Design | Inspiration

The 10 Lessons of Neuroarchitecture

FEBRUARY 2024

6 minutes

Space generates emotions and influences people's mood and health. And it does so in a way that is evident, tangible and quantifiable by the scientific method. That is the object of study of neuroarchitecture, a scientific discipline that has recently held its first congress in Spain. At the headquarters of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), national and international experts and academics have shared their studies, projects and scientific discoveries thanks to the work of the Institute of Neuroarchitecture of the UPV, an organization that has been researching for more than ten years.

Here we summarize the ten most interesting lessons on Neuro - architecture that has left the I National Congress of Neuro - architecture (funded by the Ministry of Education, Universities and Employment), funded by the Ministry of Education, Universities and Employment.n, Universities and Employment), in which Actiu was present as a driving force and with the installation of a QYOS acoustic booth that created an oasis of calm in the meeting.

Lesson 1: Spaces influence emotions, and science corroborates it.

Neuroarchitecture analyzes the effects of architectural spaces on people and their emotions. And, according to Íñigo Ortiz of Ortiz León Arquitectos, it validates the work that many architects have been doing for years based on common sense and their affinity with nature.

From the Neuroarchitecture Laboratory of the UPV, they apply subjective technologies - questionnaires and surveys - as well as objective ones, which measure the neurophysiological response of people. Their technologies measure everything from eye movement to facial expressions, brain activity and electrodermal activity (sweat), among other physical responses.

Lesson 2: One Health, Nature is Health

The environment, animals, plants and people share a single health: One Health. A philosophy that identifies the care of nature as a cross-cutting vector of health at all levels, hence the need for architecture to be aware and naturally integrated into its surroundings, according to Elisabet Silvestre, a biology educator and doctor.

Lesson 3: The next wellness challenge: equity

WELL certification measures the well-being of building interiors. After standardizing quantifiable parameters - lighting, temperature, water, acoustic and thermal comfort, mind, community, movement, food, materials - now the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has put the focus on inclusion and equity, with its Equity Rating.

The director of Global Market Development ESG, Giovanna Jogger, stressed that diversity, equity and inclusion are "strategic imperatives" and alluded to studies that show that this commitment to diversity translates, for companies, into improvements in innovation revenue (Boston Consulting Group), productivity (Academy of Management Journal) and profitability (McKinsey). And it helps team members to feel "welcome, seen and heard".

Lesson 4: Living spaces through the senses

The studies of the Laboratory of Neuroarchitecture of the UPV study the beneficial effect of spaces on the stress level of people. And they have found that issues such as natural lighting, the vision of natural landscapes, music therapy, the elimination of noise and the aromas of lavender and rosemary favor concentration, memory and cognitive and affective functions.

Colors, textures and materials can also influence the mood and bring reminiscences of nature, well-being and creativity to spaces.

Lesson 5: Green and blue spaces improve mood and health

Health should be understood as complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease and affliction. What's more, 23% of deaths worldwide are related to the environment.

From a positive perspective, that means that 12.3 million a year are avoidable, according to Cristina Vert of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health. Her previous studies at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) certified the benefits for people of regularly seeing, feeling and hearing so-called green (nature) and blue (water) spaces.

Thus, parks and forests translate into less stress, longer life expectancy, better physical and mental health, better cognitive development and better sleep quality. In blue spaces (rivers, seas, ponds), less studied, there is more physical activity, better mental health, less stress and better self-perceived well-being.

Lesson 6: Rehumanizing buildings and cities

Almudena Bustos, project manager for Decarbonization at Sanitas, focused on the need to renaturalize and rehumanize buildings and cities, especially all those environments linked to health and care for people, especially the elderly, who are particularly vulnerable. In the case of people with altered sensory perceptions, it is necessary that all spaces respond to a domestic scale with solutions that are based on nature, with its consequent improvement of emotional well-being.

Soledat Berbegal, Actiu's Brand Reputation director and advisor, agreed that the humanization of spaces, whether they be healthcare, educational or corporate, must transmit closeness through the use of textures and materials.This can be achieved through textures, materials, furniture and lighting, creating spaces that people want to inhabit and that benefit both their health and that of the planet. And for that it is essential to promote movement and a healthy lifestyle for people. This is achieved through the architecture and design of spaces and also with agile, flexible, ergonomic and configurable furniture.

Lesson 7: light takes care of caregivers and patients

In this sense, from the University of Seville, they are studying the influence of lighting on the health status of caregivers and their patients from successive studies. Ignacio Acosta and Samuel Domínguez from the Architecture, Heritage and Sustainability: Acoustics, Lighting, Optics and Energy group of the University of Seville reviewed some of their projects.

With Dynalight, they intervened in the lighting of the Pediatric ICU of the Virgen del Rocío Hospital in Seville to generate a biodynamic system in the image and likeness of natural light to favor the biological regulation of cortisol and melatonin in healthcare personnel and patients. Furthermore, Chronolight incorporates ultraviolet illumination for pathogen elimination. By applying it in three pediatric areas of the same hospital, it eliminates nocosomal pathogens that sometimes prolong patients' hospital stays.

Lesson 8: Space affects learning (and grades)

Carmen Llinares, from the Neuroarchitecture Laboratory of the UPV, explained that, thanks to their virtual reality technologies and real field studies, they have been able to measure the impact that the configuration of educational classrooms has on students' perception and learning.

Some of their conclusions are that reduced dimensions favor attention and memory, that cool tones achieve better performance and that, in the case of light, the more light, the more attention, and the less light, the more memory. In addition, the inclusion of plants in interior spaces - and the use of green tones - improves concentration, comprehension and school grades. In addition to the students' appreciation of their teachers' work.

Lesson 9: Colors that awaken the mind

Moreover, contrary to what it may seem, cognitive functions are less developed in white spaces than in spaces with color, according to the results of the Laboratory of Neuroarchitecture of the UPV. Specifically, cool tones achieve better performance and greater activation in people from a neurophysiological point of view. And memory and attention improve as color temperature increases.

Lesson 10: The user changes and the space must change with them.

Ultimately, it's all about people. In neuroarchitecture studies, it is essential to take into account the characteristics of the user - gender, age, background... - as well as the objectives and uses of the space. But, according to Juan Luis Higuera-Trujillo of the UPV, this user changes over time so, from the academic field, it is necessary to constantly redefine it. Thus, design guidelines can never be universal, as they depend on the user, but common patterns can be found that favor interaction between the person and the space and result in better physical and emotional well-being. And architects and designers must be aware of this.

All these reflections, and many more, can be heard soon in a series of podcasts promoted by Actiu, which were recorded, in interview format, during the course of the First Congress of Neuroarchitecture in an acoustic booth Qyos, installed at the headquarters of the UPV. An acoustically isolated environment that favored conversation and allowed to delve, in detail, on essential issues related to architecture and its connection with health, wellness and the environment.

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Date of last update: May 2025