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Collaborative research begins with the aim of 'Clarifying the influence of wooden spaces on brain function'
Digital X Medical Open Innovation
July 19, 2021
BrainEnergy, in collaboration with Sumitomo Forestry Co Ltd and the Jikei University School of Medicine, has launched a joint research project on the topic of 'Clarifying the influence of wooden spaces on brain function'. By combining BrainEnergy's central nervous system database and medical data analysis technology, Sumitomo Forestry's know-how in wood conversion and comfortable space creation, and medical knowledge from the Jikei Medical University, the project aims to create comfortable spaces and explore new values in biophilic design from the angle of brain function.
[Background and content of research]
Biophilic design is a design approach that promotes a connection with nature and improves people's health and well-being. The incorporation of plants, natural light, water and other natural elements into buildings and indoor spaces is expected to reduce stress, improve concentration and promote creativity, and in recent years has been increasingly adopted in fields such as architecture, interior design and urban planning. Growing interest in the sector is also boosting the value of the indoor plants market, which accounted for USD 16.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach approximately USD 30.4 billion by 2032. Growing interest in sustainability and rethinking office environments in line with changing working practices are driving the adoption of biophilic design. Furthermore, increasing urbanisation is reducing people's opportunities for contact with nature in urban areas, which in turn calls for the adoption of biophilic design in public and commercial facilities. Against this background, biophilic design is expected to attract increasing attention in the future. This joint research aims to 'Clarifying the influence of wooden spaces on brain function' by examining the effects of the elements that make up biophilic design on brain function.
[Summary of Collaborative Research]
▪Participant： Sumitomo Forestry Co.
The Jikei University School of Medicine
BrainEnergy Corporation
▪Topics：Clarifying the influence of wooden spaces on brain function
[Summary of Participants]
▪Sumitomo Forestry Co.
The housing company focuses on the sustainable use of wood resources and provides high-quality wooden houses and building materials. Combining advanced technology and design, the company aims to create comfortable and healthy living environments. It also focuses on environmentally friendly housing and eco-friendly construction, contributing to the realisation of a sustainable future society.
▪The Jikei University School of Medicine
A private medical university founded in 1881. Based on the founding spirit of the university - 'Don't diagnose the sick, diagnose the sick' - it practices patient-centred medicine. The pillars of the university are medical treatment, education and research, and it strives to nurture good medical professionals. It is active in a wide range of fields, from basic research to clinical research, and aims to be a leading university in medicine, education and research.
▪BrainEnergy Corporation
BrainEnergy has a proven track record of analyzing vast amounts of central nervous system data with medical institutions and research facilities in Japan and overseas, and is working to develop technologies to support brain activity and body function, and to construct spaces using biophilic design and digital medical technology.