05/29/2026
For a few years now, I have been having a hard time quickly explaining why I approach the design of interior spaces the way I do. When I design, I dive deeply into my clients' needs, preferences, and how they interact with the spaces they live in. I would explain how I approached the design solutions, which were based on my understanding of psychology, my client's personality, family dynamics, building codes, and the supporting building systems, among other considerations. But it was not a short answer.
It wasn't until my recent trip to High Point Market and my attendance at the Science in Design Key Note presentation that all the pieces of the puzzle finally fit together. I was basing my decisions on science rather than just decor.
I have been studying how the building's supporting systems: lighting, air quality, natural light, surrounding views, and sun exposure, work with materials, finishes, textures, and color, and how dexterity levels, human factors such as vision, hearing, mobility, ergonomics, etc., influence space organization and fluidity in order to enhance the lives of their occupants. I knew they all played a vital role in how we viewed, perceived, and interacted with such spaces, and, in turn, how those spaces performed for the people who occupied them.
The connecting pieces, as I learned during that keynote, are our senses, which capture the experience: our senses of vision and smell, and hearing, which send signals to our brain, which then relays them through our nervous system to decode the spaces we are in. Well, all that made sense, it's true! I concluded. But then, the aha! moment, the amount of energy it takes our brain (cognitive load), along with our own past experiences, still taps into our "primitive brain"! That means we can still perceive calm, hominess, and safety, or feel threatened, unsupported, or even stressed by different aspects in our environments.
Our brains still need to stay connected to nature to stay calm. That is, visually, hearing, sensing, smelling, what for thousands of years has been our natural habitat. Furthermore, our brains still respond positively to beauty, helping us connect and feel grounded.
They continued to tell us how the medical community is taking note of these findings. And how neurologists in many universities around the world, including Johns Hopkins University, have been conducting research on the neurological effects of architecture on the brain. As I dive deeper into the science (yay!), I am so hopeful in understanding how parts of our brains respond to stimuli around us.
I will keep writing as I learn more about Neurology, Neuroaesthetics, and Biophilia. I look forward to applying it to my studies of neurodivergence and behavioral psychology. I can't wait!
