W
ellbeing. We all know what it is –
but just how many of us truly
achieve it? When Geberit
recently commissioned some research to
establish the impact of wellbeing in the
home, we found that three quarters of
respondents had felt so stressed within the
last 12 months they were simply unable to
cope – and the problem was only made
worse by the same number telling us that
they struggled to find the time to relax.
When we consider, too, that we now spend
90 per cent of our lives indoors, then this
space will naturally have a dramatic impact
on our wellbeing.
This is where design comes in. Good
design is increasingly less about the
aesthetics and more about the impact that
the space has on our lives, and adopting a
multi-sensory approach and considering
how we can improve both mental and
physical wellbeing. And, with our research
telling us that the most popular place of
refuge for homeowners was the bathroom,
there is a real opportunity for designers to
create bathroom spaces that offer moments
of tranquillity and escape in this otherwise
hectic world.
Finding the formula for space
Bathrooms, often harsh and sterile places
with poor acoustics and cold surfaces, can
easily be transformed into softer and more
sensory places of recuperation.
Typically, the main areas of focus within
bathroom design include materials, textures,
colours and patterns. However, there are
other aspects that also warrant
consideration. To do this, designers must
first understand the four key senses;
auditory (sound), visual (sight), kinaesthetic
(touch) and olfactory (small) and the impact
that these have upon wellbeing.
Establishing a sensory space
Let’s start by looking at the visual sense
and the impact that lighting has on us – in
particular preserving the sanctuary of sleep.
Preventing overstimulation of this sense
can be achieved through opting for
automatic lights that cast soft light onto
features such as smart shower toilets and
cisterns featuring orientation lights that
guide users around the bathroom space.
Consider, too, auditory – an extremely
powerful sense and one that is constantly
working to decipher information. Our ears
work even when we’re asleep, with the
brain continuing to process the sounds it
detects, albeit in a different way. And when
we are awake, we need to consider the
impact that irritating sounds could have on
our mental wellbeing – a dripping tap or
traffic noise, for example.
Managing the acoustics within a
bathroom is key, and there are several
ways to ensure noise is contained within a
space, both inside the room and behind
the scenes.
Often overlooked, scent, which is
processed in the olfactory cortex of the
brain’s limbic system, has a strong effect on
our experiences. Naturally, this can have a
negative effect in the washroom. Lavatory
odours are generally dealt with by masking
unpleasant smells with harsh chemical
sprays. The latest thinking in odour
extraction technology takes a more
innovative approach, filtering the air
within the space to neutralise unwanted
odours, with the technology integrated
seamlessly into the washroom solutions
and, therefore, in a way that’s unobtrusive
to the design.
Finally, a deeper understanding of the
importance of touch has allowed bathroom
designers and manufacturers to adapt and
embrace the ways in which we interact
with our spaces and the technology within
them. From heated toilet seats and remote
controls to hygienic, presence-detecting
flush mechanisms and no-touch taps, many
bathroom features are becoming even more
user-friendly and tactile.Sophie Weston at Geberit explains the role that architects and designers can play
in improving wellbeing, by helping create a sensory ‘sanctuary’ in the bathroom
The wellness factor
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