Routledge Handbook of Neuroscience and the Built Environment

Introductions

Susan Magsamen and Michael Mehaffy

PART I: Embracing Human Evolution and Biology in Architecture

1.  Architectural Aesthetics: Health and Well-Being

Vasiliki Meletaki and Anjan Chatterjee

2. Neuroaesthetics and Evolution

Alexandros A. Lavdas

3. Agency and the Quality of Relationships as Environmental Variables

A. Vernon Woodworth

4. Our “Animal Brain” Processes Vehicles as Animals: Architects and Policymakers Need to Acknowledge That

Nir Buras and Anaami Pandit-Haji

5. Harmony in Design: Leveraging Human Biology for Aesthetic Well-being

Natalie Ricci and Donald H. Ruggles

Part II: Perception, Processing and Memory 

6. Attention Is Currency: Exploring How First Fixations in Architecture Are as Important as in Advertising

Ann Sussman and Abigail C. Sekely

7. A Guide to Fractal Fluency: Designing Biophilic Art and Architecture to Promote Occupants’ Health and Performance

Richard P. Taylor, Anastasija Lesjak, and Martin Lesjak

8. A Map in the Brain for Space, Memory and Imagination

Kate Jeffrey

9. Mind and Brain in Architecture: Reviewing the Impact of Angular Versus Curved Designs

Nour Tawil and Simone Kühn

10. Unlocking the Hidden Power of Color in Design

Roz Kavander and Linda Kafka

11. Weaving Memories into Place: Exploring the Relation between the Built Environment and Associative Memory

Dylan Chau Huynh,^, Lars Brorson Fich, and Zakaria Djebbara

12. Proportion – Creation of Harmony through Architecture Using Sound as a Medium

Pooja Mahathi Vajjha

PART III:  Human Social Behavior and Need for Connection with Others and Ourselves

13. Translating the Architecture of the Brain to the City

Alexander Adams

14. Rhythm and Resonance in Architectural Experience

Sarah Robinson

15. Shaping Behavior through Spaces: Science-Informed Architecture for Nurturing Cognitive Reserve

Andréa de Paiva

16.  "Drawing from Within: Immersive Sketching as Neuroscientific Inquiry"

Cara Armstrong

PART IV: Going beyond Ourselves, Experiencing the Sacred

17. Seeing and Believing: How Physical and Temporal Context, Subject Matter, and Artistic Style Affect Viewers’ Encounters with Sacred Art

Robin M. Jensen

18. Neurophenomenology and Sacred Architecture

Julio Bermudez and Yoshio Nakamura

PART V: Neurodiversity, Stress, Trauma, and Healing

19. Design for Well-Being: Understanding the Impact of Architecture on Physiological Stress

Cleo Valentine and Heather Mitcheltree

20. Neurodiversity in Architecture: How Neurodivergent Architects Shaped Our World and How We Are Shaping Our World for Neurodiversity

Evon Calabrese

21.  Enhancing Well-Being and Productivity through Biophilic Design: Integrating Nature into Built Environments

Lori Crizel

22. The Role of Beauty in Promoting Well-Being via the Built Environment

Rhett Diessner

PART VI: Building a Future for Human Health and Well-Being 

23. Rethinking Healthcare Design for Enhanced User Experience

Vittoria Falchini and Rosi Pachilova

24. The Impact of Architecture on Wellbeing through Sound, Noise, and Silence

Frven Lim

25. The Value of Pocket Parks in the 21st Century

Gideon Spanjar, Frank Suurenbroek, Zahra Alinam, Justin B. Hollander, Regiena Stolp, Abigail C. Sekely, and Sába Schramkó

26. Advancing Evidence-Based Design (EBD) with Biosensor Integration: A Pathway to Data-Enriched Architectural Solutions

Lori Crizel

27. Neuroscience and AI Determine Architectural Knowledge

Nikos A. Salingaros

28. An Architectural Research Framework for Neuroscience of Human Experience

Tulay Karakas and Dilek Yildiz Ozkan

29. Activating Salutogenesis: Environmental Enrichment, Embodiment, and Embreathment in Placemaking

Tye Farrow

30. Translating Science: Promoting Cross-Disciplinary Application through Clear Communication

Veronica Gianinni

31. In Search of Our Place in the World

A. Vernon Woodworth

Biography

Alexandros A. Lavdas is a tenured Senior Researcher Neuroscientist at Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy, an Assistant Professor and Head of Psychology at Webster University, Athens Campus, Greece, and a member of the Board of Directors at the Human Architecture and Planning Institute, Concord, MA, USA. He holds an MSc and PhD from University College London. He has worked extensively in nervous system development and regeneration, and in more recent years, he has been especially interested in examining elements of visually organized complexity, such as those found in nature and pre-modern architecture, and exploring the psychophysiological correlates of exposure to environments incorporating such patterns.

Ann Sussman, an architect, author, researcher, and teacher, is passionate about understanding how buildings impact us. She serves as President of the Human Architecture + Planning Institute (theHapi.org), a nonprofit devoted to improving the design of the built environment through education and research. Her book Cognitive Architecture: Designing for How We Respond to the Built Environment (Routledge, 2015, 2021) won the 2016 Place Research Award from the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). She has taught  a course on human perception of architecture, Buildings, Biology + the Brain, at the Boston Architectural College (BAC) since 2018.

A. Vernon Woodworth is a registered architect and member of the Faculty at the Boston Architectural College with a BA in Urban Design from the New College in Sarasota, FLA, a Master of Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School, and a Diploma in Analytical Psychology from the C.G. Jung Institute Boston. He co-edited a volume of essays titled Programming for Health and Wellbeing in Architecture. His design firm Urban Determination, LLC focuses on small-scale residential and commercial projects in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston.

“The Handbook of Neuroscience and the Built Environment is a pioneering exploration of how architecture and design influence our brains, emotions, and well-being. By integrating neuroscience with the built environment, this essential volume offers profound insights into creating spaces that enhance health, creativity, and human flourishing through intentional, science-based design.”

- Stephen Porges, PhD, University of North Carolina, School of Medicine

"This wide-ranging and comprehensive Handbook will be of serious interest to anyone concerned with the built environment. In six parts, spanning human evolution to neurodiversity, contributions cover everything from aesthetics and proportion to context, wellbeing and AI. These essays demonstrate how the investigation of brain sciences and architecture can extend beyond the strictly performative and quantitative, something many of us have been hoping for since the phrase "Neuroscience for Architecture" was first coined."

- Kurt C. Hunker, FAIA, Past President, Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA)

"The Handbook of Neuroscience and the Built Environment fills a crucial gap in the literature, bridging design and cognitive science. This essential handbook highlights how the built environment shapes human cognition, emotion, and behavior. It offers invaluable insights for architects and designers, helping them create spaces that enhance well-being. A must-have for understanding spatial stimuli and their profound impact on human interaction and health."

Maria Christofi, Postdoctoral Researcher, Tufts University