Insecurity and the Built Environment: The Science of Architectural Experience

Abstract

As architects, we define our designs by both quality and performance. However, when it comes to experience, we often stick to what we know and how we can intuitively describe it. This theory and research thesis combines the sciences and humanities to get a closer understanding about how we, as human beings, psychologically and physiologically experience the built environment. Fundamental to this is the role that identity and culture play in our perceptions. We will discuss theories of architecture, philosophy and history from the late 19th century to present day and relate them to both the visual system and cognitive processing. We will lightly touch on topics of endocrinology, neuroscience and socio-cultural studies relating them to architecture and present-day social concerns. We will debate the role of identity and how the built environment is both a product and producer. Then finally, we will spend time discussing the tools and methods available to designers and our ethical responsibility to designing spaces within the global human context.