Margarete Follow

Interested in Architecture Analysis

May 31 · 8 min read

1# ARCHITECTURAL PSYCHOLOGY: The

In6uence of Architecture on our Psyche
Or: “How you can kill a human with an apartment just as
well as with an axe.” (Heinrich Zille)

Photo by Razvan Chisu on Unsplash

We spend 80–90% of our lives indoors, surrounded by

forms, artiMcial light, colors, furniture and
soundscapes. Isn’t it time to ask how much these built
environments aSect our lives and our personality? In
this series, we explore questions about how
architecture aSects our thinking, our cognitive
abilities, our mental and physical well-being, and our
emotions.
A relatively new -eld of research, namely “architectural psychology”, has
been intensively dealing with such questions for several years. The aim
of this academic -eld is to explore the impacts of architecture on hu-
mans, their feelings and behavior, and to formulate recommendations
for the planning and design of buildings. This research area poses ques-
tions about the eAect of outdoor and indoor spaces on people in cogni-
tive, emotional and social terms? How can homes, oDces and buildings
in general be designed and structured, so that they reduce stress or pro-
mote well-being?

Dr. Harald Deinsberger-Deinsweger, from the Institute for Residential

and Architectural Psychology in Austria, is investigating the question of
how residential, working and recreation rooms must be designed to have
the most positive eAects on people and their living together. How can
shortcomings and de1cits, but also potentials and possibilities, be
identi1ed in the planning process of architecture? And what are the
concrete areas that architecture can have an impact on?

Health
“Nobody can escape architecture and its eAects.” (Günter Hertel)
 Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash

Deinsberger-Deinsweger, is convinced that ill-conceived and inferior ar-

chitecture, combined with other factors, can promote stress, encourage
exhaustion, induce psychosomatic symptoms and even promote physical
discomfort. As a rule, these eAects are not immediately apparent, but of-
ten appear after a period of months or years. This allows for the reverse
conclusion that spaces can also support healing processes and promote
well-being.

Senses and the Nervous System

In order to feel comfortable in an environment, does not only require a
pleasant indoor climate. Light, plants, materials, construction methods,
temperature, and air conditions also play a role for well-being and
health. We have to bear in mind that humans have a holistic perception:
Our senses inRuence our thinking, feelings and actions and therefore our
entire body. If our senses are positively stimulated, this can have an in-
vigorating or calming eAect. As a result, spaces can inRuence our think-
ing, action patterns and, thus for example, promote motivation, our
readiness to act, and strengthen our performance or concentration. If we
feel uncomfortable in spaces, this can lead to restlessness or discomfort,
hypersensitivity, lethargy or even anxiety.

Security and Crime

Spatial structures are also associated with safety and security issues. If
spatial structures fail, measures such as alarm systems or surveillance
cameras often come into play. Certain structures can therefore attract
crime or vandalism, but can also help to improve security and provide
security.

Personality and Evolvement

The living environment in which we dwell and are surrounded by, and
thus also our surrounding built environment is fertile ground for our in-
dividual development and evolution. In a positive sense, spaces can con-
tribute to strengthening our sense of self-esteem and satisfaction.
De-cits in this area might cause dissatisfaction, restlessness, alienation
and listlessness.

Many buildings, according to the Deinsberger-Deinsweger, have de-cits

of various kinds which are usually not immediately noticeable.

Housing and social policy researcher Danny Friedman also sees correla-
tions between poor housing conditions/neighborhoods and individuals’
health, well-being, likelihood of criminality, and educational attainment.
In a study he shows that poor housing conditions are strongly related to
educational underachievement, the rise of health issues and criminal
grievances. Conversely, this means that

“[I]mproving the quality, size, and quantity of housing, and improving

the quality of neighborhoods and lower income households will have a
positive eAect in reducing criminality and ill-health and improving edu-
cational attainment.” (Danny Friedman)

Use and Behavior

Photo by Martin Wessely on Unsplash

“Spaces determine our behavior — for the most part without our con-
scious perception” (Dr. Deinsberger-Deinsweger)
Spatial structures promote certain patterns of behavior, and designs and
equipment animate us to certain ways of dealing with and using them.
Phenomena such as dilapidation, improper use or vandalism often
have structural causes. If architecture promotes a positive and emo-
tional attachment to places and strengthen a sense of responsibility, such
consequences can be intercepted. Thus questions about the How?,
Whereby? and Why? for all residential and construction projects be care-
fully studied and answered. Living or working environments can also be-
come instruments of identi-cation for our personality. If those processes
occur, our sense of responsibility for the spaces we inhabit develops.

In conclusion, the arrangement, equipment and dimensioning of

spaces and their design in?uence the human patterns of movement,
actions and usage. If spaces are created in a way that runs counter
to our patterns, it can hamper our movements and actions and
cause anger or frustration. Or, conversely, support the structures of
everyday life and make us feel comfortable.

Children, Sick and Elderly people

Scientist Tanja Vollmer has found out that the sick, elderly people and
children are much more bound to their living environment than other
people and will therefore be more strongly inRuenced by the spatial con-
ditions. The more insecure we are, the stronger the impact of the en-
vironment on us.

The research group under Dr. Roger Ulrich has proven that natural light
optimally regulates our body rhythms (i.e. circulation and blood Row)
and can even increase occupants’ productivity and comfort. It is no sur-
prise that if we stay in buildings 80 to 90% of our day our bodies are con-
Ricting with much of the built environment, rarely providing enough
access to daylight. Therefore principles for designing spaces that support
circadian health should be considered, e.g. with electric tunable lights,
tailored to speci-c circumstances, providing physiological and functional
aspects.
In an article Ed Clark and Marty Brennan outline six vital principles to follow when designing spaces
that support circadian health.

Therefore, if spaces are de-cient, the consequences may be dysfunc-

tional and destructive patterns of behavior, passive-aggressive denial or
distorted self-perception. In the positive case, however, well designed ar-
chitecture can accelerate healing processes (e.g. in hospitals), strengthen
exercise and vitality, emotional and cognitive skills, social interactive
and communicative skills.

Maria Lorena Lehman is also convinced that our built environment can
inRuence how we feel. The construction and furnishing materials, the
light, and the soundscapes have a certain emotional eAect on us. It is
therefore essential that architects keep an eye on the functions and ef-
fects on humans. Depending on the building, speci-c functions are re-
quired for humans:
A hospital should radiate peace, con-dence and hope accordingly. A
school should arouse curiosity, joy and excitement and an oDce should
support creativity, productivity and concentration.

Recommendations
 The role of an architect will change. They will have to keep the eTects of architecture on humans
in mind.

The foremost questions that architects and designers have to answer are
those: What feelings and emotions and states of mind do I want to
trigger in the occupiers of the building? It must also be clear that the
patterns of behavior diAer according to the building. With appropriate
design, the healthy patterns can be underlined.

However, since architecture has a diAerent eAect on everyone, because

diAerent patterns of perception, personalities and cultural imprints come
into play, it is diDcult to de-ne clear measures or tips.

Yet there are a few recommendations for measurements that diAerent

researchers like Vollmer suggest:

1. In order to create positive (social) spaces, it makes sense to inte-

grate the criteria for a project before the planning process. Here, for
example, the reference to the -ve pillars of the “SANCT model” can
be helpful: This approach — not only valid for architectural pro-
cesses but in all areas of life — should support the following ele-
ments: Self-esteem, Autonomy, Normality, Control and
moTivation. If these elements are taken into account for the
planning process, buildings can merge with new forms of hous-
ing, housing with new urban structures and thus, those can be
enriched with new functions.

2. During the planning phase, the project should be accompanied and

continuously optimised so that shortcomings can be resolved pro-
phylactically and damage prevention can be carried out. Therefore,
 various interest groups such as health managers, architects,
city planners, psychologists and physicians should be inte-
grated in order to gather know-how. “As the planning processes
become more concrete, the voice of users should be integrat-
ed.” In the future, Vollmer predicts, their participation in the design
process, and the scienti-c demonstration of the impact of architec-
ture on health, will become more and more important. The need
orientation will replace the demand orientation. Architectural psy-
chology, with its comprehensive understanding of the interactions
between humans and the built environment, will be an important
instrument in developing sustainable solutions and innovations.
The architect themself has an increasingly complex role to play — 
with in-depth knowledge of human psychology.

3. Also analysing the design, facilities and use aspects of existing

buildings is worthwhile in order to improve buildings for the resi-
dents. In order to create something new out of the existing, peo-
ple must sometimes discard old concepts to create room for
creativity — of course only to an extent that afterwards architecture
and a concept that serves the occupiers go hand in hand.

Dr. Upali Nanda (Director of HKS’s Center for Advanced Design Research
and Evaluation), who Sara Polsky refers to in her article on psychology
and architecture, sees a “tremendous innovation in the building technol-
ogy industry, as well as the cognitive sciences, including neuroscience.”
Maybe new technological tools in the architectural sector will soon be
able to track “the human response to changing space and place parame-
ters so we can develop a paradigm of responsive architecture.”

We will see what the future will bring us.

If you like my article, I am happy if you give me some claps. In the next
story of this series we will take a look at examples of how architecture
inRuences our psyche. If you want to learn more about psychology and
architecture, follow our publication or check out our Twitter account.