WAS THE NEWSLETTER #74

I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, where we…love science?

WHY A BAD SPACE MAY BE MESSING WITH YOUR HEAD

We’re delving into something fascinating today and that’s the concept of neuroarchitecture. I think we had an idea about neuroarchitecture at a visceral level but didn’t actually know it know it until recently.

NEURO-WHO?

First of all, WTF is neuroarchitecture?

Basically, it’s the lovechild of neuroscience and architecture. This a school of thought that says, “Hey… what if we built spaces that take into account how the human brain works?” What a concept, especially considering we spend about 90% of our lives indoors.

Neuroarchitecture came to my attention by following Alyssa Anselmo. She studied interior architecture in Florence before setting up shop as an NYC architect. In Italy, she found that you cannot swing a dead gatto without stumbling across something pedestrian, yet profoundly beautiful, like these public drinking water fountains.

So NA (I’m already tired of typing the whole word, sorry) is all about building offices, studios, schools, homes, etc. in ways that actually nurture the mind instead of low-key stressing it TF out.

The theory is that buildings have a psychological impact on us, so why not build them in a way that enhances our creativity and makes us feel more inspired?

IT’S A VIBE

There’s a great article about NA in Newsweek, but here’s the quick and dirty: your brain doesn’t passively exist in a room. Instead, it responds to whatever space you’re in, beyond the basic aesthetics. High ceilings? Totally. Elements like stone, wood, and water? OMG, yes. Fluorescent lighting? Hell, no.

When you feel like bad lighting is zapping your cortisol, that’s because it is.

Everything about a space can seriously impact how you think, how you feel, how you focus, from the amount of greenery to the size of the windows. That’s why we’re all about designing our homes well. But what about all the other places we have to go, from work to the doctor’s office to our kids’ daycare? Don’t our brains deserve a little treat there, too?

Anselmo sure thinks so.

She says, “We have grown used to dull, lifeless environments because they are cheaper and faster to build, but at what cost to our well-being? I want to open up a conversation about design, psychology, and how we have undervalued beauty in everyday life.”

IT’S SCIENCE, BRO

What’s so powerful is that NA isn’t some bullshitty wellness trend brought to you by Goop. I did try Goop Kitchen food delivery the other weekend.. and unfortunately it was REALLY good. Anyways, we’re talking legit science here. There’s a ton of research that shows that when people are exposed to natural light, their moods and productivity increase. Curved furniture and organic shapes are shown to make us feel more relaxed and safer. And elements like plants, stone, water, and wood entail bibliophilic design and remind us that we come from nature.

The person who’s considered the father of NA is Dr. Jonas Salk. (Yes, that’s the polio vax guy. Talk about your true Renaissance man.) He spent some time in Italy in the 1950s and he found that every time he visited the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, he felt uplifted, just more in the flow of everything.

When he got back to the US in the early 1960s, he created the Salk Institute and he wanted to incorporate the feelings he had in Italy. He hired architect Louis Khan to build the space with the parameters that it should inspire functionality and aesthetics because he thought that would be more inspiring for his researchers. (Spoiler alert: it totally was.)

WANT EXAMPLES? OKAY!

So if we incorporate NA into design, what can we expect?

Well, in healthcare, the use of NA, meaning bringing in art and more natural lighting, is shown to reduce stress and promote recovery.

In the office, designing the space to accommodate for movement and flexibility will up workers’ chill as well as their concentration.

At school or in educational settings, when spaces are stimulating and acoustics are managed, learning is enhanced and creativity is stimulated.

And we already knew that when we use NA at home, our spaces are far more peaceful and comfortable.

NA @ HOME

If you want to incorporate NA at home, try the following:

Let the sun shine in—natural light always trumps artificial lighting. Fact.

Use calming textures—soften it all up with fabrics, natural wood, and curved furnishings.

Create distinct zones—delineate your spaces between work, play, and rest.

Manage noise levels—absorb sound with textiles like rugs and curtains.

Buy some plants—they’ll lower your stress and clean your air. (Don’t make me tell you not to buy plastic.)

So, if you’re looking to improve your mental health, up your productivity, and increase your learning, neuroarchitecture is such a powerful tool.

Also, you should probably also book a trip to Italy… ya know, for science.

xx,
P