Wood buildings offer more than a beautiful appearance - spending time in sustainable buildings can increase cognitive function and promote better sleep at night due to high air quality and sunlight exposure, according to the World Green Building Council.
This wooden building could even promote increased environmental behaviours in those that spend time there. In a study from the University of British Columbia, students in a sustainable building recycled more than students in a regular building.
“The recycling behaviour wasn’t related to the students’ knowledge, attitudes, intentions, or values, it was simply being aware that they were in a highly sustainable building, which seemed to have significant behavioural consequences,” explains Dr. John Robinson, Professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and the School of the Environment at U of T.
“That’s fairly crucial for implications of urban design and building design - the design of these things can change behaviour,” says Dr. Robinson.;