Comments on: Understanding Beauty in Architecture: Guiding Neuroaesthetics

By: Why a Mental Map is Important for Architects to Understand : Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:32:23 +0000

[...] you probably spend much of your time designing and preparing for programmatic functions and the aesthetic beauty to be experienced by future building occupants. But, did you know that your design ultimately is “interpreted” into what is frequently called [...]

By: Understanding the Perception of Interior Spaces : Sensing Architecture by Maria Lorena Lehman

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:02:56 +0000

[...] To learn more, you should read this article that I wrote about the merger between neuroaesthetics and architectural design: Understanding Beauty in Architecture: Guiding Neuroaesthetics [...]

By: Maria Lorena Lehman

Maria Lorena Lehman — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:08:26 +0000

Rachel,

1) I found a link to the Seed Magazine article Beauty and the Brain mentionied in this Sensing Architecture post. I think you will find a lot of good information there.

2) At one point I heard that the Academy for Neuroscience for Architecture was conducting research involving fMRI studies in relation to specific architectural qualities and features.

3) The article Beauty and the Brain, described above, presents some interesting hints about what composes universal beauty in architecture. I think I could write forever about how universal beauty may be found within specific architectural works; plus, research is currently underway to better understand the neuroaesthetic side to such research questions. One approach is to flash specific architectural features in front of research test subjects to study which parts of the brain (if any) “light up”. At the moment, I do believe such studies are still preliminary as there is much to uncover regarding what makes architecture and its features truly and universally beautiful.

4) I think if you look around there are architectural elements that approach qualities that are universally beautiful in many places. It’s the expression of such elements that make it interesting — as well as up for debate. Perhaps another approach to your question is to look at the body of work by a leading architect like Lois Kahn. Does his body of work exhibit elements, features and compositions that approach universal beauty? … I think they might; but I guess in order to have that neuroaesthetic support to this argument — more fMRI studies need to be done.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:17:02 +0000

Wow, this is so interesting to me! Would you happen to have links to anything that you mentioned in the above article, or in relation to such? I would really appreciate any more information that you have, for example, do you know what areas of the brain are triggered? Has anyone done any MRI imaging/mapping? What specific locations or buildings are you referring to that spark universal beauty? Do you know of anything that has been built in the last 20 years that supports this idea?

Sorry to bombard you with questions…Thanks for any help you can offer me!