1st Edition
Routledge Handbook of Neuroscience and the Built Environment
According to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), in the 21st century, we are living in a New Age of Biology, acknowledging the rapid development of transformative findings in the life sciences. The Routledge Handbook of Neuroscience and the Built Environment shows how these new findings impact architecture, planning and design, changing our understanding of how people respond to their surroundings, and how they can be optimized for our wellbeing.
31 Chapters, presented in six sections, discuss human perception, the need for connection, and how design impacts health and wellbeing, through topics such as neuroaesthetics, color, memory and place, proportion, sound, neurophenomenology, neurodiversity, biophilia, beauty, artificial intelligence, among many others. Expert, international contributors look to answer key questions such as: What do Architects and Designers needs to know about neuroscience? How does Architecture and Design impact us non-consciously? Why is acknowledging the human subliminal experience important? What tools can designers use to ‘see’ our subliminal behaviors?
This volume will be important reading for the design community, whether practicing, educating, or studying, as well as policy makers and public health professionals.
Introductions
Susan Magsamen
Part I: Embracing Human Evolution and Biology in Architecture
1. Architectural Aesthetics: Health & Wellbeing
Vasiliki Meletaki and Anjan Chatterjee
2. Neuroaesthetics and Evolution
Alexandros A. Lavdas
3. Agency and the Quality of Relationships as Environmental Variables
A. Vernon Woodworth
4. Our “Animal Brain” Processes Vehicles as Animals: Architects and Policymakers Need to Acknowledge That
Nir Buras and Anaami Pandit-Haji
5. Harmony in Design: Leveraging Human Biology for Aesthetic Wellbeing
Natalie Ricci and Donald H. Ruggles
Part II: Perception, Processing and Memory
6. Attention is Currency: Exploring how First Fixations in Architecture are as Important as in Advertising
Ann Sussman and Abigail C. Sekely
7. A Guide to Fractal Fluency: Designing Biophilic Art and Architecture to Promote Occupants’ Health and Performance
Richard Taylor, Anastasija Lesjak and Martin Lesjak
8. A Map in the Brain for Space, Memory and Imagination
Kate Jeffrey
9. Mind and Brain in Architecture: Reviewing the Impact of Angular Versus Curved Designs
Nour Tawil and Simone Kühn
10. Unlocking the Hidden Power of Color in Design
Roz Kavander and Linda Kafka
11. Weaving Memories into Place - Exploring the Relation between the Built Environment and Associative Memory
Dylan Chau Huynh, Lars Brorson Fich & Zakaria Djebbara
12. Proportion - Creation of Harmony through Architecture using Sound as a Medium
Pooja Mahathi Vajjha
Part III: Human Social Behavior and Need for Connection with Others and Ourselves
13. Translating the Architecture of the Brain to the City
Alexander Adams
14. Rhythm and Resonance in Architectural Experience
Sarah Robinson
15. Shaping Behavior through Spaces: Science-Informed Architecture for Nurturing Cognitive Reserve
Andréa de Paiva
16. Drawing from Within: Immersive Sketching as Neuroscientific Inquiry
Cara Armstrong
Part IV: Going Beyond Ourselves, Experiencing the Sacred
17. Seeing and Believing: How Physical and Temporal Context, Subject Matter, and Artistic Style Affect Viewers’ Encounters with Sacred Art
Robin Jensen
18. Neurophenomenology and Sacred Architecture
Julio Bermudez and Yoshio Nakamura
Part V: Neurodiversity, Stress, Trauma and Healing
Chapter 19. Design for Wellbeing: Understanding the Impact of Architecture on Physiological Stress
Cleo Valentine and Heather Mitcheltree
20. Neurodiversity in Architecture: How Neurodiverse Architects Shaped our World and How We are Shaping our World for Neurodiversity
Evon Calabrese
21. Enhancing Well-being and Productivity through Biophilic Design:
Integrating Nature into Built Environments
Lori Crizel
22. The Role of Beauty in Promoting Wellbeing via the Built Environment
Rhett Diessner
Part VI: Building a Future for Human Health and Wellbeing
23. Rethinking Healthcare Design for Enhanced User Experience
Vittoria Falchini and Rosi Pachilova
24. The Impact of Architecture on Wellbeing through Sound, Noise, and Silence
25. The Value of Pocket Parks in the 21st Century
Gideon Spanjar, Frank Suurenbroek, Zahra Alinam, Justin B. Hollander, Regiena Stolp, Abigail C. Sekely, and Sába Schramkó
26. Advancing Evidence-Based Design (EBD) with Biosensor Integration: A Pathway to Data-Enriched Architectural Solutions
Lori Crizel
27. Neuroscience and AI Determine Architectural Knowledge
Nikos Salingaros
28. An Architectural Research Framework for Neuroscience of Human Experience
Tulay Karakas and Dilek Yildiz Ozkan
29. Activating Salutogenesis: Environmental Enrichment, Embodiment, and Embreathment in Placemaking
Tye Farrow
30. Translating Science: Promoting Cross-Disciplinary Application through Clear Communication
31. In Search of Our Place in the World
A. Vernon Woodworth
Biography
Ann Sussman, an architect, author, researcher and teacher is passionate about understanding how buildings impact us. She serves as president of the Human Architecture + Planning Institute, (theHapi.org), a nonprofit devoted to improving the design of the built environment through education and research. Her book Cognitive Architecture, Designing for How We Respond to the Built Environment (Routledge, 2015, 2021) won the 2016 Place Research Award from the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA).She has taught a course on human perception of architecture, Buildings, Biology + the Brain, at the Boston Architectural College (BAC) since 2018.
A. Vernon Woodworth is a registered architect and member of the Faculty at the Boston Architectural College with a BA in Urban Design from the New College in Sarasota, FLA, a Master of Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School, and a Diploma in Analytical Psychology from the C.G. Jung Institute Boston. He co-edited a volume of essays titled Programming for Health and Wellbeing in Architecture. His design firm Urban Determination, LLC focuses on small-scale residential and commercial projects in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston.
Alexandros A. Lavdas, is a tenured Senior Researcher Neuroscientist at Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy, an Assistant Professor and Head of Psychology at Webster University, Athens Campus, Greece, and a member of the Board of Directors at the Human Architecture and Planning Institute, Concord, MA, USA. He holds an MSc and PhD from University College London. He has worked extensively in nervous system development and regeneration, and in more recent years he is especially interested in examining elements of visual organized complexity, such as those found in nature and pre-modern architecture, and exploring the psychophysiological correlates of exposure to environments incorporating such patterns.
- “The Handbook of Neuroscience and the Built Environment is a pioneering exploration of how architecture and design influence our brains, emotions, and well-being. By integrating neuroscience with the built environment, this essential volume offers profound insights into creating spaces that enhance health, creativity, and human flourishing through intentional, science-based design.”
- Stephen Porges, PhD, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine
"This wide-ranging and comprehensive Handbook will be of serious interest to anyone concerned with the built environment. In six parts, spanning human evolution to neurodiversity, contributions cover everything from aesthetics and proportion to context, wellbeing and AI. These essays demonstrate how the investigation of brain sciences and architecture can extend beyond the strictly performative and quantitative, something many of us have been hoping for since the phrase "Neuroscience for Architecture" was first coined."
- Kurt C. Hunker, FAIA, Past President, Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA)"The Handbook of Neuroscience and the Built Environment fills a crucial gap in the literature, bridging design and cognitive science. This essential handbook highlights how the built environment shapes human cognition, emotion, and behavior. It offers invaluable insights for architects and designers, helping them create spaces that enhance well-being. A must-have for understanding spatial stimuli and their profound impact on human interaction and health."
Maria Christofi, Postdoctoral Researcher, Tufts University
