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What if we could evaluate a space in the same way we do a medical check-up? What if there were a tool capable of measuring how a classroom, an office or a hospital influences our brain… and, therefore, our health?
This is exactly what the NeuroDesign/NeuroArchitecture Index (NDIX) proposes, a scientific methodology developed by RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) and neuroscience experts at University College London (UCL).
Brain researcher and neurodesigner Isabelle Sjövall, director of Neuroarchitecture and Neurodesign at RISE, explains that today there are already objective and reliable methods for analysing how environments affect such relevant parameters as stress, concentration, cognitive performance, and mental recovery. cognitive performance and mental recovery.
What is the Index NDIX?
The NDIX is a tool based on neuroscientific and psychological research that assesses how different environmental factors influence the brain and, therefore, our health and behavior.
It analyzes elements such as:
- Light
- Sound
- Materials and textures
- Colours
- Shapes and distribution of space
- Temperature and environmental comfort
It is applicable to schools, offices, hospitals, urban spaces, green infrastructure and virtually any place where people live, work or recover.
A rigorous methodology based on neuroscience
The innovation of NDIX lies in the fact that it combines neurophysiological measurement techniques with criteria a10> neurophysiological measurement technologies with scientific criteria for environmental design.
Among the techniques used are:
- Functional magnetic resonance (fMRI)
- Electroencephalography (EEG)
- Biomarkers of health, such as variability of heart rate (HRV)
Thanks to these methods, it is possible to map the response of the brain and body to different architectural and design stimuli.
Six fundamental areas: a comprehensive vision of well-being
The index is structured around six dimensions that are essential for understanding how a space affects individuals:
- Safety and accessibility
- Cognitive aspects (attention, mental load, concentration)
- Sensory dimension (light, sound, stimuli)
- Emotional dimension emotional
- Social interactions social interactions
- Naturalness and connection with the environment
This holistic view allows us to understand how spaces can promote learning, reduce stress, improve performance, or accelerate recovery processes.
“Think of the index as a health check for environments. We start with a baseline analysis to identify how different elements affect performance, well-being and mental recovery. For example, a higher score on the index could translate into calmer students who learn more effectively,” explains Isabelle Sjövall.
Pilot projects in Stockholm and London
NDIX is already being applied in real projects in urban green infrastructure, healthcare and hospital environments, educational centres and workplace design.
The rise of neuroarchitecture and neurodesign is aligned with a growing trend: designing environments that improve health, reduce cognitive load, and promote psychological well-being.
For healthcare, this represents an extraordinary opportunity: less stressful hospitals, more humane waiting areas, units that speed up recovery, and environments that improve patient adherence and emotional state.
At a time when scientific evidence increasingly guides healthcare decisions, tools such as NDIX help to measure what we previously could only guess at.
You can find more information on this subject in this video from Fundación Telefónica:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I-QzGeye9U
👉 More about the NDIX Index:
https://www.ri.se/sv