Stressful life events and mental health diagnoses were common among students, therefore there is a need to help them relax and reduce their overwhelming level of stress. One way to provide this need is by providing a restorative environment for them, a space for them to spend time leisurely and cope with their stress. Natural environments are proved to be especially effective in achieving this restorative effect, and one of the most accessible natural elements is water. Considering that human perceptions are based on multiple senses, including auditory senses, studying on how water element could affect our health and well-being through our senses might be useful to provide future guide on designing relaxing environments for students.
This research evaluates the relaxation state of gentle stream water sound, which was tied to the “relax” and “comfort” impressions on a study before, on students by conducting physiological measurements. Brain responses, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were selected to be the parameters for these evaluations. The participants were divided into two groups based on their gender, then a round of stress inducing period and relaxation period were conducted. Thereafter, the results were compared using statistical method of two-sample t-test to evaluate whether there were any changes in their physiological responses and whether water sound have any relaxation effects on the students participating in this research.
The results concluded there were relaxation effects on students, as their physiological responses indicated that they feel more relaxed after listening to the gentle stream water sound, and the most obvious physiological change could be seen in the participants’ systolic blood pressure. Brain responses, however, were able to provide the most detailed responses that might not be seen in blood pressure and heart rate measurement. Finally, a general design suggestion was provided to provide a better guide on how to implement gentle stream water sound on a school or campus designs.

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