ARCHITECTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

A narrative on the correlations and interdependencies between spatial quality and human psychology.

As more people transition to urban living, we define and dictate our lives around built forms – the very crux of an urban lifestyle. There is an ever-increasing need for infrastructure, convenience, speed, and curated spaces. With the rise of hyper-productivity and functionality in the last few decades, spaces have become mere instruments to carry out programs. This is the perfect time to note and reflect upon how architecture and the built environment has a profound impact on our psychologynamely, moods, senses, and behaviour. The relationship between architecture, built environment, and cognition has never been more relevant.

DETERMINE FORMULATE

Research Aim

To study the correlations and interdependencies between architecture and psychology, and accordingly formulate a framework to create environments that can optimise mental health, and human wellbeing in spaces that one spends a sizeable amount of time in (such as schools, therapy centers, rehabilitation centers).

Objectives

• Identify if a feedback loop exists between built environment and human behaviour

• Determine the relationship between built environment, spatial quality, and cognition

• Study the various facets of psychology which affect human behaviour in a space (colour psychology, behavioural psychology, environmental/ecological psychology)

• Formulate parameters or psychological determinants to analyse spatial quality

• Interpret the capability of architecture to be moulded according to psychological needs to enhance the spatial quality of a space.

Methodology

DEMONSTRATION

EXPLORATION

DATA COLLECTION

ANALYSIS

CONCLUSIONS

• Demonstration of existing scenario(s) through literature studies and background review

• Exploration of the intricacies and complexities of various theories related to the topic

• Data collection - theories, projects, publications

• Analysis of theories and their applications through case studies and book reviews

• Drawing conclusions and inferences derived through analysis.

Keywords

Spatial Quality, Environmental Psychology, Human Behaviour, Cognition, Perception,

Emotional responses.

“The study of interactions between humans and their physical environment is referred to in many different ways, but most frequently as Architectural Psychology. Strictly speaking, it is neither architecture nor psychology, but a unique field that combines relevant theoretical aspects of both in order to enhance the human experience. Architectural Psychology effectively bridges the gap between architecture and psychology.”

Dr. Morgan Williams (Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Licensed Architect)

Architectural Psychology

Architecture is (applied) art. It is considered to be the art of building and construction, created for people to perceive and use it.

Psychology is the study of human experience and behaviour. One of its branches is environmental psychology, which relates the environment to human experience and behaviour. This deals with the psychological processes of the interaction between man and his environment, for example spatial perception, spatial thinking, orientation behaviour, or spatial experience. When a user experiences a building, they immediately become involved in an array of overlapping processes that all contribute to their experience — architectural psychology focuses on such connections and can be applied to all building types.

Architecture as an environment conveys itself through perception and interaction.

Each environment possesses its own identity, which humans address by using the established concepts of space and place.

Space

“Space” can be considered as an environment where humans interact.

There are eight different concepts of space: pragmatic or primitive, perceptual, existential, sacred, geographical, architectural and planning, cognitive and abstract spaces (Relph, 1976).

Place

“Place” can be considered as a space with experience added in.

The term “experience” includes perceiving, doing, thinking, and feeling. A place is an environment that is derived through human experience, interpretation, and establishment (Walter, E. V., 1988).

Humans rely on interaction with important spaces so that they can establish valuable places where they feel comfortable (Moos, S., 2009).

Spaces can transform people, and people can transform spaces.