Architectural Psychology and Biophilia in Healthcare FINAL - Flipbook - Page 1
by Michael Dobereiner, AIA, LEED A.P.
Principal, Hyman Hayes Associates
Can architectural space be more than
subjectively beautiful?
Photo permission granted by Cleveland Clinic
Photo permission by Cleveland Clinic
Are there objective realities in the built
environment that cause humans to elicit
certain responses of well‐being or fear,
stress or relaxation, pain or pleasure?
What if our experience of architecture has
a quantifiable effect on our well‐being?
What might this mean as to how we design the spaces in which we live and work,
particularly those related to healthcare?
Philosophers, policy‐makers, and urban planners have puzzled over this question for
years but have been held back by the lack of measurable data on the topic . . . until
now.
A relatively new field of research known as architectural psychology (a branch of
environmental psychology) explores the interaction between humans and the built
environment and has generated a great deal of information on the topic, much of which
is backed by extensive research and data.
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