2008 - Issue 4

The value of restorative natural settings is well established. Little is known, though, about the potential restorative effect of well-designed urban environments.

This book is an important resource for people who are designing workplaces or other spaces in which people need to concentrate.

Call for entries deadline is February 9, 2009. Details at: www.edra.org.

Recent articles explore the psychological ramifications of workplace physical features, as well as how these physical features interact with socially constructed elements of organizations, such as corporate cultures.

There are design questions at the intersection of sustainabilty and environmental design. How can a site demonstrate that it provides social, physical, and mental benefits for people?  How might one quantify these benefits or demonstrate that a particular design will achieve human benefits?

Biomimicry introduced the design community to the idea of looking to nature to resolve technical design issues.

Physical environments have a significant influence on the development of children.

Viewing videos of spaces and experiencing environments via virtual reality can influence us, just as actually being in a space does.

Research continues to provide new examples of ways in which retail design influences product sales.

Recent research has indicated significant influences of office lighting on worker experience.