Rooms change us. They influence how we think, feel and act. Often without us even noticing. Martina Püringer, an architect and expert in environmental and architectural psychology, has spent years researching this intangible symbiosis between people and the spaces they’re in. For Püringer, the key to creating rooms that make us feel comfortable lies in soft skills – influences we feel largely subconsciously that go far beyond floorplans and functionality. A conversation about well-being, productivity and healthy interior design.

A harmonious atmosphere. A room tailored to your needs. One you feel comfortable in and like to spend time in. It sounds so simple, but it’s actually a huge challenge. While studying architecture at TU Wien, Martina Püringer started to feel that interior design planning didn’t focus enough on the people who would actually be using the space. “It was all very tech-heavy. It wasn’t until I attended an anthropology lecture that I started to understand the impacts spaces have on people’s behaviour. It sparked a fire in me.”

She shares her findings from the world of environmental and architectural psychology with a wider audience through her work and on her Wohnsinn & Raumglück podcast with Hamburg-based colleague Erika Mierow. She wants to raise awareness of how rooms impact us on an emotional level. “We spend over 90 percent of our lives indoors. So it’s incredibly important to understand how rooms influence our feelings and actions.” Oftentimes, she says, the user doesn’t notice exactly what factors might be missing, but they know the environment has an impact on them. “We often subconsciously know whether a room suits us or not. Sometimes it’s just a subtle feeling we can’t name, but we should pay more attention to that intuition.”

The expert explains that our brains process around 95 percent of what we perceive about a room without us even knowing. Factors such as aromas, colours and light have an immediate impact. She references scientific studies, including one from Roger Ulrich from the 1980s that showed that patients in hospital rooms with a view of trees recovered more quickly than those who could only see a brick wall. “The atmosphere of a room always has an impact on us – whether we’re at the office, at home or in public buildings.”

But what exactly are these architectural “soft skills”. Püringer compares them to their human equivalents – difficult to measure, but absolutely essential. Soft skills help us to recognise the requirements people have of a room and then implement them positively down the line.

“At its heart, it’s about the atmosphere. The interplay between colours, light, acoustics and materials determines whether we feel safe and comfortable.” Having options for customisation is also pivotal. “People have to be able to adapt spaces to suit them, whether by bringing personal items into their workspace or by having furniture they can rearrange.” More than that, well-designed working environments not only boost concentration and communication, but also our health. “A well-designed room tailored to our requirements automatically makes us feel comfortable – and therefore more productive, creative and motivated. Remote and hybrid working models are bringing individual workspace customisations to the fore. “When rooms are well designed, we feel confident and are more successful. This sense of well-being isn’t the icing on the cake, but a vital requirement for performing at the top of our game and staying healthy long-term”, explains the expert.

A workplace should offer zones for different activities. Places to withdraw and work with greater focus, but also areas that facilitate more informal discussion. Trend colours, like those seen on social media feeds, should be used sparingly so that they have an impact beyond just keeping up with the latest fashions. The Pantone Color of the Year 2025, the warm, earthy Mocha Mousse, works very well with other colours, adding a sense of calm and naturalness. Unlike the colour red, for example. Studies show that it raises our heartrate and puts us in a state of high alert. “In the short-term, this can make us feel invigorated, but over time it often causes unease and stress.”

Green and blue tones, on the other hand, offer a pleasant contrast. They make us feel more balanced and calmer, making them perfect for offices. “Colours don’t work on their own”, adds Püringer, “but always in harmony with materials and light.” Natural hues and fabrics like wood, cork, stone and plants create a healthy environment, lower stress, boost concentration and have a positive impact on our well-being.

Püringer has the perfect example of what not to do. “A monotone room without colours, natural materials or sound-absorbing elements, with only hard surfaces and unilateral ceiling lighting feels cold, acoustically stressful and pretty uninviting, even if you’re looking out over greenery and sunny weather.”

As for the question of what the first step to creating a healthy room should be, she answers with a plea for greater awareness. “We have to understand that rooms shape how we think, feel and behave. Then we can work with experts to create living and working spaces that not only work for us, but also inspire us.”

And what about her own office? It reflects her personality: “Natural, creative, authentic – a place where work and life come together in harmony. Because at the end of the day, it’s the room’s soft skills that give us the sense of feeling at home, whether that’s in our own four walls or at work.” When we ask if she thinks her office is Instagrammable, she laughs: “I don’t know. It’s just important that I feel at home in there.”