How can buildings help people to live better lives? That was one of the questions being asked last week at ‘Health=Wealth’ event, hosted by architects and TDUK members Waugh Thistleton.
Kirsten Haggart, Director at Waugh Thistleton, introduced a fascinating new publication of theirs, titled simply Wellbeing Report, a part of a larger EU-funded project called Timberhaus. It is a very thorough examination of the wellbeing benefits of timber, with a balanced assessment of the evidence.
It draws on both qualitative data (such as warmth, cosiness and comfort, and preferences for wood) and quantitative data (objective measures such as emissions and volatile organic compounds – VOCs), alongside building data such as temperature and humidity.
The many wellbeing benefits of timber
Timber-rich environments are associated with reduced physiological stress, improved self-reported wellbeing and measurable shifts in autonomic function, the report finds. Enlightened clients have long recognized the wellbeing aspects timber can bring. It can have a positive impact on learning outcomes in education contexts, increases in productivity and lower absenteeism in commercial projects.
The Black and White Building, designed by Waugh Thistleton architects
Timber and wellbeing in practice
Proof that the Wellbeing Report’s insights are increasingly well-understood across the board was given by three pecha kucha presentations from guest speakers on the night. It was clear from architect Nimi Attanayake (nimtim architects) that families appreciate the benefits of biomaterials, such as improved indoor air quality and low VOCs. It was also clear that biomaterials can be used stylishly and strikingly within domestic designs, in ways that would please the most demanding of Dezeen-reading aesthetes.
Next, Anna Ervast (Operational Manager, Folkhem) gave the developer’s perspective. Her presentation showed off some enviable 6-storey, timber-clad timber housing. The room pricked up its collective ears when she stated how quickly the flats sold. Anna pointed to the tactile qualities of timber, and even its smell, as selling points that can win over a buyer.
Finally, Robert Evans shared his valuable placemaking experiences of working on the Kings Cross redevelopment and his current work as CEO, Wellcome Genome Campus. His determination to create an open, borderless campus that can serve the surrounding community came through. One of his slides quoted the Global Wellness Institute’s valuation of the global wellness economy at around £5.50 trillion in 2022, with wellness real estate among the sectors experiencing particularly strong growth.
CLT runs throughout 6 Orsman Road’s interior: exposed on the walls, and providing staircases too.
In what ways can timber make a difference?
The Wellbeing Report features a concise literature review which, among others, notes the following timber benefits:
- Air quality: Reviews across multiple typologies confirm timber buildings meet or exceed performance requirements on all regulated parameters (Burnard and Kutnar, 2015)
- Thermal comfort and humidity: Hygroscopic properties allow timber to absorb and release moisture, moderating humidity fluctuations in occupied spaces (Hameury, 2005)
- Acoustics: Exposed timber surfaces absorb and scatter sound differently from glass or concrete, altering reverberation time and background noise character. (Harrington, C. 2019 ;Yin, J., & Ai, X, 2024)
- Lighting: Warm reflectance of exposed timber surfaces produces a softer visual environment. (Kwak & Choi, 2025; Fell, 2010)
The evidence behind wellbeing claims
One criticism often levelled at some of the wellbeing claims made for timber (and other biomaterials) is a lack of test data or scientific rigour. The Wellbeing Report does acknowledge there are limits. “What the current literature cannot yet support is precise design guidance or confident causal claims,” it points out, citing the shortcoming of the “strength, duration and comparability of the evidence.”
But ways of measuring the wellbeing of building occupants are becoming ever more sophisticated. For example, a building occupant’s heart rate variability can be continuously monitored via a wrist-worn device.
The report’s literature review points out plenty of tools and methods that are being used to rigorously assess timber’s benefits: air quality sensors and particulate monitoring; temperature and humidity sensors; smart building monitoring acoustic reverberation time measurement, background noise levels and speech eligibility testing; lux level measurement and reflectance calculations to measure lighting.
At the back of the Wellbeing Report there is a substantial appendix: an impressive collection of links to relevant research into buildings and wellbeing. It’s well worth digging into.
To read it in full, download the Wellbeing Report here
Visit Waugh Thistleton’s Find Your Timber Partner page here
