Room design can have a powerful effect on concentration and mood, according to a feature in the April issue of Scientific American Mind. The included research finds that ceiling height, views of greenery, and lighting all have measurable effects on thinking.

Although gazing out a window suggests distraction, it turns out that views of natural settings, such as a garden, field or forest, actually improve focus. A study published in 2000 by environmental psychologist Nancy Wells, now at Cornell University, and her colleagues followed seven- to 12-year-old children before and after a family move. Wells and her team evaluated the panoramas from windows in each old and new home. They found that kids who experienced the greatest increase in greenness as a result of the move also made the most gains on a standard test of attention.

Presented in support of my obsession with the places where writers work.