Therapeutic Interior Design by Concentration on Plan, Color, and Daylight Strategies for Mental Well-Being and Lower Operational Energy for Housing in Canada · Best Practices in Building Systems

Title: Therapeutic Interior Design by Concentration on Plan, Color, and Daylight Strategies for Mental Well-Being and Lower Operational Energy for Housing in Canada
Abstract: Rising depression, anxiety, and social isolation in Canada, particularly in cold, low-daylight, and high-stress urban environments, suggest the need for housing approaches that support emotional regulation while advancing decarbonization objectives. Drawing on environmental psychology and architectural theory, including the inward, light-driven spatial logic exemplified by Tadao Ando’s residential work, this paper proposes that interior architectural quality, specifically plan configuration and interior color strategy, can be intentionally designed to transform the dwelling into a therapeutic environment. In highly insulated and airtight homes, where envelope losses are minimized, occupant behavior becomes a dominant determinant of operational energy. The paper therefore frames architectural quality as a behavioral mediator that reduces overstimulation, increases perceived control and comfort acceptance, and lowers system interventions (thermostat changes, excessive lighting, and diffuse heating). A parallel carbon trade-off is analyzed: increased time at home may raise residential energy demand, yet reduced non-essential trips can lower transportation emissions. The paper concludes that a “therapeutic low-energy home” represents a realistic balance point where mental health co-benefits align with net carbon reduction.
Contributor: Neda Ziabakhsh, PEAK Program, Douglas College
Date Submitted: 2026/02/07
Format: PDF
Type: Text
Extent: 7 pages
Language: en-CA
License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) License
Is Part Of: Health and lifestyle systems; Technical system threads
Description: article
Identifier: 11

Media: Therapeutic Interior Design by concentration on Plan, Color, and Daylight Strategies for Mental Well-Being and Lower Operational Energy for Housing in Canada