Happy by Design: A Guide to Architecture and Mental Wellbeing

Product Information

I’ve noticed dramatic changes in my mental wellbeing and positivity when I’ve had to live or work in an unpleasant space. In exploring the relationship between ceiling height and mood, Channon talks about a link between higher ceilings and a greater sense of psychological freedom. Ben Channon, Associate and Mental Wellbeing Ambassador, has authored and illustrated his first book, ‘ Happy by Design: A Guide to Architecture and Mental Wellbeing’, out on RIBA Publishing.

If we started investing in happier buildings right now, the rewards would continue far into the future. We are IT literate (although no experience of web design) and initially started to design the site ourselves - it looked ‘very’ average, not as polished as hoped and it wasn’t easy to add features that we wanted ourselves. But by providing comfortable, well-designed spaces where people feel happy and safe, we can improve the day to day happiness of people who use them, which – in my opinion – is a powerful way of keeping people in a better mental place.Good architecture isn’t going to provide magical cures to people with severe mental health problems – this is a fact. From sparking joy in individual homes and workplaces to encouraging healthier lifestyles through landscaping and urban design, this book demonstrates how wellbeing concepts can be integrated across a range of scales and typologies. As a practice, we specialise in residential architecture and had been doing a significant amount of work in the emerging built to rent (BTR) and co-living sectors throughout the UK. As humans, we’re drawn to nature and open space, largely because close proximity to nature has been shown to improve our mood and reduce stress.

The book started out as a collection of personal observations, which were drawn from my past experience with mental health, the buildings I was working and living in and how they made me feel in terms of my mental wellbeing. Danish lighting designer Poul Henningsen devoted much of his career to designing glare-free and uniform illumination, which has been shown to reduce headaches and improve productivity. For us, it’s important that it’s as easy as possible for people to take advantage of these amenities. Through a series of design tips and hand-drawn diagrams, this accessible guide can be used by everyone from employers looking to boost office morale or homeowners looking to DIY their way to a happier home. Ben then went on to qualify as WELL Accredited Professional, broadening his knowledge to encompass design for physical wellbeing.

We are super client-focused, approachable, and supportive and we’ll ensure that you are proud of the marketing you do. Most building design prioritises cost efficiencies and overheads, rather than paying attention to the nuances of human experience. For those seeking to start from the ground up, ‘Happy by Design’ contains layout guidance, room proportions and positioning to make sure that homes are happy, from the front door to the roof tiles. Basing a design advice to achieve well-being or happiness only on a single study sometimes isn't exactly objective in my opinion.

If you’d like to find out more about Happy by Design, or would like to hear from some of our happy clients, our testimonials are a good place to start! However, you must also be aware of a range of other factors such as heat gains (or losses) from glazing, and views into and out of buildings. Art of Cryo is a new division of a renowned family business with 30 years’ experience in ultra-low temperature equipment. It fits well as an architectural or design guide, it will be helpful to look at later on (since I am an architecture student! Invite health and happiness into the heart of your home with practical ideas for decor, organization, and mindfulness that will transform your living space—and create an uplifting atmosphere that looks after you from morning to night!I can honestly say from start to finish the whole process was seamless, it took just over a month and the end result is amazing! First and foremost, I’m an associate and mental wellbeing ambassador at Assael Architecture, where I’ve worked for six years. It poses – and answers – all of the key questions: If you were to design a building that puts occupants’ happiness first, what would it look like? If you have a writing project you think may be of interest to Ben, please use the contact form below.