Follow Your Nose

Our brains have evolved to react to stimuli from many sources. Our senses, working together, tell us everything we need to know about our environment. However, when we put ourselves into the sterile environment of a modern building, some of our senses are deprived of stimulus. One of those senses is the sense of smell, which we know is one of the most powerful and primitive senses we have.

Recently, the use of fragrances in buildings, especially in areas of transient occupancy such as lobbies, lounges and corridors, has become increasingly popular.

This has been aided by the development of new technology that nebulizes fragrance oils into the atmosphere without the use of solvents, making them more acceptable to the users of buildings than aerosols or systems relying on the evaporation of fragrance oils.

Such systems, known as ambient scenting, can deliver subtle, natural odours into a space to add an extra dimension to our sensory experience. By pulling together all of the other elements of biophilia-inspired interior landscaping, fragrances are an ideal way to rebuild our connections with the natural environment.