Health and Well-being Week

Nature Connectedness: How can Home Design improve our Health and Wellbeing?

European Union

Presentations and discussions with Dr. Garcia Sánchez and Dr. Ryo Murata on the health benefits of connecting with nature, followed by guided walks to designated pavilions.

Discussion

Well-being
#design　#nature　#biophilia　#architecture　#ecology　#sustainability　#health　#well-being　#interiordesign　#beauty　#Europe, #Japan　#Denmark　#homedesign

Transmission of simultaneous interpretation	Provided
Language of interpretation	Japanese and English

Track Programme

Time and Date of the event

2025.06.20[Fri]

15:00 ～ 16:30

(Venue Open 14:45)
2025.06.21[Sat]

11:00 ～ 12:30

(Venue Open 10:45)
2025.06.21[Sat]

13:00 ～ 14:30

(Venue Open 12:45)

Venue: Pavilion; EU Pavilion

Programme details

We spend up to 93% of our time indoors and around 11 hours a day on technology. The benefits of daily exposure to nature for human health and well-being are many. However, our built environment and lifestyles disconnect us from Nature and deprive us of these benefits.
Architectural spatial design can improve our health and well-being by enhancing our experience of connection with Nature. Through an artistic immersion and open discussion, we will explore how some traditional and contemporary buildings in Japan offer exemplary sensory experiences of Nature connectedness, sometimes without visual contact with the natural world. These are profound lessons for our time that can easily be applied in domestic spaces.
The aim is threefold: to enrich participants´ vision of Japanese architecture, to stimulate interest in scientific perspectives on nature-connecting architecture and its benefits, and to give some tips on how to improve health and well-being through home design.

Reports

【Reflection】
The presented concept highlights a growing concern in modern life: the disconnect between humans and the natural world. With up to 93% of our time spent indoors and an average of 11 hours daily on technology, it is evident that our current lifestyles are heavily mediated by built environments and screens. This disconnection deprives us of the well-documented benefits of nature exposure—from reduced stress and improved mood to enhanced cognitive functioning and immune support.

The central insight is that architectural spatial design can serve as a bridge—a way to restore our sense of connection with nature, even when direct access is limited. Traditional and contemporary Japanese architecture, in particular, offers compelling examples of sensory integration with nature. These buildings often evoke a strong feeling of nature-connectedness through subtle cues such as light, texture, sound, and spatial flow, rather than overt visual references. This provides a powerful model for design in other parts of the world, especially in urban and domestic contexts where access to greenery is restricted.

The immersive and interactive format of the session underscores the importance of experiential learning. Participants not only reflect on architectural theory but also engage with their senses, which deepens their understanding of how design can foster well-being.

Key reflections include:
• Design matters: The way we shape our spaces significantly influences our psychological and physiological state.
• Nature-connectedness is multisensory: Visual contact with nature is not the only path to well-being—sound, scent, air flow, and materials all contribute.
• Cultural heritage offers valuable lessons: Japanese architecture illustrates that the wisdom of traditional design can be applied in modern contexts for health-enhancing results.
• Everyday changes can have impact: Even small adjustments in home design—introducing natural materials, optimizing light, or creating sensory-rich spaces—can improve our overall well-being.

In conclusion, this exploration encourages participants to reimagine their living environments not just as shelters or functional spaces, but as active contributors to health and harmony, rooted in a deeper, more mindful relationship with nature.

【Post EXPO Initiatives】
Participants were encouraged to reflect on their own homes and workspaces, and to consider small, practical changes they could make to enhance their connection to nature—from lighting and materials to layout and flow. The program emphasized that many of these principles are already deeply rooted in traditional Japanese architecture, where a sense of harmony with nature is integrated through elements such as shoji screens, natural materials, and indoor-outdoor transitions.

Following the talks and presentations, participants had the opportunity to engage with the Expo environment and apply what they had learned by walking through the various pavilions and displays. This hands-on experience allowed them to observe real-life examples of the concepts discussed, such as nature-connected design, sensory architecture, and sustainable innovation.

This initiative helped turn abstract ideas into tangible insights. By moving through spaces designed to evoke emotional and sensory responses, participants were able to deepen their understanding of how architecture and environment influence well-being. It also highlighted the value of experiential learning—learning that continues beyond the lecture hall and into the built environment.

By connecting the Expo experience to their personal environments, participants left not only with new knowledge, but with inspiration to apply it—creating healthier, more mindful living and working spaces rooted in the wisdom of both tradition and innovation

Cast

Speakers

Carmen García Sánchez

Assistant Professor/ Ph. D. in Architectural Design/ Architect, University of Copenhagen, PRIVACY/ Rey Juan Carlos I University, Faculty of Arts and Humanities/The Royal Danish Academy Architecture Design Conservation, IBD

Carmen García Sánchez is an experienced practising architect and an active researcher. She specialises in modern architecture, with a focus on Nordic and Japanese architecture, the creative interaction of tradition and modernity, and small-scale nature-based solutions. Her research project NATURE-IN, funded by the European Union’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (grant agreement 896651), provides strategies and inspiration to enhance the health and well-being of communities by increasing human contact with nature through the experience of the domestic interior. The study was conducted as a post-doctoral researcher at the Royal Danish Academy Architecture_Design_Conservation and as a visiting researcher at the Institute Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Tech). She has lectured on the subject in Japan, Denmark, Sweden and Spain. She currently combines her practice with her activities as an Assistant Professor at the Rey Juan Carlos I University, an affiliated researcher at the Centre for Privacy Studies at the University of Copenhagen, and an external scientific expert for the European Commission.

View Profile

Ryo Murata

Associate Professor / Dr. Eng. / Architect, Institute of Science Tokyo, Department of Architecture and Building Engineering

Ryo Murata is developing the theory of passive solar design throughout practicing of architectural design, research and education with the theme of “creating architecture and cities in response to the environment“. He is leading his design and research laboratory in Science Tokyo (formerly, Tokyo Tech) as an associate professor at the Department of Architecture and Building Engineering. His major architectural design works are Courtyard House A (2017), Tokyo Tech Materials Research Center for Element Strategy “Genso Cube” (2015), Architectural Institute of Japan Archi Books (2012) and LCCM Demonstration House (2011).