How Architecture & Design affect our Subconscious

Words by Xavier Bernard

Believe it or not, architecture and design affect your emotions and behaviour. It is either due to deliberate choices by the makers, or an unexpected collective subconscious experience. It is no surprise that the concepts of Feng Shui in China or Vastu Shastra in India have existed for centuries - as humans, we are receptive to our surroundings, the objects that adorn our rooms, the colours we perceive, the lighting we use and so on. This is to the point that Neuroscientists and Psychologists now have the research to back these claims and will increasingly work alongside architects and designers when it comes to urban development and public spaces. We will discuss how different architectural and design choices affect us, look into historical case studies and finally how what is unappealing to most can be appealing to some.

Let us start by looking at the very energy that enables sight: light. The colour, strength and type of light used within a space has a direct effect on our experience and mood. According to a 2015 Australian study, pale lighting (more whiteness than chromaticity and virtually no blackness) tends to generate pleasant feelings and peacefulness, whereas vivid lighting (high chromaticity and little whiteness or blackness) tends to cause a higher heart rate and increased alertness. Deep blue lighting has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety; in fact, blue lights were installed in certain metro stations in Japan to reduce the rate of suicide - this was succesful as the suicide rates in those stations dropped by 74%. To give examples we can all relate to, let us look at restaurants and hospitals. Restaurants tend to choose warm, dim lighting, accompanied by tabletop candles or lanterns to convey a feeling of intimacy, pushing customers to stay a while and enjoy the food. On the other hand, hospitals tend to use harsh, white lighting - the practical reason is for healthcare providers to have a clear view of everything they are doing, impose concentration and force cleanliness standards as everything is more visible. However, it is clear that this is not for the benefit of the patients - I think we can all agree that imagining those long, white hallways and bright operating rooms make us shudder if anything. Lastly, many studies have shown that natural light is crucial to human health and mood, employee productivity and it helps students achieve better scores. 

Do you have a window near you? Look out for a second - what do you see? Research by the Heschong Mahone Group has shown that having greenery (such as trees, flowers, etc.) in direct view improves your mood and productivity. On the other hand, having bland, public housing or industrial buildings in sight can contribute to stress and a lack of motivation. Overall, having large windows that let in natural light will provide a much better experience to those inside - in fact, a 2014 study by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine has shown that office workers with more exposure to natural light tend to be healthier, more productive and will keep a better sleep pattern. Lastly, I believe it is a common experience that having a nice view from your home will instantly increase the sense of space, boost our mood and help us dream. The way natural light creates evolving shadows on the objects and furniture that adorn our rooms can be a very satisfying sight. However, it could be argued that a scenic view from an office building leads to more procrastination from the workers - and yet this is not the case; in fact it boosts productivity. 

Before we move outside again, let us look up at our ceilings. A 2007 study by the University of Minnesota states that a higher ceiling can stimulate concepts of freedom causing people to engage in more free-form, abstract thinking. These higher ceilings are typically seen in museums or libraries. On the other hand, a lower ceiling can promote a sense of confinement, causing people to engage in more detail-specific thought. These lower ceilings are typically seen in operating rooms or restaurant kitchens. The way a ceiling is designed can further contribute to our thought process and experience of space. Some architects and designers choose to have “exposed ceilings”, which create the sense of additional space and a more complex, modern look. This “unfinished” look can therefore foster more creative thinking. From the renaissance to late 19th century, many creators embellished their ceilings with fresques, motifs and other techniques - not only is this aesthetic, but it can also make a room more pleasant to stay in, providing a distraction from the monotony of daily life. 

Colin Ellard, a Canadian researcher, argues that building facades can also affect our subconscious. His findings indicate that if the facade is complex and interesting, it affects people in a positive way; negatively if it is simple and monotonous. For example, when he walked a group of subjects past the long, smoked-glass frontage of a Whole Foods store in Lower Manhattan, their arousal and mood states took a dive, according to the wristband readings and on-the-spot emotion surveys. They also quickened their pace as if to hurry out of the dead zone. They picked up considerably when they reached a stretch of restaurants and stores, where they reported feeling a lot more lively and engaged. Shops and restaurants will obviously work towards more engaging facades to attract customers, whereas industrial or corporate buildings may not invest in exterior design as it is a lesser concern for them. Let’s take it from another perspective: when visiting a new city or town as a tourist, you will not have the time or permission to enter every building you come across. You are therefore more likely to enjoy, picture and remember a place if there were interesting, appealing facades rather than bland, simple ones. 

Another interesting topic to look into is that of statues, memorials and historical landmarks. These often mirror collective regressions and sorrows or victories and people's steps towards adaptive change. Those behind these creations must therefore convey emotion through the colours, materials, stances and elevation used. To take a lesser known but nonetheless impressive monument, look up the “Chronicle of Georgia”. This monument, located near Tbilisi, is made-up of sixteen 30 meter pillars all depicting sacred figures and monarchs in bronze, copper and stone. For any visitor, this monument creates a sense of awe, interest and visual pleasure due to its size, complex engravings, colours and positioning. On the other hand, the “Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe” conveys the sense of constraint, suffering and monotonicity that jewish prisoners had to endure. The polished concrete parallelepipeds of uneven height create uneasiness and the lack of individual names contribute to the sense that it is impossible to physically represent the total number of victims. 

Now, let’s dive into a historical case study that showcased just how important city planning and architectural choices were with regards to the wellbeing of the local community. From its fanfare opening in 1954 to its live-on-TV demolition three decades later, the St Louis (Missouri) Pruitt-Igoe public housing project remains a powerful symbol of the social, racial and architectural tensions that dogged America’s cities in the mid-20th century. It’s 33 featureless apartment blocks quickly became notorious for their crime, squalour and social dysfunction. Critics argued that the wide open spaces between the blocks of modernist high-rises discouraged a sense of community, particularly as crime rates started to rise. From what we’ve stated previously, we can easily identify a number of architectural and design errors that likely lead to increased anxiety and violence within the community: harsh lighting, lack of greenery and scenery, low ceilings, cramped spaces and bland facades. This is the kind of case that experts use to push for increased collaboration between psychologists, neuroscientists, architects and designers when planning urban development. 

Before we move on to concluding remarks, we must be reminded that not all of us have the same preferences regarding architectural and design choices. In fact, some communities have been built around their shared love for uncommon, subversive aesthetics. We’ll take a look at the appeal that minimalism, brutalism and abandoned ruins have for certain individuals - as all of these have elements contrary to the findings discussed previously. 

Although minimalism is rising in popularity, it remains a niche aesthetic and lifestyle. One could argue that an empty household, with minimal decoration and simple, clean designs may lead to boredom, lack of creativity and is an excuse for lack of refined taste. However, minimalists will argue that the lack of clutter and the focus on organization is precisely what reduces their stress and improves their concentration. Furthermore, minimalist interior design can actually work to put more emphasis on the beauty and complexity of the few carefully selected objects within the rooms.

From the mid-20th century, the Brutalism style rose in popularity before reaching its peak in the mid-1970s, when it came crashing down as a model of bad taste. Brutalist architecture was primarily used for institutional buildings. British author Anthony Daniels called the reinforced concrete of Brutalism “monstrous,” pointing out that it “does not age gracefully but instead crumbles, stains, and decays.” Imposing and geometric, these buildings have a graphic quality that is part of what makes them so appealing. Moreover, concrete can be used for cost-efficient yet aesthetic interiors (often in line with minimalist desires). Instead of a focus on materials, brutalism plays on geometry and symmetry.

Lastly, although I doubt one would decide to live in such a place, abandoned buildings and modern ruins overtaken by nature also have a community of enthusiasts. Often linked to the world of Urbex (Urban Exploration), these places ignite a sense of intrigue and titillating fear within its visitors. Abandoned places are often overtaken by nature, and showcase the battle between man’s will to control his environment and nature’s effortless ability to rebuild and take back what was once hers. Moreover, the history that comes along with the buildings and the random objects found within from thousands of curious visitors can fuel one’s imagination. 

To conclude, findings provide evidence of architecture and design’s effects on our subconscious. Our brains continuously interpret shapes, colours and lights and these interpretations can in turn contribute to our wellbeing or distress. It is clear that collaboration between the scientific and creative worlds will continue as we move on, to avoid mistakes such as the Pruitt-Igoe public housing, to ensure that workers are happy and productive, and of course to leave a legacy of visual appeal. And yet, with all these findings, humans are still able to find solace within the imperfections and unfinished projects. No matter what, what you find appealing as an individual will be the answer to your wellbeing - and sometimes, it is contrary to what the majority says.