This is the question a new case-study, '72 Hour Cabin', seeks to answer. Launched by Sweden, the experiment will investigate the effects of living in nature on health by taking five participants with some of the most stressful jobs and placing them in a custom-built glass cabin. 

During the day, they will have access to common Swedish outdoor activities such as swimming, fishing and cooking. Their well-being, measured by stress-levels, problem-solving capabilities and creativity, will be monitored by two leading researchers, Walter Osika and Cecilia Stenfors, from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, one of the world’s foremost medical universities. Participants include a broadcaster from London, a taxi driver from Paris, an event co-ordinator from New York, a police officer from Munich, and a journalist from London. 

The five glass cabins these participants will be staying in were designed by architecture student Jeanna Berger, who enlisted her brother-in-laws, who run a construction company, to help realize her vision. Inspired by the barns in Dalsland, the cabin stands on pillars as to not leave a permanent footprint on the environment.  

Sweden's life quality index consistently ranks as one of the highest and it is believed that their close relationship with nature is a big component in this. Research has shown that exposure to nature improves health and reduces stress. This new Swedish initiative seeks to put this theory to the test, all within 72 hours.