, published in collaboration with the Danish think tank, the Happiness Institute, Ramboll’s “Happy Homes” The report builds on the institute’s own research finding that 15 percent of happiness is influenced by a person’s home environment.
The “Happy Homes” project has identified five factors that have the greatest impact on resident well-being, both within households and in the wider community. They are:
- Balancing private and public spaces
- Personalized Physical Layout
- Sensing nature from home
Experience local identity
Participation in process and decision making
The report is based on detailed interviews with townhouse residents in Birmingham, UK, and Copenhagen, Denmark. Building on this, the authors have compiled a “toolbox” of spatial and policy recommendations to promote positive resident sentiment.
Key suggestions include creating “semi-private” spaces such as front gardens, creating a bridge between private and public areas, using “green landscaping” to Bring nature into the home and access local amenities through carefully designed walking or cycling routes.
Gorana Shepherd, director of urban and regeneration at Ramboll, commented on the report: “This research reinforces the need for engineers, planners and designers to think of a dwelling as more than a house. True sustainability enables people and nature to thrive, and embedding well-being in built form will be key to achieving this. To advance this philosophy of sustainability, we need to collaborate on multiple fronts in the built environment , and bring in expertise that complements knowledge.”
Mek Wiggin, CEO of the Happiness Institute, added: “I think the built environment has always been about improving people’s well-being and mental health. An overlooked tool – so I’m very excited about our new report. During the pandemic, I think more of us understand the importance of our homes to our well-being, and now that the world seems so Turbulent, so it makes sense to focus on where we can influence: our homes.”
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