Updated 2026-11-03
The research library
A research library on how environments affect people. Browse studies, reviews and guidelines about light, sound, air, materials and the arrangement of space. Each record explains the finding and its possible relevance to design.
Evidence strength describes the support for a finding. Translation distance describes how closely the study relates to a building decision. Reading them together helps connect research to a particular brief.
Two ways to read a source
Selected sources
These examples show different kinds of research, from indoor conditions to spatial memory. The labels help explain the setting and the support for each finding.
ND-0001 · 2021 · Systematic review
How indoor environmental quality affects occupants' cognitive functions: A systematic review
Wang et al. Building and Environment
Poorer indoor conditions were often associated with poorer cognitive performance, but effects varied by factor, task and study design.
ND-0066 · 2006 · Foundational theory/review
The boundary vector cell model of place cell firing and spatial memory
Barry et al. Reviews in the Neurosciences
Proposes that boundaries at specific distances and directions contribute to place-cell firing and spatial memory.
ND-0093 · 2025 · Experimental neuroscience study
Norepinephrine-mediated slow vasomotion drives glymphatic clearance during sleep
Hauglund et al. Cell
Synchronized norepinephrine and vascular oscillations were linked to glymphatic CSF flow during NREM sleep; zolpidem dampened key dynamics.
ND-0022 · 2020 · Experimental study
Irrelevant speech effect in open-plan offices: A laboratory study
Kostallari et al. Applied Acoustics
Irrelevant speech degraded aspects of cognitive task performance in an office-like context.
The library includes mixed and null findings alongside positive results. Coverage notes identify what still needs reviewing. Read the method for the meaning of the labels and source-checking status.