“It is 4:30 a.m., I wake up, turn off the alarm, and walk to my balcony to look out at the park across the street, and as I release my long breath, all negative thoughts fade away. I am fortunate in that I am able to avoid urban stressors by living in a pleasant environment, but this is not the case for everyone. Through the use of architecture, connecting to nature between massive concrete blocks has a favourable psychological impact.” The goal of combining architecture and psychology, or environmental psychology, is to understand better how people interact with their surroundings, how those environments affect social lives, relationships, and even mental health, and how the two fields can work together to make society a better place (see Image 1).
The impact of architecture on human perceptions and mindsets has shifted over time. It began as a form of shelter and protection (Stone-age Era, see Image 2), evolved into a type of art form that offered creativity, subjectivity, and beauty (Modern Era, see Image 3), and has continued for the current and future well-being (Contemporary Era, see Image 4). Furthermore, psychology is a vast science that encompasses all that surrounds us, or, to put it another way, the study of human experience and behaviour (see Image 5). Every time, both sectors worked toward the same aim of improving society.
Architecture has always acted as a common language, whether it is for architects, designers, urban planners, or even for a common person. In today’s environment, where stress and anxiety are impacting our health, architecture psychology is critical for everyone. “Buildings directly effects on our emotions. They can depress or uplifting us, sooth or surprise us, welcome or forgive us”, says Eberhard. As a result, a collaborative approach to environmental decision-making is advantageous to a person’s health, mood, behaviour, and social interactions. As a result, architecture has two (see Image 6) distinct effects on our lives. A good architectural design has psychological and physiological implications in addition to having a nice aesthetic look. Also, we are aware that bad architectural design and execution are linked to significant health and psychological difficulties.
A favourable psychological environment (see Image 7) is always the result of good architectural design. By understanding an interrelation between humans and structures for humans, we slowly and steadily tend to comprehend where our societies seek pleasure. Whether the built environment is around automobiles or community parks, from where do they get the sense of pleasure. Additional green spaces, bike routes, barrier-free zones, walkways, or buildings connected to nature (see Image 8) can all help to improve physical and mental health. Why should it not have a positive impact on our lives if structures and landscapes are smart, safe, and well-designed?
In contrast, rather than boosting health in the twenty-first century, the bad architectural vision (see Image 9) has often harmed it. The design fails when it comes into contact with our human touch, creating a frigid, unwelcoming environment that lacks optimism. Dilapidated warehouses(see Image 10) or abandoned shops can be considered as an example, as it creates an unsafe zone, thus creating stress and anxiety. So the question is: why can design, through cement structures, generic buildings, and repetitious chain stores influence an unhealthy lifestyle? Why would you want to be in an uncomfortable atmosphere when we can provide you with a pleasurable one?
“Good mental health can improves our enjoyment of life, our coping skills and relationships, our educational achievement, employment, housing, and economic potential, help reduce physical health problems, ease the demand for healthcare and social care, build social capital, decrease suicides; and help people to live together in a positive, productive, cost-effective and ultimately happy way. That benefits everyone.”, says McCay. Architecture can have a psychological and physiological impact on our life. With the increasing rise in health issues such as obesity, stress, anxiety, depression, heart attacks, and others, why can’t we use our knowledge and technical means to focus on the societal benefits? Because it has its own traditional and cultural values for human nature, architecture has always had an impact on our lives. Architectural psychology (see Image 11), on the other hand, must be formed in conjunction with a positive , and conscientious attitude toward tradition and culture.
In the end, as we know, Architects have a great impact on society, and especially during the time of the pandemic when mental health has been triggered by 25% worldwide, more contribution will be required towards the built environment. Majorly, focussing on (Form, use, and beauty) rather than (Form, utility, and craft) might be the first step towards peace, better health, and happiness. On the contrary, if architectural psychology will not achieve simple yet necessary factors for society, then someone (like me) might wake up at 4:30 a.m., will turn off the alarm and walk towards the balcony and while watching the concrete blocks than a park across the street, the person will go back to sleep.
Citations
1) Jackson, R. and Kochtitzky, C., 2001. Creating a healthy environment. [Washington, D.C.]: Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse.
2) Ricci, Natalie, “The Psychological Impact of Architectural Design” (2018). CMC Senior Theses. 1767. https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/1767
3) Abel, A., 2021. What is Architectural Psychology?. [online] Available at: <https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.14361/dak-2021-0126/html> [Accessed 20 April 2022].
