UNStudio and SCAPE team up with a neuroscientist and interactive technology experts to tackle one of the most common work ailments, stress. The multidisciplinary team developed a series of modular escape pods, where you can immerse yourself into a playful and interactive environment in order to immediately reduce your stress levels.
The research is an initial step towards finding spatial stress reducers. By measuring tests with wearable sensors on users inside the prototype pods the team hopes to come closer to positively affecting both our mental and physical health at work.
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Can a space adapt to your stress levels? UNStudio and SCAPE join forces with a multidisciplinary team of experts to tackle stress in the workplace.
UNStudio and SCAPE have joined forces with a multidisciplinary team of experts for the exhibition ‘Work 3.0 – A Joyful Sense at Work’, which will take place at the iSalone del Mobile in Milan from 4th to 9th April 2017.
For their contribution to the exhibition, a team consisting of UNStudio, SCAPE, Dr. Teresa de Sanctis (PhD Neuroscientist/experience design and optimisation), JurjenSöhne (Ambient Intelligence technology integration) and DiederikVeelo (Technologist/Interaction design) have developed a fully immersive, modular structure that features scientifically proven stress reduction methods in a playful and interactive way.
RESET (Responsive Emotional Transformation) The RESET pod is designed to empower people to deal with stress more effectively. In the ‘Joyful Sense at Work’ exhibition its purpose within the workplace will be demonstrated and the benefits for office workers will be investigated and presented.
*** WORK-RELATED STRESS IS THE SECOND MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED WORK-RELATED HEALTH PROBLEM IN EUROPE. STRESS IS A FACTOR IN 50%TO 60% OF ALL LOST WORKING DAYS. European Risk Observatory Report, 2015, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Without prevention, stress will continue to be a huge financial burden on the overall healthcare system—affecting not only companies, schools, governmental institutions but mostly, people’s quality of life.
*** Ben van Berkel: “Using design to benefit human health on multiple levels is one of the most important things that architecture can contribute. Affecting both our mental and physical health, stress is one of the essential issues we need to tackle in today’s workplace.”
Living Labs The encapsulated space of ‘RESET (Responsive Emotional Transformation)’ serves dual goals. Firstly,the installation teachesus which stress reductionmethod works best for different individuals. Secondly,the sensors trace visitors’ response to the stress reduction ex¬periences and provide real-time ‘factual’ feedback. Two of six scientifically proven stressreduction methods are selected for the purpose of the exhibition. Visitors are invited to experience and testthe active versus passive experience.
Jeff Povlo, Founder of SCAPE: “The uniqueness of the RESET pods is that the space actively responds to you. The wearable technology enables personalised experiences based on the input of your stress levels.”
Ambient Intelligence(AmI) Can a space adapt to your stress levels? Ambient intelligence refers to electronic environments that are sensitive and responsive to the presence of people. By linking biosensors to the physical space, the experiment tests what types of responsiveness can provide value to people.
Urgency STRESS_Facts and Figures
Global • An estimated 1 million workers are absent every day due to stress. • Stress levels in the workplace are rising with 6 in 10 workersin major global economies experiencing increased workplace stress.
US • Job Stress is estimated at over $300 billion annually • Workplace stress is responsible for up To $190B in annual U.S. healthcare costs • 80% of workers feel stress on the job and nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress. 42% say their co-workers need such help (American Institute of Stress). • 36% of workers suffer from work-related stress that costs U.S. businesses $30 billion a year in lost workdays--http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/07/the-high-price-of-workplace-stress/
Europe • Stress is a factor in 50% to 60% of all lost working days (European Risk Observatory Report, 2015, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work) • 79% of European managers are concerned about stress in their workplaces. Less than 30% of organisations in Europe have procedures for dealing with workplace stress (ESENER; EU OSHA, 2010a) • In the recent EU-funded project carried out by Matrix (2013), the cost to Europe of work-relateddepression was estimated to be €617 billion annually. The total was made up of costs to employers resulting from: - absenteeism and presenteeism (€272 billion) - loss of productivity (€242 billion) - healthcare costs of €63 billion - social welfare costs in the form of disability benefit payments (€39 billion) • Stress keeps workers absent for an average of 22.6 days a year • Stress is the second most frequently reported work-related health problem in Europe.
Asia/Australia • Workplace stress costs the Australian economy approximately $14.2 billion (Medibank)
