Emotional responses to the design of multisensory interior spaces

The properties of the external environment such as colour, light, sound and scent, have been shown to influence the emotional responses of the people in those spaces. However, these findings are typically drawn from studies using stimuli designed by researchers. It remains unclear whether workspace designers can intentionally elicit specific emotional responses in the occupants of those spaces. To address this, we evaluate two workspaces designed by students to 'activate' and 'relax' their occupants. The spaces were used as stimuli in a controlled experiment conducted during a design exhibition. Self-report measures of emotions showed that the activating room energised its occupants and the relaxing room both calmed and reduced the tension perceived by its occupants. Future analyses will determine whether physiological and behavioural measures are consistent with these findings.