About Us
PEARL (Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory) is a place in which we explore the ways in which people interact with their environments. Within our facility, we can simulate life-sized environments under controlled conditions, manipulating its ground, lighting, soundscape and smell so that we can examine how people interact. Learning about how we respond to such conditions then allows us to design the world in a way which is healthier and more sustainable for all. You can learn more about our technical facility and services here.
Our Vision
At PEARL, our vision is to create a world in which people and the environment can thrive together in a mutually beneficial, safe, equitable and healthy way. This vision helps guide everything we do.
Our Approach
In order to achieve this vision, our approach is problem-based, transdisciplinary, transformative and integrative:
1. Problem-based: We look at the issue first, before determining what is needed to address it.
2. Transdisciplinary: What is needed is usually transdisciplinary in nature, and we draw on a combination of scientific, artistic, engineering, humanitarian and philosophical approaches in order to understand it.
3. Transformative: By working in a transdisciplinary way, ‘disciplines’ start to transform each other.
4. Integrative: The objective of our problem-based, transdisciplinary and transformational approach is to understand the environment – including people - in a more holistic manner, resulting in the greater integration of people and the environment.
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PEARL's integrative approach can be represented as an atom as everyone from every discipline is crucial to better understanding our relationship with our environment and each other. Our Arts-Sciences Programme is key to understanding how the fusion of different disciplines can help inform a more holistic understanding of the world.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Figure 1: PEARL's integrative approach
How can we help you?
PEARL is for everyone: Cities, Communities, Educators, Researchers, Governments and Industries. We connect a diverse range of sectors, from Health to the Creative Arts, and collaborate with a wide range of partners, both in the UK and abroad.
The following diagram describes the holistic and integrative nature of PEARL. Click here to see the range of projects we have collaborated on and get in touch to see how we can help you!
Figure 2: Diagram showing some of what "PEARL is..."