Think only about the last time you entered a room and immediately felt a sense of comfort and ease, or stepped into a space that made you feel anxious and uncomfortable?
If so, you’ve experienced firsthand how the built environment can influence your mood and emotions. I have personally felt the ease or sometimes the suffocation of spaces and how it affects my day. Architecture is not just about aesthetics and functionality; it plays a profound role in shaping our daily lives, including our emotional well-being. We spent most of our lives that is at least 80% of our life indoors. So it is crucial to understand our surrounding and the responses that we have.
In this blog, we will delve into the relationship between the built environment and mood, exploring how different spaces cater to different emotions through architecture. Different spaces trigger different emotions according to the age, gender, sexual orientation, and ability of a person.
For example, a huge space can be quite intimidating for kindergarten children. Bright colored spaces with natural ventilation and open spaces make a child feel at ease and energetic. Use of bright colors will enhance their education, while creating a fun, interesting and exciting atmosphere.
On the other hand, elderly home should be soothing and cozy with warm colors accompanied by minimal design. This space will create peaceful and serene environment for them to feel relaxed and at ease along with furniture that suits their ergonomics and their functionality.
This hospital is designed uniquely as both exterior and interior act as a beacon of hope for those suffering cancer in the area. This building has extensively used bright colors so that it creates an exciting environment for the children, will also make them feel drawn to the structure and also provide hope for the parents that accompany them.
These are very few examples portraying that buildings and spaces, through their design, materials, and layout, have the power to evoke a wide range of feelings – from awe-inspiring grandeur in the form of majestic cathedrals, to the comforting embrace of a cozy cottage, or the efficiency and order of a modern office building.
Architecture can inspire happiness, tranquility, excitement, or even introspection. It is a medium through which designers can communicate and evoke emotions, telling stories, shaping experiences, and leaving a lasting impression on those who interact with these structures. Next time when you visit a building try to notice the character of each space and their unique features and what it makes you feel.