Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Toronto-based Kirkor Architects and Planners specializes in innovative solutions to the demands of a growingurban populace. The company seeks novel architectural solutions to promote building occupant wellness forthe "new normal" - a trend of remote working, at-home learning and at-home leisure expected to persist beyondthe COVID-19 pandemic. Kirkor seeks empirical understanding of how biophilic features - natural elementsthat enhance wellness outcomes - can be integrated into their future architectural designs. The Humber teamwill therefore experimentally test types of putative biophilic features able to be incorporated into buildinginfrastructure (e.g., houseplants, food crops, nature imagery and aquarium fish) for their wellness-enhancingeffects. Key insights will include: (i) The most effective means of interacting with a biophilic feature forpromoting wellness, ranging from passive exposure to active, participatory gardening and education and (ii) theduration of exposure needed for enhanced wellness. Kirkor will apply these insights to developingdata-supported solutions for safeguarding Canadian wellness amidst rapid changes in living and workingarrangements.