Architecture affects our health, according to researchers
Buildings and urban spaces are more important for our well-being than we might be aware of.
New urban spaces characterised by modern, minimalist architecture are continuously being built. Studies show that architecture can influence mood, sense of security, and quality of life.(Photo: Shutterstock / NTB)
While many modern buildings are characterised by minimalist lines and open urban spaces, research shows that people often prefer classical buildings and dense urban landscapes.
Should architects and urban planners take people's preferences more into account?
Daily exposure can have an impact
A 2019 study at the University of Warwick, based on data from over 15,000 people in England, shows that people feel happier in beautiful surroundings – even in cities.
In a 2015 essay, neuroscientist Colin Ellard shows that monotonous buildings can create stress and discomfort for passersby. Ellard believes urban design should be treated as a public health factor.
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Psychologist Saher Sourouri believes that most people prefer traditional architecture.
For the past four years, he has played a key role in Architectural Uprising Norway, a grassroots movement advocating for new buildings to have a more traditional appearance.
"I have always noticed that certain environments make me feel better and that architecture can affect my mood," he says.
Psychologist and spokesperson for Architectural Upriging Norway, Saher Sourouri, believes the public should be heard by architects.(Photo: Rune Hammerstad).
Sourouri does not believe that people are immediately harmed by looking at ugly buildings. But if we are in an environment where we are exposed to them daily, he thinks it can affect us negatively.
"Should ask what people want"
Sououri believes that architects often listen more to their own aesthetic preferences than to the public's wishes.
"Some claim that architects haven't had enough resources to express themselves creatively. But look at the National Museum, one of Norway's most expensive individual buildings. Despite a large budget and great creative freedom, a survey shows that a large majority think the building is ugly," he says.
The National Museum in Oslo is an example of a new building characterised by minimalist design.(Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB)
He calls for more classical urban planning, with continuous block development instead of standalone blocks.
"We need to look back, not just at facades, but at the entire city structure. Large, open streets should be replaced with cosy and continuous urban spaces," says Sourouri, adding:
"Architects and urban planners should also more often ask themselves what people want and what they are comfortable with."
Architecture can improve quality of life
Professor Åshild Lappegard Hauge at the University of Oslo's Department of Psychology has researched the importance of the physical environment for quality of life, especially for vulnerable groups in housing, neighbourhoods, and healthcare buildings.
Professor Åshild Lappegard Hauge explains that our physical environment can affect us both positively and negatively.(Photo: University of Oslo)
"Our physical environment can promote quality of life and mental health, both directly and indirectly," says Hauge.
For example, through social meeting places, easy access to nature, and opportunities to be physically active.
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Beautiful architecture with designs that mimic nature can bring a sense of calm, according to Hauge. Our surroundings can also be read as signals of our own and others' value through the associations they give us, the professor explains.
"One example might be how a rundown institutional building can evoke associations that what happens there is of low priority and value in society. That can be tough both for those who live there and those who work there," she says.
Children become calmer with nature-inspired architecture
Hauge, together with Eli Kindervaag, a PhD candidate at the University of Inland Norway's Department of Psychology, has studied the impact of surroundings at the Outdoor Care Retreat. This is an architect-designed wooden cabin located in the forest behind Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet.
Here, children and adolescents under the age of 18 and their families can visit while being treated at the hospital.
"We have investigated how therapy works in this unique environment compared to traditional hospital settings. Therapists report that therapy flows more easily in the cabin than inside the hospital. They also find that the children are happier, feel safer, and are easier to connect with," says Hauge.
The Outdoor Care Hospital at Rikshospitalet. The cabin, located just a few metres from the hospital, was designed by Snøhetta architects.(Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB)
Through interviews conducted by Kindervaag with both sick and healthy children, it emerges that the children prefer rooms with a direct connection to nature or that resemble natural surroundings.
"They perceive these surroundings as more exciting, friendly, and homely. In such settings, children feel less restricted, more relaxed, and freer to express themselves and their emotions," she says.
Kindervaag believes the study shows that being in environments like the Outdoor Care Retreat can help increase resilience in children with long-term hospital stays and improve their overall satisfaction with the hospital experience.
Virtual reality can be used in urban planning
Ramzi Hassan, associate professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)'s Department of Landscape Architecture, has researched how architecture affects people.
He leads NMBU's VR lab, where virtual reality is used for much more than gaming.
They compared reactions to modern versus traditional architecture and found that traditional urban environments evoked more positive feelings.
Participants felt more comfortable and safe in these environments, while they perceived modern, minimalist surroundings as less friendly and more impersonal.
Could this become part of future urban planning? With VR headsets, researchers can study how people perceieve and experience urban spaces.(Photo: Hannibal Hanschke / Reuters / NTB)
"The study received a lot of attention, both nationally and internationally. It shows that we need to be more aware of how architecture affects people. VR can be an effective tool for involving the public in urban planning and understanding what people want," says Hassan.
A similar study was conducted by researchers in Amsterdam in 2020. Using eye-tracking technology, researchers were able to observe how participants' gaze moved and where they focused their attention.
Ramzi Hassan explains that there is a lot of exciting research going on with virtual reality and artificial intelligence within architecture and urban planning.(Photo: Eivind Norum)
It turned out that people were more naturally drawn to open street-level areas bustling with people and traffic, and paid less attention to the high-rises above them.
Unlocking the potential of artificial intelligence
Through his research with virtual reality – and now with artificial intelligence – Hassan sees that these tools can present future urban areas in a more realistic way.
He believes it is important for architects and urban planners to be made aware of this, so they can make better use of the technology. However, he also points out that there are some challenges.
"AI has developed rapidly, and we're only beginning to explore its potential. But the technology can help us find new and creative ways to develop cities," he says.
Still, Hassan stresses that the role of AI must be approached with caution.
"We need to be critical. Even now, we need to draw clear boundaries. AI should only be a tool we use – not a replacement for human influence," he says.
