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SPACES THAT MOVE US - NEUROARCHITECTURE
THE HIPPOCAMPUS
Neuroarchitecture is a multidisciplinary field of research that deals with the interaction between the built environment and the human brain. It combines insights from neuroscience, psychology, architecture, and other related disciplines to understand how the design of spaces and buildings influences our cognitive, emotional, and physiological responses. Our reactions to buildings are influenced by the hippocampus area in the brain. Today, we have advanced scientific tools such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), which allow us to measure brain activity and physiological responses of people in different environments.
In simplified terms, neuroarchitecture refers to the various reactions that the user's brain produces when they are in a specific environment. These neural responses can change the mood and behavior of users in any space both in the short and long term.
In addition to other parameters, these effects can be measured by analyzing the following parameters:
Brain stimuli (in brain regions that are active during the time the user is in the environment);
- 1. Brain stimuli (in brain regions that are active during the time the user is present in the environment);
- 2. the reactions provoked by the brain in this environment;
- 3. Vital parameters that change in the environment (e.g. heart rate).
SIAMAK HARIRI AND THE BAHA'I TEMPLE
The idea that the built environment has an impact on the well-being and behavior of people is not new. Even in ancient times, builders were intuitively focused on creating spaces that were intended to evoke certain moods and reactions. For example, in temples, specific architectural features were used to induce feelings of awe or spiritual elevation.
The Ted Talk by Siamak Hariri addresses this aspect using the example of the Bahá’i Temple.
LIGHT, SHAPE, COLORS, LAYOUT...
Neuroarchitecture aims to apply these scientific findings to optimize the design of spaces and buildings. By intentionally using colors, shapes, light, materials, and spatial layouts, one can, for example, reduce stress, enhance concentration, or create a pleasant atmosphere.
The understanding of neuroarchitecture is increasingly influencing areas such as healthcare, education, and urban planning. It can help make hospitals more patient-friendly, create more effective learning environments, and plan livable cities.
NEUROARCHITECTURE IN HEALTHCARE
Michael Murphy speaks in his Ted Talk about the contribution that architecture can make to support healing processes.
Outstanding examples of the application of neuroarchitecture in the design of hospitals and facilities for cancer patients are the Maggie's Centres distributed across the UK, designed by Frank Gehry, Heatherwick, Snøhetta, and Zaha Hadid. The latter also designed the Learning and Library Center at WU Vienna.
... IN EDUCATION
Neuroarchitecture is especially indispensable in the design of educational institutions. The connection between education and architecture is also addressed by the Homereport 2023. and captures the interaction under the term "Edutecture." Edutecture is on trend.
The RIBA Stirling Prize for the best new building in Great Britain 2021 went to the new Town House of Kingston University, a building complex that cost 50 million pounds to construct. In 2022, the award also went to an educational institution – the new library of Magdalene College.
Similarly, the library designed by Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus, (Seattle Central Library), is an impressive example of how architecture utilizes natural light, flexible spatial design, and innovative spatial concepts to create an inspiring environment for learning and research.
Education pursues a different pedagogical approach in today's knowledge society than it did during the industrialization era. In contrast, the appearance of educational institutions, which always reflect the educational, cultural, and social values at the time of their construction, changes only slowly. Exciting concepts and pilot projects already show how learning spaces can be reimagined. "Advances in neuroarchitecture, such as the influence of air, light, and sound on human well-being, are revolutionizing the way education is implemented and educational spaces are structured," notes Oona Horx Strathern in the Homereport 2023.
The company Ecophon develops, for example, new sound absorption methods for schools and kindergartens to create a quiet learning environment. Acoustic challenges are caused by sound-reflective surfaces but can be reduced by suspended acoustic panels. This not only improves the auditory quality but, interestingly, also the taste of school meals.
SMELL SENSE AND SPATIAL EXPERIENCE
The close connection between the sense of smell and spatial experience is also stimulated by new findings in neuroarchitecture. Architects like Steven Hall, Peter Zumthor, and Juhani Pallasmaa advocate for a synesthetic concept of architecture, where smells play as important a role as seeing. Alvar Aalto significantly shaped this idea. For him, architecture consists of light, sounds, and smells. His buildings smell of the scents of the Finnish forests. In spatial planning, scents are now deliberately used to create defining spatial experiences. This strategy is based on the understanding that the identity of a place is not only experienced visually, but primarily olfactorily, and that this very interaction between visual and olfactory stimuli determines the spatial experience.
THE NEUROAESTHETICS - ABOVE THE CLOUDS
In architecture, various neuroaesthetic principles such as symmetry, proportions, coloring, natural materials, light, and shadow are particularly relevant to create aesthetically pleasing environments.
A prominent and award-winning example of how to design an exclusive residential property according to the principles of neuroarchitecture is the Villa las Nubes in southern Spain, which is currently part of AKKADIA's portfolio.
She is the perfect example of how neuroaesthetic principles can be applied in architecture to create aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable environments that evoke positive emotional responses and can influence people's well-being.
THE ARCHITECTURE IN ITSELF
Last but not least, this year's Architecture Biennale 2023 in Venice also shows that the interplay of emotions and space is at the pulse of the times. In the book “The Emotional Power of Space”, the Finnish architect Pallasmaa is quoted, who sums up this fusion as follows:
"Whenever I enter a space, immediately the space enters me. Architecture is an exchange. I am not looking at architecture, but rather I find the architecture in me."