The meshing of architecture and brain science is starting to gain traction. Architects are studying the way the brain reacts to various environments through brain scanners and applying the findings to their designs.
“We’ve all known this intuitively,” said Betsey Olenick Dougherty, the Costa Mesa, California, architect who designed the middle school. “Now science can prove it.”
The push is on to incorporate brain science into design and architecture. A decade ago, the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture was formed in San Diego. Dougherty, of Dougherty + Dougherty Architects, is on the board. The topic is part of the American Institute of Architects’ conferences.
The thinking goes like this: The brain controls behavior, and genes control the design and structure of the brain. Science shows that environment can modulate the function of genes and, ultimately, the structure of the brain. So if changes in the environment change behavior, architectural design can change it too.
“Understanding the power and significance of design is not a luxury,” Edelstein said. “It has a direct impact on wellness issues and a direct influence on activity within that space.”