VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY
SENSORY DESIGN IN BATHROOMS Awareness of mental and physical wellbeing has never been greater, yet many of us are spending more time than ever online – and it’s taking its toll. Here, Sophie Weston, Channel Marketing Manager at Geberit, examines the role that the bathroom has to play in helping us escape from our ‘always-on’ world and examines the importance of considering each of our senses in creating the perfect sanctuary. GEBERIT
SOPHIE WESTON IS CHANNEL MARKETING MANAGER AT GEBERIT
T
he last year has undoubtedly had a huge impact on our wellbeing levels. The Office for National Statistics backed this up when it reported that, during the first nationwide lockdown, more than a third (37.4%) of adults said that the pandemic had affected their wellbeing. The same report found that the number of people reporting high levels of anxiety rose sharply during April and May – the peak months of lockdown. Yet, even before the pandemic took hold, it seems that many of us were affected in some way by the stresses of modern life. We carried out a YouGov survey in 2018 on the impact of our ‘always-on’ mentality and discovered that nearly three-quarters of us were struggling to find the time to relax, with an alarming amount of adults (7 out of 10) also telling us that they struggled to switch off from technology. Indeed, the survey found that the average adult checked their phone 56.2 times each day – over 20,500 times a year or over 1.3 million times in a lifetime. A damning snapshot of modern lives consumed by technology and our ‘always-on’ mentality. To put this dependence on technology in the context of today’s heightened and unusual times, let’s look again at how the pandemic has affected our behaviour during those early months. Britain’s internet users were, during the month of April, spending an average of four hours and two minutes online each day – 37 minutes more when compared to January and the average time spent on social media increased by 36%. It’s fair to assume that, two lockdowns later, we remain more plugged in than ever before. And in need of respite.
Sanctuary space Our 2018 YouGov respondents told us that the bathroom (43%) was the most popular place of escape from the pressures of modern life, followed by the bedroom (38%) and the living room (25%). FC&A – MARCH – 2021
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The role of the bathroom is, clearly, of enormous significance in our lives and can provide many of us with some muchneeded respite. Yet, bathrooms can often be harsh and sterile places with poor acoustics and cold surfaces. Considering how we can improve both mental and physical wellbeing through a multi-sensory approach can help transform the humble bathroom into a modern-day sanctuary. Key to this approach is biophilic design, which encompasses everything from surfaces and design choices, to air quality, ventilation, acoustics and lighting. With this in mind, finding the formula for a well-considered bathroom space at home, at work or in hospitality could be the key to unlocking better lives. To do this, we must understand the four key senses of auditory (sound), visual (sight), kinaesthetic (touch) and olfactory (smell) and the impact they have on our wellbeing, before then applying this understanding to specify the bathroom technologies and innovations that can help reduce the impact of each.
Sound of silence Let’s start with auditory. Our ears work even when we’re asleep – and when we are awake, we need to consider the impact those seemingly mundane sounds could have on our mental wellbeing. Think about the impact that a dripping tap, for example, can have upon your mood.
