When the Classroom Competes With the Lesson

A student looks away while the teacher is speaking. Another repeatedly taps a pencil, rocks in their chair or asks to leave the room. A third completes very little work despite appearing to understand the subject. These behaviours may be interpreted as inattentiveness, lack of motivation or unwillingness to participate. Yet the difficulty may notContinueContinue reading “When the Classroom Competes With the Lesson”

Why We Love High Ceilings: What a 1978 Study Still Tells Us

If you were buying a house, would you prefer high or low ceilings? A flat ceiling or a sloping one? Walk into a room with a low ceiling and you instantly feel a little more contained. Walk into one with a high ceiling and you breathe differently. We all know this intuitively. This double-height livingContinueContinue reading “Why We Love High Ceilings: What a 1978 Study Still Tells Us”

The Cathedral Effect: How Ceiling Height Shapes Spatial Cognition

Imagine walking into two rooms of identical footprints. The first has a low ceiling that draws your focus downward, pinning your attention to the task immediately in front of you. The second soars overhead, pulling your gaze up and out. Nothing else changes, yet your brain shifts gears — altering your perception, attention, and approachContinueContinue reading “The Cathedral Effect: How Ceiling Height Shapes Spatial Cognition”

Orden, estilo y supervivencia humana

El estilo arquitectónico y el orden suelen considerarse sinónimos, especialmente al hablar de la arquitectura grecorromana. Sin embargo, detrás de la piedra, la geometría y la armonía visual existe algo mucho más antiguo: el cerebro humano, un órgano que busca patrones para transformar la incertidumbre en comprensión. Con frecuencia contamos la historia de la arquitecturaContinueContinue reading “Orden, estilo y supervivencia humana”

Order, Style and the Human Survival

Architectural style and order are often used interchangeably, defining the visual identity of the ancient Greco-Roman style. Yet beneath the stone, geometry, and visual harmony lies something far older than any architectural tradition: the human brain, seeking patterns that transform uncertainty into understanding. We often tell architectural history as a parade of styles. Egypt wasContinueContinue reading “Order, Style and the Human Survival”

Neuroarchitecture: How Walkable Cities Fight Cognitive Decline

Population ageing is one of the most profound demographic transformations of the 21st century. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 will double between 2020 and 2050, rising from 12% to 22%. This phenomenon is particularly critical in industrialised nations: in Europe, 25% of the population isContinueContinue reading “Neuroarchitecture: How Walkable Cities Fight Cognitive Decline”

Can Architecture Foster Creativity?

By looking past the myth of the “creative space”, a major 2025 review reveals how indoor environments selectively shape different modes of human thought. Walk into the headquarters of a technology company, a design school, or a modern co-working hub, and you are likely to encounter many of the same design features: open layouts, colourfulContinueContinue reading “Can Architecture Foster Creativity?”

Inclusive Design Beyond Accessibility

Why Architecture Must Respond to Human Diversity For decades, inclusive design in architecture was often understood through a relatively narrow lens: accessibility regulations, ramps, lifts, wider doors, and compliance checklists. While these interventions remain essential, contemporary research in neuroscience, psychology, and human-centred design suggests that true inclusion extends far beyond physical mobility. Architecture does notContinueContinue reading “Inclusive Design Beyond Accessibility”

Podcast Episode: Energy Dependence and Urban Life

Pip: Every morning, millions of people sit in traffic doing maths they shouldn’t have to do — will the fuel money stretch to cover the school run and the groceries? That tension is exactly what this site keeps pulling at. Mara: Patricia Fierro-Newton’s latest work asks why that tension exists in the first place, tracingContinueContinue reading “Podcast Episode: Energy Dependence and Urban Life”

Neuroarchitecture and Positive Emotions: Designing for Wellbeing

We all seek to feel well. We may not always be able to define it, but we know wellbeing when we feel it. In a moment of calm, in a space that allows for both refuge and perspective, in that subtle sense of balance that comes – sometimes – quietly and without effort. For aContinueContinue reading “Neuroarchitecture and Positive Emotions: Designing for Wellbeing”