TREND 1: Prescribing Light
Science shows light is not just something we see by, but a necessary nutrient to fuel our health. Proper fixtures in buildings can improve mood and biological health by ensuring hormones are regulated by circadian-accurate color and intensity throughout the day. Additionally, light can be used to purify surfaces and the air, including light fixtures that kill viruses, bacteria and microbes. In today’s world, lighting is providing solutions to fighting Coronavirus.
TREND 2: The Architecture of Sleep
Design and the built environment have an impactful role in optimizing sleep. Go beyond sleep products to ensure fundamental features in the sleep environment are set up to enhance your sleep behavior. Air quality, light, acoustics and even materials are essential to restorative design. With the fundamentals right, you can then decide if and how sleep technology can further augment your rest.
TREND 3: What to know about Electromagnetic Radiation & the Built Environment
In a world where the third wave of technology will rely on “noisy” Electromagnetic Radiation infrastructure like 5G, there is much we still don’t know about the impact it will have on human and planetary wellbeing. However, design can thoughtfully integrate precautions into essential spaces in your home and workplace that create an ER sanctuary.
TREND 4: Race to Net Zero
With the release of the IPCC “Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere,” the accelerating economic costs of climate change, and the inevitable impact on geographical borders, weather patterns, and growing geopolitical migration/tensions, buildings that serve the future must be Net Zero as a new minimum. It isn’t about using less or “offsetting” one’s impact anymore. It is about the net usage/net emissions that we, as mankind, are putting into the earth’s atmosphere.
TREND 5: Earth, Humanity & the Cosmos: How Ancient Design Practices Optimize Wellbeing
With “Energy Medicine Gets Serious” featured as a top trend for 2020, the Wellness Architecture Initiative will be exploring the role of energy in the built environment. Experts from the world of feng shui, vastu shastra, earth acupuncture and sacred geometry will be interviewed to discuss how ancient cosmology informs the design of the built environment in order that spaces resonate with the spiritual dimension and reflect the synergistic relationship between “Mother Earth” and our own “energy bodies,” as understood by ancient practices. These ancient principles are more timely now than ever in our chaotic modern times and are the missing link in creating environments that support true wellness.
