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We have entered the exciting world of Neuroarchitecture, a recent field of study that seeks to detect and identify how our brain is affected by the built space that surrounds us. This directly affects the work spaces, because 90% of our time is spent in built spaces, whether domestic, work or social.

Interior designers, designers and architects have been working for decades to make built environments spaces cozy and pleasant. The sensory architecture of the XNUMXth century already asked how architecture could affect our cognitive abilities. But, now, Neuroarchitecture takes a step further and seeks biological and anatomical evidence about how these spaces can affect our nervous and neuronal system. In other words, it is about integrating symbolist and sensory architecture into the field of neuroscience, in order to design specific projects guided by brain structure of users. 

Neuroscience as a starting point

La neuroscience studies the functioning of the nervous system and its elements, as well as their interactions, to find biological bases that explain the behavior and cognitive processes of human beings.

When it comes to architecture, it is known that the impact of the environment affects the Neuronal plasticity.  The interaction with the environment and cognitive processes cause a constant alteration of the neuronal configuration, so greater neuroplasticity, that is, greater adaptability of our brain, makes this process more effective.

Furthermore, throughout our lives, those stimuli that become more repetitive or continuous strengthen the synaptic connections between neurons, while the neurons whose stimulation disappears end up dying because they are not necessary, thus reducing our capacity to adapt.

Keep a high variety of stimuli favored by the environment allows greater neuroplasticity to be preserved for longer, having an impact on the psychological and cognitive well-being of the person and their ability to adapt to new living conditions.

Objectives of Neuroarchitecture

The purpose of Neuroarchitecture is to be able to detect those spatial and object elements of the spaces (interior and exterior), which help to positively stimulate the user, in order to improve their Cognitive abilities, prolong them over time and thus maintain the health of your nervous system.

Below we present some results that have been reached diverse studies and which includes the TFG of Miguel Malato Agüera at the Technical School of Higher Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, and which can be very useful when designing work environments.

Movement spaces

Among the studies carried out, it has been detected that the motor movements They are crucial elements of Neuroarchitecture. It is well known that an individual deprived of the ability to move suffers from a degeneration of vital functions.

Conversely, the movement and transitions between spaces increases the activity of the cerebral hippocampus, part responsible for spatial orientation, stress evaluation and the first stages of memory.

It is, therefore, about creating projects where distances increase through connections, but also to blur the architecture through the landscape and the environment, making users enter and leave the built rooms to access different programmatic activities.

Thus, it is considered something “stimulating” to introduce elevation changes related to the motor capabilities of users: ramps, flights of stairs, level jumps, superposition of elements on the same route. Architecture is not an object, it is an action, and therefore, it must provoke action and incite movement.

The importance of volumetrics

Against the stimulus of movement, another equally necessary stimulus is contrasted: the corner, as that place of protection, seclusion, space-refuge, capable of reducing our level of anxiety and stress and hibernating our body's defense systems to free our senses.

But these protected spaces have to be, in turn, open, and incorporate the study of the other stimulating volumes, like high ceilings.

People located in a relatively high space have a higher success rate in activities that require a relational and creative process which involves discerning information from different sources and finding links between various ideas. In contrast, spaces with lower ceilings They induce greater ease in the development of concrete and mechanical actions, which do not require making decisions but simply executing simple orders.

Interior-exterior relationship

The various studies confirm that, despite being inside a built environment, everything that evokes us feeling of nature controlled causes a positive effect. In terms of aesthetic and affective response, it translates into psychological well-being, Psychophysiological effects and recovery from stress.

The naturalness of architecture is not only about plants and shrubs, but rather the properties of architecture to develop in a more natural way. The greater the contrast and gradual growth, A space without explicit nature feels more natural.

Moreover, the user position within the space it should not be fixed, but changes must be encouraged that alter the interior perspective and the vision of the exterior. Therefore, having a variety of visual perspectives contributes to cognitive performance. Sufficient space to allow changing the orientation of the seat and its views can be beneficial.

Flexible spaces

The function of objects is fundamentally psychological and social, rarely for utilitarian reasons. The their They are an extension of our own consciousness and identity. For this reason, the rooms should be located in continuous evolution adapting to the existential reality of each one, and cannot be planned as finished or static elements.

It is essential to project work spaces that have the capacity to be reconfigured and adapt their elements. And the furniture must allow the change of position according to the feelings of each user.

The spaces and objects totally straight and acute angles Very accentuated also influence users, perceiving themselves as threatening through a process in the amygdala that can trigger tension or aggression. As we published in a post about curved sofas and seats a few weeks ago, the curved or sinuous shape, On the contrary, it tends to reduce anxiety and provides benefits on a neurological level.

The stimuli of abstract art

One of the curiosities that some studies have revealed has been to discover that viewing a work by abstract art stimulates positively the brain. This is due to “mirror neurons”, which act reactively to what is observed. The thing about abstract art is that we cannot objectively decipher what we are seeing, so our mirror neurons cannot instinctively reproduce the act.

While the representation of a landscape, a portrait or a still life produces a localized activity In a specific area of ​​the brain, abstract art induces action in different regions in a kind of search for relationships with what is observed. The wide variety of stimuli What the brain receives when faced with abstract art means that it does not respond in a predictable way, but rather new neuronal relationships and new synaptic pathways are established, activating parts of the nervous system that, under normal conditions, would not have interacted with each other.

This could be extended to other artistic formulas, such as street art, graffiti, murals and various ways that are used to create visual stimuli in modern offices.

The senses of materials

Compared to purely visual architecture, there is a multisensory and tactile architecture Of the mattery. Currently, there is a certain hegemony to the visual and the aesthetic that inhibits other more real and palpable senses. In a way, they have prioritized aesthetic materials without taking into account the totality of perception considered essential by neuroscience.

The material cannot be defined only by its color, its shape, its tones, but also by the texture, its temperature, touch, aging, resonance, even fragrance.

Wood, brick, ceramic are not replaceable by concrete and it has been demonstrated that those elements with greater character natural They help cognitive development and especially in medical recovery processes.

Materials have three qualities that have a direct cognitive impact: texture, dispersion or amplification and color. For example, some studies have shown that texture changes when go barefoot They cause a direct stimulus to the cerebral cortex, responsible for thinking. For their part, they are also studying the acoustic properties of the materials and their reverberations. An optimal design from the point of view of its sound should not produce a very loud noise so as not to cause anxiety, nor should it produce a very low noise, as it causes restlessness.

The power of color

Back in the day, we published a post about the color effects in offices, where it is confirmed that colors influence and condition the mood of the people. For this reason, it is essential to study the effect of different shades on our brain and thus use them in the most efficient way.

The human eye perceives color as a stimulus in the form of light and the brain processes that perception, evoking feelings and emotions. For example, the cold colors (blues and greens) cause greater relaxation and a feeling of spatial spaciousness. While the colors of warm nuances (reds and oranges) cause greater excitement or anxiety and make us perceive a smaller space, although they are conductors of emotions that transmit energy and vitality.

The intangible properties of light

The properties of space not only depend on the physical state of objects or their materials, but are also due to intangible environmental elements, such as impact generated by light, sound and humidity. Of them, without a doubt, light occupies a special place in neuroscientific research.

La natural light helps concentration of people and generates a friendlier environment than artificial light. This type of light forces the brain to work harder on the task at hand and this has a negative impact on productivity. In addition, natural light brings individuals closer to the exterior of the spaces.

It is well known that light plays a vital role in our circadian rhythm activity and sleep. Cold light (low intensity wavelength) activates the blue light sensing protein responsible for keeping us awake and in a higher state of arousal, while high wavelengths (warm colors), typical of candlelight or orange light, they help you fall asleep better than industrial lights.

It is preferable the irregularity at the entrance of light, that is, instead of only having continuous windows that flood the space with direct light, elements must be placed that break up the incidence on the surfaces, thus promoting changes in the position of darkness and clarity. throughout the day, adding a new stimulus vector.

La Neuroarchitecture It is just beginning to take its first steps, but in a decisive way, providing unequivocal data on how the environment affects human beings based on a scientific basis and not merely experiential, intuitive or aesthetic. With the conjunction of these two disciplines, professionals will have a scientific basis to work and create projects more in line with the needs of users.

Photos: OfficeSnapShot