Muuto-reflect different aesthetics: “Essential” is a cozy space with warm tones and lush textures, “Vital” is playful and colorful, and “Transformative” is a minimal space with cool undertones. The room’s designs are accompanied by coordinated music and lighting.
After walking through all three, visitors get a customized report telling them which space made them feel most “at ease” based on the data collected in the wristbands. Since the rooms in A Space for Being are meant to mimic real living spaces, visitors can draw conclusions about the best settings for themselves in their own homes. Talk about personal space.
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