1. NeuroArchitecture: What happens in the Brain inside the artificially created environment?
KAIST
바이오 및 뇌공학과
정재승

2. Jonas Salk (1914 – 1995): The discovery of vaccine for poliomyelitis

7. For more creativity, Raise the roof
Meyers-Levy et al. The Influence of Ceiling Height: The Effect of Priming on the Type of Processing People Use, Journal of Consumer Behavior (2007)

9. What is NeuroArchitecture?
Neuroarchitecture is a discipline that seeks to explore the relationship between neuroscience and the design of buildings and other man made structures that make up the artificially created environment that most human beings live within.
The underlying purpose is to assess the impact that various structures have on the human nervous system and brain.
More specifically, ‘neuroarchitecture’ addresses the level of human response to the components that make up this sort of built environment.

10. The premise of Neuroarchitecture
Neuroarchitecture is based on the premise that artificial elements added by humanity have a significant impact on the function of the brain and nervous system.
In some cases, the impact may be beneficial, while in other situations the form and structure of the building may create a negative reaction on some level.
It is understood that the impact may not be overt at first, and could in fact affect changes to the way the nervous system functions over an extended period of time.

11. Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA)
In operation since the 2003, the Academy actively encourages research that seeks to employ the tools of neuroscience study to the impact that humanly constructed elements have on the function of the nervous system and what type of brain activity occurs as a result of the stimulation to the senses.
The Academy has sponsored and been actively involved with studies that included investigating the neuroarchitectural impact of homes, office spaces, manufacturing spaces, houses of worship, and sports arenas.

13. Era of Mind-Reading Technology

14. functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
developed in the early 90s
It measures the hemodynamic response (change in blood flow) related to neural activity in the brain or spinal cord of humans or other animals.
3D-Encode: activated regions appear in multiple colour

15. Electroencephalogram (EEG)

16. Eye-tracking technique
Eye tracking is the process of measuring either the point of gaze ("where we are looking") or the motion of an eye relative to the head.
An eye tracker is a device for measuring eye positions and eye movement, particularly rotations of the eyes.

18. Neurotransmitter monitoring

19. NIH-supported Neuroarchitecture studies
In 2003, AIA (American Institute of Architects) helped two unprecedented research initiatives, one with the Salk Institute and the other with the U.S. General Services Administration and the National Institutes of Health.
They are intended to show empirically that different physical environments affect brain activity and even change brain structure.
The projects, though in their infancy, could have a major impact on how the workplace, buildings and even towns and cities are planned, designed and retrofitted, say sources.

20. Frank Gehry visited Society for Neuroscience in 2006 “Architecture & Perception”
Gehry will discuss the ideas and assumptions about how people perceive and interact with architectural spaces that inform his work....
He will also discuss architectural elements such as shapes, colors, and textures as examples of areas where a better scientific understanding of how and why the human brain reacts positively or negatively could help architects to design better buildings and spaces. (2006, SfN)

21. Frank Gehry’s in MIT

22. What did we learn from Neuroscience (and psychology) research for architecture?

23. The Influence of Ceiling Height
When people are in a room with high ceilings, it activates sections of ‘the right brain’ associated with freedom and abstract thinking.
In low-ceilinged rooms, ‘more constrained thinking’ is brought to the fore.
“There’s a preference in terms of real estate for high ceilings and it‚ and not only the sense of power and wealth that conveys but also vertical space could have a beneficial mental influence,” she says.

24. Many experiments have been made demonstrating that ‘colored walls’ impact on physiology and specially in stress mechanisms (Nicholas Humphrey, Colour and brightness preferences in monkeys. Nature, 229, , 1971.)

25. Neuroarchitecture: Blue Engenders Creativity
The New York Times reports on how color can influence creativity based on a Science article about researchers at the University of British Columbia who conducted tests with 600 people to see how cognitive performance varies when people see red or blue.

26. Sharp Corners
Items with sharp angles are less preferred by subjects and actually stimulate a mild fear reaction in the brain:
Neuroscientist Moshe Bar provided some support for this theory in his 2007 study in which subjects again viewed a series of neutral objects this time, while their brains were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging.
They found that the amygdala, which is involved in fear processing and emotional arousal, was more active when people were looking at objects with sharp angles.
“Very basic visual properties convey to us some higher-level information such as ‘Red alert!’ or ‘Relax, it’s all smooth; there’s no threat in the area.’ ”

27. The relationship with our surroundings is hardly new, as evident by the fact that we tend to gravitate to more inviting and pleasing spaces, especially where natural settings (i.e., trees, grass and streams) are involved. Furthermore, it is a generally accepted fact that our exposure to light, especially sunlight, can have a profound influence on our state of mind.

28. Green design: Biophilia hypothesis
Research shows that more green space and natural views help concentration:
Such findings may be the result of a restorative effect on the mind of gazing on natural scenes, according to an idea developed by psychologists Stephen Kaplan and Rachel Kaplan, both at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
By this theory, the tasks of the modern world can engender mental fatigue, whereas looking out at a natural setting is relatively effortless and can give the mind a much needed rest.
“A number of studies have shown that when people look at nature views, whether they’re real or projected on a screen, their ability to focus improves,” Stephen Kaplan says.
The “biophilia hypothesis” suggests that humans are predisposed to function better in green spaces. (See “Another Kind of Green Marketing”.)

29. Humans are genetically predisposed to feel relaxed around flowers, the hearth and food, and that homes need to be designed to release certain neurotransmitters.

30. In the end, the overall goal here is to encourage designers to take into account the emotional needs of their clients rather than simply focusing all their attention on functionality and design. A large part of this simply boils down to maximizing the visual cues that confer a sense of place and ultimately bestow a building with the important qualities that make it more than just a house, but a home.

31. Take our desire for eye contact with others as an example.
“A couple of million kitchens are planned each year and probably only about 5 per cent obey the most basic principles for human communication”
In most, the person preparing the food at the sink, stove or counter has to face away from his or her family or guests, decreasing sociability in what should be a social zone.
“As a result the brain continues to produce adrenalin and cortisol, the hormones associated with fear and anxiety,”
“Whereas if they are facing into the room then oxytocin, the bonding hormone, and serotonin, associated with relaxation and enjoyment, are released.”

32. Endorphin-releasing home design
Endorphins are the brain’s natural opioids and are released in a wide variety of situations. They are indeed released when we feel pleasure, but are also released when we feel stress or pain.
So designing homes to maximize the release of endorphins will just as likely lead to ‘uncomfortable, stressful hell-holes’.

33. Then oxytocin, the bonding hormone, and serotonin, associated with relaxation and enjoyment, have a greater chance of being released.”
Other features that help: big windows or a balcony for seeing the weather; curvy edges instead of hard ones on counter, furniture and cabinets to feel more content; original art and sculpture to convey a sense of authenticity and trust; privacy via a room of your own away from the noise.

34. Leon Festinger: Social Psychology studies
Leon Festinger was, in the 1950s and 1960s, one of the most influential social psychologists in the world.
Leon Festinger is best known for his theory of cognitive dissonance, which has generated more research than almost any other concept in social psychology. His social comparison theory has also been widely influential, and has helped to solidify his reputation as one of social psychology’s foremost theorists.

35. Festinger’s MIT dorm analysis
He investigated MIT students lived in campus Dorm.
He found that the structure of the dorm building (the location of room and distance between rooms) affects the friendship of the students.
Students who have the rooms close to stairs or mailbox have many friends.
In 1961, Newcomb in Michigan also investigated the students in Dorm.

36. Though its initial focus was on schools, hospitals, and prisons, experts in the field have become increasingly interested in the artificial environment that we spend most of our time in: our homes.
It is here that the overall design can have a significant effect on our moods and by extension, our health. In fact, attention to these details has been found to have a positive impact on patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

37. We need to explain how Alzheimer’s patients need visual clues like pictures and objects to connect them with their lives, and the same clues aid the average homeowner in feeling grounded. These might include family photos or books you’ve read and enjoyed.
Rearranging one’s decor is actually a healthy habit that keeps your environs from going stale.

39. Group Genius

40. Collective Intelligence

42. Workplace for Creativity?

44. Inquiry By Design : Environment Behavior/Neuroscience in Architecture, Interiors, Landscape and Planning
His book covers the new field of neuroscience for design by describing the creative design process, how buildings and spaces work, and observations of behavior in the physical environment.
We’ve seem a similar collaborative direction in green design as visionaries from various areas of expertise band together to work towards the common goal of sustainability.

45. Creativity resides in between.