“Every environment is already influencing guests’ nervous systems – the question is: are you designing for stress regulation and health restoration?” This is a query posed by Susan Magsamen, executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics (IAM Lab) at Johns Hopkins University in the US.

As the field of neuroaesthetics gains momentum, science is now validating what our industry has long believed: that environments are powerful drivers of wellbeing.

Here, Magsamen, who’s been at the helm of IAM Lab since it launched in 2010, reveals two new reports, which are designed to help translate this growing body of evidence into real-world spa and wellness environments.

Why does neuroaesthetics matter?

Underpinning the broader field of neuroarts, it’s the scientific study of how the arts and aesthetic experiences – what we see, hear, smell and touch – change the brain, body and behaviour.

From lighting and acoustics to materials, scents and spatial flow, these elements directly affect outcomes like cortisol levels, heart rate variability, mood and cognitive clarity. When you design with intention, what I call ‘aesthetic design’, you can improve client satisfaction and ultimately drive wellbeing and business performance.

Interest in the field is accelerating and we’re seeing healthcare, real estate, hospitality and workplace design all converge around the idea that environments are active agents in human health.

For the wellness sector, this is a pivotal moment. The industry has long understood the intuition of these ideas, but now we have the evidence.

How is it advancing?

This January, IAM Lab released two seminal reports – Intentional Spaces: The Power of Place Foundations and Intentional Spaces: The Power of Place Roadmap. They’re part of its Intentional Spaces Initiative, which has been running for five years and has seen IAM Lab engage with dozens of global experts across neuroscience, architecture, design, psychology and the arts for key insights.

Foundations also draws from a study commissioned by Thermengruppe Josef Wund, the thermal spa operator now owned by Therme Group. It’s the scientific backbone which translates complex research into accessible insights about how environments impact the brain and body, with a particular focus on how the sensory experience shapes perception, regulation and overall wellbeing.

Roadmap is a strategic guide. It outlines how to integrate neuroaesthetic principles into practice, offering actionable pathways for sectors like wellness, hospitality, healthcare and real estate to begin implementing this work.

We’ve also published A Day in the Life, a narrative about how intentional design shapes a person’s journey through a space.

Together, these reports move from theory to strategy, to lived experience, offering the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of designing spaces that support wellbeing. The work of IAM Lab isn’t just about publishing research – it’s about activating it.

The findings show how alignment across sight, sound, smell and touch is critical for regulation / ARIANNE AMORES

 What are the key findings?

From our work, we know that:

• The brain is constantly scanning environments for safety versus threat

• Sensory coherence – alignment across sight, sound, smell and touch – is critical for regulation

• Small design shifts can produce outsized physiological effects

• Personalisation and cultural context matter deeply

We’ve also found that environments don’t just influence momentary experience – they can shape longer-term outcomes related to stress, resilience and overall wellbeing. This has profound implications for spaces like spas, where the goal is not only relaxation, but restoration and lasting impact.

Is there anything that surprised you?

One of the biggest surprises was just how sensitive we are to micro-features of environments – subtle lighting changes, textures, or soundscapes can significantly shift emotional and physiological states.

Another revelation was how often these elements are considered in isolation. What matters most is how they work together as a system. When environments are designed with coherence and intention, they can support regulation and connection in a much more powerful way than any single feature alone.

A Space for Being was a neuroaesthetic installation at Milan Design Week / IAM LAB, GOOGLE DESIGN AND REDDYMADE ARCHITECTURE

Why launch Intentional Spaces?

To explore a critical question: How can we design environments that actively support human flourishing? We knew that ‘place’ was one of the most underleveraged tools in health and wellbeing. While much attention is given to behaviours and treatments, the environments we move through every day quietly shape how we feel, think and function. This initiative was created to better understand that influence.

Intentional Spaces is a subfield of neuroarts. In 2019, IAM Lab and global think tank the Aspen Institute launched the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative to integrate the arts as science-based tools into mainstream medicine and public health.

What other research is there?

There are several emerging areas that are particularly relevant to spas: 

• Multisensory integration research. Showing how combining modalities (sound + scent + light) amplifies impact

• Nature exposure and biophilic design. Demonstrating measurable reductions in stress and improved recovery

• Arts-based interventions in healthcare. Linking music, visual art and movement to pain reduction and faster healing

The takeaway? Wellness spaces can move from an amenity to evidence-based intervention environments.

What’s on the horizon for IAM Lab?

We’re focused on scaling – bringing neuroaesthetic principles into:

• Built environments (hotels, spas, urban design)

• Digital and hybrid experiences

• Policy and public health frameworks

We’re also beginning to translate this work into applied settings through pilot projects and collaborative design initiatives. As part of this, we’re working alongside partners to test how these neuroaesthetic theories can be implemented and measured in real-world environments.

This will then feed back into the Roadmap, which is a living document that will grow and change as we implement its core principles.

What’s the long-term vision?

It’s simple but ambitious. To make intentional, health-supportive design the default, not the exception. 

• To access the Intentional Spaces reports, visit: www.spabusiness.com/iamf and www.spabusiness.com/iamr.

A surprise finding was just how sensitive people are to subtle sensory design features / AI IMAGE BY THE FUTURE LABORATORY