How architecture influences people’s wellbeing
Neuroarchitecture is an area of architecture that mainly tries to understand how the environment that surrounds us can influence our emotions or behaviour and modify them.
The space in which we carry out our activities, whether we are talking about an office, an educational centre or our own home, can be a source of inspiration and creativity, or on the contrary, it can be a disturbing prison that prevents us from developing our abilities.
This discipline allows us to study the cognitive-emotional state of people in architectural spaces and, therefore, the effect that the different design variables have, so that we can know how to create places that help to promote the well-being of users.
What aspects does Neuroarchitecture take into account?
Close your eyes and for a moment imagine that you are in a place with green areas, natural light, wide spaces, light colours and high ceilings. Probably the experience you are feeling has brought you to a state of relaxation and calm that has influenced your mood.
A part of your stress has vanished and your predisposition to carry out any activity is much more optimal than it was a moment ago. We tell you why:
Lighting: Natural light helps people to achieve a greater state of well-being and therefore your experience is much more relaxed and productive than when you are subjected to low light or artificial light.
Green areas: For some time now, you may have noticed that plants, vertical gardens, etc., are increasingly becoming key elements in the decoration of offices, restaurants, educational centres and even hospitals. It has been proven that they encourage concentration and favour calm and this improves the mood of the people who use these facilities, whether they are workers, inhabitants or patients.
Ceilings: High ceilings and open spaces encourage creativity. Low ceilings are more suitable for routine work.
Colours: Soft tones and colours close to nature reduce stress and increase the feeling of relaxation and comfort. A space in which these tones are reflected will be perceived as a healthy space. If what we want is to develop the capacity of the users of a space, we should promote stronger colours that capture their attention.
Architectural elements: The shapes used in the design of a space also have a positive or negative influence on the receiver. Curved lines or soft contours will transmit a sense of calm, tranquillity and security. Any rectangular space will provide us with less of a feeling of being cramped than a square one.
As you can see, there are spaces that overwhelm us because they are too small, or even if they are not, they transmit that feeling, and other spaces that either because of their dimensions, or because of their decorative elements, make us achieve calm and relaxation.
At López-Landa, we design and manage pleasant, emotional and sustainable spaces.
We create unique experiences that motivate creativity and productivity, without losing sight of people’s wellbeing. Contact us for more information!
