Have you ever wondered why our thinking process is different at different places? There are some spaces where you feel you are being productive and some spaces make you unproductive. That is because the environment that we are in is nothing but an extension of our nervous system, sort of an extended mind. Change in the Architectural environment brings in a lot of inspiration to us. The quantity, quality and, configuration of spaces have a positive impact on our creative thought process and the ability to learn. For example, students have a more positive outcome when they work in a good environment rather than working in a disturbed environment.
Throughout time, Architecture has not been just the physical space that we see, it is a reflection of the culture and the history of the place. As Winston Churchill once said that “We shape our buildings thereafter they shape us”, Architecture creates a community where people live, learn, interact with each other and it helps in building connection through the cultural and historical aspects and it also helps in collaboration to work together.
Technological Era
In our technological age, where everything is becoming virtual from homes becoming offices to universities moving online, Architecture still plays a major role in impacting our lives as it affects the psychological state, behaviour, and the effect on physical conditions. The effect of online education can show results in the future. For example, would you like to stay or live in a building designed by someone who doesn’t have practice and is unaware if the building can stand or fall? Or consider going to a doctor who has completed his studies in an online mode alone. Earning a certificate through online education can be beneficial but you cannot become a professional practitioner with online study alone. It lacks direct exposure to hands-on experience and working together and learning from each other. Like listening to songs, Architecture can create emotions and change the way we experience spaces.
Future of Architecture
During the 1960s, when the Housing complexes Wendell O. Pruitt Homes and William Igoe Apartments, known together as Pruitt–Igoe where the living conditions started to decline with the increase in poverty, crime rates, and racial segregation, The Complexes were demolished using explosives, the project failed the architect’s initial idea of keeping a happy living environment. Also in big cities, due to more isolation, there is an increase in crime rates making it difficult for people to live in an urban environment. But now with the transformation of architecture along with psychological studies, we have a far better understanding of how people are affected by architecture or what kind of environments they find stimulating.
Architecture can affect and influence our emotions through many factors like the facades, Ceiling heights, colour, lighting, geometry, materials, etc. Psychological research shows that specialized cells in the hippocampal region of our brains are attuned to the geometry and arrangement of the spaces we occupy. Monotonous facades can impact negatively by increasing anxiety levels whereas Facades with elements and texture can bring in a positive impact. People working in studios where there is a high ceiling think flexibly and freely whereas, in spaces with a low ceiling, they tend to think in a specific way that is more solid and concrete. Colours also trigger emotion like the colour blue transmits the feeling of positivity, red shows energy, Yellow portrays optimism, Green evokes serenity. A simple act of opening the windows to let the sunshine in can make a huge difference in the space. We see hospitals usually have green landscaped spaces where patients come and feel calm over there.
Role of Architect
Once you are in architecture or a designing field, you never look at a space the same way ever again. Usually, instead of just enjoying the spaces like how a common user does, you tend to keep observing for details and learn through them. The impact of architecture differs from place to place because the culture differs from one society to the other and so does the nature of the climate. Architecture does not magically transform and make the world a better place, it does not mean that it cannot make an impact in people’s lives.
A successful design is something where people feel they have control over not how the buildings affect them. There is no ultimate answer to how architecture impacts people’s lives but architecture definitively serves more than simply a functional purpose. It is interesting how architecture can make an impact in the future through the rise in technology. The Architect is like an organizer, the master of the society, and the director of the future. He observes and considers the needs of the people before designing the spaces for them. They add beauty to our daily lives in ways that we don’t expect. Architects become the moderators of our future history.
References
JL Architects. (2018). How Architecture Affects Our Quality of Life. [online] Available at: https://www.jlarchs.com/how-architecture-affects-our-quality-of-life/.
Breeders, B. (n.d.). The Role of Architecture in Shaping Communities. [online] architecturecompetitions.com. Available at: https://architecturecompetitions.com/the-role-of-architecture-in-shaping-communities
Pert, A. (2019). Build me up: how architecture can affect emotions. [online] The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/build-me-up-how-architecture-can-affect-emotions-22950.
