How does interior architecture influence our well-being at work?

The environment matters. Or rather: "the environment gives back" , says Thais Trentin, an architect of corporate spaces for over 25 years. The basis for this statement is neuroscience research applied to architecture: the so-called neuroarchitecture understands that factors such as colors , lighting and decoration of spaces, added to the personal characteristics of the public that frequents them, impact — positively or negatively — the well-being of individuals. According to Thais, a pleasant physical environment is capable of activating the motivation and interest of individuals who cohabit it, through stimulation of human cognition. In the case of corporate spaces, this is even more visible: "That's why we say that the environment gives back. An environment that awakens interest makes the day's journey more productive, guaranteeing better performance and results ", explains the architect. The professional points out that the influence of the environment became evident during the Covid-19 pandemic, a time when people were forced to improvise and reinvent their respective work environments. "There were situations in which the person worked all day sitting on the sofa , completely without ergonomics, and ended up hurting their spine, or did not have adequate lighting, anticipating vision problems", describes Thais.

Does the perfect office exist?

As a corporate space architect, Thais says that creating environments that promote well-being is a task that varies from project to project. According to her, promoting well-being for employees means thinking about the culture and personality of each corporate space: "Well-being is this: when the environment can provide experiences throughout the day that bring connections to the person and, most importantly, make them feel that it makes sense to be in that environment." But there are some key elements in interior architecture that can help create more pleasant work environments — whether they are coworking spaces or home offices . Acoustic booths, biophilic design , wood tones and a variety of textures were some of the strategies used in the Conexão by Minimal space, a coworking space designed at CASACOR São Paulo 2024 , which Thais considered to be very successful in this regard.

"The acoustic concern, the concern with natural elements and the harmonization of textures make the project richer in details and more adherent. It is an environment that activates and awakens interest", explains Thais.

The importance of colors

When it comes to health in the workplace , the color wheel is something to consider. There are no universal interpretations for colors and their different shades, luminosities or saturations, says Márcia Holland , architect and urban planner and author of the book The Essence of Colors. However, according to the professional, knowledge and creative application of the chromatic universe has the ability to promote well-being in the individual, whether in the workplace or at home. This means that the best choice of colors is one that can evoke a sense of belonging in the individual, explains Márcia: "Colors impact and influence the field of emotions and, mainly, attention levels, or states of attention. The colors we choose to paint walls and ceilings, as well as all the materials present in the space, must be in harmony with each other and be in accordance with each person's color dictionary ." The expert also points out two important factors to be considered when designing work environments: choosing the correlated color temperature (CCT) and the color reproducibility index (CRI) of a light source. The ideal light is one that reproduces colors, patterns, shapes and textures at their highest reproducibility factor, explains Márcia: "Light sources that alter colors and cause visual fatigue harm not only the employee's focus, but also their productivity." In agreement with Thais, Márcia emphasizes the importance of the environment for the professional performance of individuals: "Color will favor your performance", she says. The recommendation is to always take into account the color inventory of employees, but, if it is not possible to apply colors using this methodology, she suggests that the application of colors on the surface area should be thought out carefully. "Colors with high vibrancy, that is, high saturation, and low luminosity are inadequate. In this case, the important thing is to avoid visual fatigue and permanent contrast levels", she explains.