When Neuroscience – the study of the nervous system – and architecture come together, we call it Neuroarchitecture. Neuroarchitecture means to design buildings that not only look good, but also feel good too.
To get this right, we need to know a little bit more about the human nervous system, how the architectural environment can affect it, and why the choice of colour matters more than we might think.
Hitting the right nerve
In short, a nervous system is made up of a network of nerves that send messages between the body and the brain, which causes a person to think and act in a certain way. During the day, our nervous system is extra alert to help keep us safe. Did you know that we can physically pick up impulses from our senses, our subconscious, internal bodily cues, the environment etc. that can trigger stress responses well before we even realise it mentally?
If our nervous system is “happy” (when we feel calm and balanced), we can function optimally, think clearly, sleep better, manage stress well and digest food properly. On the other hand, an “unhappy” nervous system (when we feel stressed and “on-edge”) can lead to the exact opposite. We feel riddled by anxiety, find it difficult to concentrate, sleep poorly, and experience exhaustion.
Just imagine how an unhappy nervous system can affect your long-term health…
The environment around us plays an important role in how we feel. The sounds we hear, the air we smell, the temperature on our skin, the amount of natural light, textures, shapes, spatial layout, colour – all of it matters.
Applying multi-sensory design principles is fundamental because it helps us create spaces that support the human nervous system.
And when we take into account that 15-20% of the global population suffers from sensory processing sensitivities (neurodiversity) like autism, ADHD and dyslexia, it is clear to see that architects need to design more intentionally.
Why colour matters?
Have you ever found yourself feeling on edge and unable to focus in one room, yet completely at peace and productive in another? Would you believe me if I told you that something as simple as the room’s wall colour could be throwing you off?
There’s a science and psychology to the use of colour in design. The various tones, combinations, placement and proportions all have a different effect, particularly on neurodivergent people.
Renée de Waal, Visionary Interior Architect & Creative Strategist at Xperience Makers, a Cape Town-based Interior Architecture & Design Studio, says colours talk to each other.
“The same green appears different depending on surrounding colours due to simultaneous contrast. This means choosing colours in isolation doesn’t work – you need to consider how they’ll interact with everything else in the space,” Renée writes in a recent article entitled “Why Your Space is Sabotaging Success (And How to Fix It with Science)“.
According to Renée, the best foundational colours to use in rooms where focus and concentration are required include beige, soft greys and gentle greens. These colours are especially ideal for people with ADHD or Autism. “Add small amounts of dark blue to enhance focus,” she advises.
She also mentions that calming blues, earthy greens and neutral tones are ideal choices for people suffering from anxiety, and a dash of yellow, red or orange can be incorporated for mood support.
What about white?
In architecture and interior design, white is a natural favourite because of the blank canvas it creates. There are many positive connotations when it comes to white with “purity”, “clarity” and “simplicity” of the most common words that comes to mind.
But every colour, even white, has a negative side too.
UK-based Behavioural & Design Consultant, Karen Haller, writes in an article about The psychological effects of colour in architecture’ that the “long-term psychological effect on the well-being and behaviour of those working in an all-white environment can create feelings of coldness, sterility, and isolation, causing strain.”
Karen believes that due to urbanisation and fewer natural settings, there is a growing responsibility on the shoulders of architects and designers to design thoughtful and comfortable environments to improve mental and emotional well-being. And colour has an important role to play here.
As a local architecture firm with a passion for creating buildings that heal, the findings of Neuroarchitecture are vital to our team at Veld Architects. We live for it! That’s why we think twice before choosing something as simple as a colour, and look to the experts for guidance on this.
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xxx
Love,
Gill
