Green Health: Examining the role of green space characteristics and their proximity in green space health pathways

This doctoral thesis critically examines green space characteristics and their proximity to residents in their ability to help reduce the global disease burden of non-communicable diseases. By dissecting three pivotal pathways of theorized green space health effects through increased physical activity, increased social cohesion, and reduced air...

The Future of Cognitive Personal Informatics

While Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has contributed to demonstrating that physiological measures can be used to detect cognitive changes, engineering and machine learning will bring these to application in consumer wearable technology. For HCI, many open questions remain, such as: What happens when this becomes a cognitive form of personal...

Seasonality as a consideration, inspiration and aspiration in food design

While over the last century food systems have become more controlled, standard-ized and globalized, the plants and animals that form the basis of our food production still show seasonal fluctuation. The growth and reproductive cycles of these organisms follow seasonal weather patterns, including changes in rainfall, light exposure and...

Design for Youth's Flourishing: Intervention design strategies to enhance teenagers’ mental resilience and well-being

The urge to promote mental health and well-being is gaining increasing importance and attention in recent years. Adolescents, who are among the most vulnerable under this aspect, are experiencing an increase in mental health complaints and need of youth care in the Netherlands. In addition, they perceive current means of care as inappropriate to...

Music, Computing, and Health: A Roadmap for the Current and Future Roles of Music Technology for Health Care and Well-Being

The fields of music, health, and technology have seen significant interactions in recent years in developing music technology for health care and well-being. In an effort to strengthen the collaboration between the involved disciplines, the workshop “Music, Computing, and Health” was held to discuss best practices and state-of-the-art at the...

Space for the Brain / Ruimte voor het Brein: Ground for focus and creativity for every brain

We can all relate to the experience of wanting to shut of all the environmental stimuli around us, as our brain is overwhelmed and overstimulated by it all. Our surrounding environments can be improved if architects and designers learn more about how multi-sensory stimuli can enrich our perception of space, and when these triggers can take a...

The relationship between interior office space and employee health and well-being: a literature review

Health is a trending topic in the office market, yet scientific research on healthy offices is scattered. This study undertakes a systematic literature review on the relationship between the interior space of offices and physical, psychological and social well-being. The review identifies the characteristics of interior office space that have...

Being happier being quieter; reducing noise in the Intensive Care Unit through behavior change of staff

Noise reduction in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is an important goal as it impacts the health and comfort of the critically ill patients as well as the health and concentration of staff. Research shows that a considerable amount of noise produced in the ICU can be influenced by ICU staff. However, until now there are no interventions that...

Light for performance enhancement in the office environment

Light has a positive effect on people’s well-being. Most people feel more energetic and refreshed during bright and sunny summer days. When we are exposed to the right type of light, it helps to align our daily rhythm or wake us up more easily. Light can also influence our daily performance. Especially in the working environment, light can be an...