Architectural Design and the Mind

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a surge of interest in the neuroscience of architecture. This burgeoning area of research explores how the design of the built environment shapes human behavior, health, and wellness. In this chapter, the author reviews key historical developments in architectural design that motivated current research on the psychology and neuroscience of architectural experience. He argues that these evidence-based design movements of today emerged in response to a narrow aesthetic dogma that was widely adopted in the mid-20th century and contributed to the mass standardization of architectural form. Within this historical context, he reviews key findings from recent publications on the neuroscience of architecture and discusses the implications of this research for architectural design and human experience.