Stantec, a global leader in experiential and interior design, has been named a finalist at the 2026 Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards for the development of the ZenDen immersive sensory installation. Consisting of three multisensory experiences contained within a modular pop-up space, the ZenDen was designed to explore how direct engagement with the senses can promote cognitive function, facilitate relaxation, and improve emotional and mental wellbeing.
As a finalist in the Experimental Design category, the project was recognized as one of the top four submissions among all concepts, prototypes, and pioneering designs. Finalists are commended for demonstrating originality, beauty, sustainability, cultural significance, and measurable business impact.
Sensory enabled architecture
The ZenDen concept is the outcome of years of research and real-world experimentation by Stantec designers into the practice of sensory-enabled architecture (SEA). A research project led by Stantec and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro showed that environments that stimulate multiple senses more effectively enable users to self-regulate or take a mental health break. Additionally, participants in the studies stated that the ability to fine-tune conditions like lighting and sound to their own preferences contributed further to comfort and mental wellbeing.
Stantec’s research also studied the types of sensory stimuli that generate positive cognitive responses. Conditions such as increased relaxation, reduced stress, and improved focus were found to be strongly linked to the sensory experience of nature—the sounds of wind moving through trees, images of greenery and landscapes, and the smell of rain.
Together, these findings prompted the team to focus more specifically on multisensory experiences designed to evoke a sensation of immersion in nature, as a way to calm the mind and enrich the senses.
A modular proof of concept
The ZenDen debuted at txEDCON 2024 in San Antonio, Texas, an annual conference for leaders in public education. Educational spaces emerged as an ideal setting to test the cognitive benefits of a nature-forward sensory experience, as students are expected to remain engaged and cognitively active for long periods of time and face growing emotional and mental health challenges.
The prototype consisted of three distinct zones:
- The Cavern: providing sensory deprivation with tall felt-clad walls, low lighting, and reclined seating
- Creekside: offering sensory stimulation through adjustable light, sound, and scent elements as well as physical manipulatives
- Meadow Walk: encouraging social engagement and spatial awareness
The project also involved the fabrication of a custom audio-visual console designed to house the projection and sound equipment. Inspired by Cassette Futurism, a style that blends advanced technology with retro analog elements, the console offers a variety of tactile controls that enable participants to customize the lighting, sound, and projection conditions of their experience. Survey results from participants echoed the findings from the UNC study, that the opportunity to personalize the ambiance improves comfortability and relaxation, and was an important part of the installation’s overall success.
Wider applications
Since txEDCON, the ZenDen has been deployed in a variety of conference and real-world education settings, where Stantec’s team has gathered more data and feedback from users.
Beyond educational settings, Stantec is actively developing iterations of the ZenDen. Healthcare facilities, offices, and high-stress environments like airports, stadiums, or convention centers could leverage different versions of the ZenDen concept to help reduce occupant anxiety, support wellbeing and productivity, and provide calming and restorative spaces.
About Stantec
Stantec empowers clients, people, and communities to rise to the world’s greatest challenges at a time when the world faces more unprecedented concerns than ever before.
We are a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. Our professionals deliver the expertise, technology, and innovation communities need to manage aging infrastructure, demographic and population changes, the energy transition, and more.
Today’s communities transcend geographic borders. At Stantec, community means everyone with an interest in the work that we do—from our project teams and industry colleagues to our clients and the people our work impacts. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure.
We are designers, engineers, scientists, project managers, and strategic advisors. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.
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Media Contact
Matias Bessai
Stantec Media Relations
Ph: (416) 542-6041
matias.bessai@stantec.com