PowerNap
TEAM: Rachel Neu
United States of America
Tulane University
-FINALIST of THINKING Competition
Designing for the 24 hours cycle
One in three Americans, an estimated 83.6 million adults, suffers from sleep deprivation getting less than the recommended seven hours of minimum nightly sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, mental distress, coronary heart disease and early death. A prescribed work day and pressure to meet deadlines lead to impaired sleep quality and duration. The light-dark cycle around which humans’ current sleep cycle is structured is no longer an accurate measure of days and nights.
The future workplace will no longer dictate a daily routine. The built environment will allow for personalization of space and schedule. Technology will enable occupants’ internal rhythms to be monitored and translated into a routine optimizing productivity. The new workplace focuses on individualized 24 hour schedules and incorporation of sleep into daily life as a tool for productivity and health, with equal emphasis on working and amenity program.
