Improving human-centred design in the defence estate

By Caroline Paradise, Head of Design Research, AtkinsRéalis UK & Ireland

Few institutions demand more from their people than the military. While defence forces necessarily prioritise equipment, technology, and strategic capabilities, the environments in which personnel live and work also play a crucial role in performance and wellbeing.

The 2024 Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) in the UK highlights opportunities for improvement in this area. Satisfaction with service life currently stands at 40%, down from 50% in 2021, and only 44% of service personnel approve of their living quarters — notable considering that 78% live in military housing during the working week.

Recognising the importance of housing for morale and retention, the Government pledged to spend an additional £1.5 billion on armed forces housing as part of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). This welcome investment presents a significant opportunity to align infrastructure design with human needs.

Implementing human-centred design principles, proven to enhance wellbeing, performance, and productivity, offers a straightforward, high-return approach that can improve day-to-day conditions while future-proofing infrastructure.

Built for a different era

Military accommodation and workplace design has traditionally focused on functionality, with residential spaces optimised for occupancy, workplaces for operational output, and communal areas for logistical efficiency. This approach has served specific purposes for decades.

As defence infrastructure ages, maintaining assets presents increasing challenges. According to the 2024 AFCAS, satisfaction with standards, quality of maintenance and response times for repairs shows room for improvement over the last decade.

Meanwhile, today's recruits enter service with expectations shaped by contemporary workplace and living standards. It’s more important than ever that living and working environments improve both the lived experience and mental performance.

Designing for wellbeing and performance

Human-centred design – well-established in commercial and government sectors – is gaining recognition in defence. It prioritises the interaction between people and their environment, acknowledging how psychological, physiological, and cognitive factors influence concentration, decision-making and performance.

Research demonstrates clear links between environmental factors and performance, including "evidence of an association between lighting and work performance, mediated by employee well-being"¹. In high-security environments, where access to natural light may be limited, alternative strategies can be employed. In a recent defence-sector project, AtkinsRéalis implemented skylight technology that mimics natural light cycles, addressing the inherent role that natural light stimulus plays in critical human circadian and metabolic processes.  Similarly, greater use of natural materials and focus-enhancing colours helped mitigate disconnection from nature – interventions supported by research on cognition and emotional regulation.  AtkinsRéalis also works with defence clients to embed access to outside space within even the most secure environments. For example, incorporating small internal courtyard spaces and balconies which still meet security requirements while offering service personnel valuable recreational spaces.

Home away from home

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) manages around 49,000 homes in the UK on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and this accommodation represents another critical area affecting wellbeing.

Low-cost design interventions can make significant differences. Modular personalisation – allowing individuals to adapt spaces through layouts, storage options, and small communal hubs – can foster a sense of belonging without major renovations. Meanwhile, industrialised and off-site construction methods offer promising approaches to building efficient, high-quality accommodation with optimised maintenance requirements.

The value of communal spaces

Some of the most impactful areas in military infrastructure are the spaces between work and home. Well-designed communal areas, green spaces, and relaxation zones can significantly enhance social cohesion and mental recovery. Service members often report highest satisfaction in these communal and outdoor spaces that foster camaraderie and decompression.

Investment in "third spaces" – such as outdoor rest areas, semi-private social hubs, and contemplative green spaces – can enhance psychological resilience with minimal infrastructure changes. Small-scale interventions can transform underutilised areas into meaningful social spaces that support wellbeing and mental recovery.  Simply making small adjustments to space provision around circulation space, such as stair landings to provide impromptu meeting spaces, supports an increase in social interaction and, in turn, improved mental health.

A strategic investment

Human-centred design represents a strategic opportunity rather than merely an aesthetic consideration. Even a single day of reduced absenteeism per soldier over 20 years would generate considerable net productivity gains. Using a whole-life cost approach can justify modest financial cases.

Better environments deliver better results, as extensive research into human-centred design demonstrates. The next frontier of operational advantage lies not just in technology but in the spaces that shape human performance. Investing in human-centred infrastructure represents a strategic approach to supporting retention, readiness, and optimal performance.