INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE WELLBEING AND PERFORMANCE: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF THE USE OF TIMBER IN RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR SPACES.

ABSTRACT
The main focus of this research was to understand the benefits and people’s perception of the use of timber interiorly. The purpose was to determine the type of environment timber products create and to investigate if they can have positive effect on the psychological health, wellbeing and performance. The research reviewed the visual perception of timber, tactile sensation of timber, olfactory stimulation of timber, attitudes and preferences to the use of timber, the impact of the type of wood, the influence of psychological and physical responses toward timber on architectural practice and also considered timber vs other materials.
A sample of 114 individuals from the University of Benin was taken and these subjects were asked to give their responses and feelings on a number of questions related to materials used in interior finishes, residential living environment, timber products and perception of wood. The study included a survey administered to respondents. The main objectives of this study were to: To determine if the use of timber affects emotional status and thus psychological health; to investigate the physical benefits of timber as a material for enhancing interior well-being and user perception; To determine if the quantity of timber used in a space influences the psychological wellbeing of occupants and To determine preference in type and finishes of timber used in interior spaces. The results gotten from this research shows that the present reasoning on healthy homes could be expanded to also consider psychological health impact.