The paper presents the application of natural materials, especially wood, which are relevant for human well-being in built environments of health, social, and day care facilities. These properties were tested by a complex methodology in a case study in the wooden waiting room at National Oncology Institute in Bratislava. In this space, experimental tests of physiological responses were further executed on 50 volunteers moving in the waiting room for 20 min. In this article, the EEG (electroencephalograph) (four persons) and emotions from the faces of all our volunteers before entering and after a stay in a wooden waiting room were recorded. Specifically, the ECG (electrocardiograph), heart rate (HR), and respiration activity were measured by using our own designed ECG holter (40 persons), and also blood pressure and cortisol levels were observed. The usage of wooden materials verifies their regenerative and positive impact on the human nervous system, through the appealing aesthetics (color, texture, and structures), high contact comfort, pleasant smell, possibility to regulate air humidity, volatile organic compound emissions (VOC-emissions), and acoustic well-being in the space.

This article explores how natural wood materials—especially untreated or minimally treated timber—are perceived and experienced during tourist experiences in recreational and tourism-oriented built environments. Drawing on principles of biophilic design and cultural theories of authenticity, the study examines both the psychological and the physiological impacts of wood surfaces on users. One of the objectives of this study is to strengthen the theoretical background and to explore the connections between tourists’ experiences and the material environment. Two pilot studies were conducted: a questionnaire administered to visitors of a national design fair (n = 37) and a physiological experiment measuring user responses to three material types (solid oak, chipboard, and white laminate). The results indicate that natural wood evokes significantly more positive emotional responses and is strongly associated with authenticity, sustainability, and comfort, although concerns about hygiene and surface aging persist. A SWOT analysis is used to summarize the strategic opportunities and risks associated with wood in tourism design. The findings support the inclusion of natural wood as a multisensory design element that enhances atmosphere, emotional engagement, and perceived environmental quality—especially when surface maintenance and cultural framing are appropriately addressed.

The average age of the European population has been increasing and this fact leads to the need of adapting the physical spaces, so that older adults may stay independent for as long as possible. To that aim, building constructors, furnishing designers but also social care and health sectors need to be aware of the difficulties that older adults face in their homes and in public spaces. Design for All, Universal Design and Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments are approaches that build and promote more inclusive spaces to everyone, regardless of their gender, age, ethnicity or functional limitations. The present study aims to identify the needs and gaps in different educational levels, concerning D4All and Universal Design, in four European countries (Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Spain), as well as survey the needs of stakeholders. With that purpose, desk research, interviews and workshop sessions were conducted, allowing to build a Matrix of Gaps, comparing the approach to these topics in four educational fields: Architecture, Design, Health, and Social care. Results show differences among the countries, but also that these topics are not sufficiently addressed in formal curricula, highlighting the need for this to be changed in the near future.

The text seeks answers to the questions of what folk inspirations in design mean and whether local identity embedded in traditions can work as a brand able to interpret traditional products and samples and, subsequently, disseminate them by means of strategies used in design. It is a conscious, innovative process that draws creatively on local sources. Today, traditional forms and patterns are naturally present in real craft products as well as kitsch objects created as an expression of the commercialisation of tourism. Attention is also paid to the terms “craft product” and “regional product”, their significance and understanding by local manufacturers, users, self-governing bodies, and activities at the given location. The analysis of this topic is based on field research and the results of an internet questionnaire.

Slovenská akadémia vied vykonáva špičkový základný výskum, dlhodobý strategický a aplikovaný výskum a vývoj a poskytuje prístup k vedeckej infraštruktúre.