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Brain Sciences
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Neuroarchitecture: Humans in the Built Environment
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Neuroarchitecture: Humans in the Built Environment

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 2214

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yasha Jacob Grobman

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
Interests: building; green building; architecture; building technology; sustainable construction; construction technology; sustainable architecture; green architecture; sustainability; theory of architecture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Gerry Leisman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Movement & Cognition Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
2. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of the Medical Sciences of Havana, Havana 11600, Cuba
Interests: developmental neuroscience; computational neuroscience; cognitive neuroscience; fetal cognition; neuroplasticity; consciousness; neuroeducation hunter
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Avishag Shemesh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. National Institute for Brain & Rehabilitation Sciences, Gilbert, AZ 20892, USA
2. Movement & Cognition Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
Interests: visualization; 3D computer graphics; user experience; virtual reality; architectural design; BIM; design; architecture; cognitive neuroscience; EEG

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

If architects created buildings with the user's happiness, healing, and emotions in mind, how would the spaces look? Organizations that support patient rehabilitation include hospitals, schools, and workplaces that foster creativity and attention. The application of cognitive neurosciences to applications in the built environment is known as neuroarchitecture: the design of effective environments that consider both objective metrics like emotion, pleasure, and well-being as well as technical ones like ergonomics, legal requirements, and environmental comfort.

How many times has one visited a location—be it a park, a housing complex, a mall, a house, or a building—and experienced either glad or enthusiastic feelings, or despair and anxiety?

Understanding how shapes, colors, and scales can affect human perception and measuring these indices is becoming easier thanks to advancements in cognitive neuroscience. Nowadays, one may already employ virtual and augmented reality, electrophysiological measurements, and magnetic resonance imaging to comprehend how nervous systems and brains function in different environments.

This Special Issue addresses the burgeoning field of neuroarchitecture in an attempt to create a “go to” source for current knowledge of the effect of the built environment on the nervous system as well as on cognitive functions, with a broad range of application areas including schools, hospitals, rehabilitation environments, the workplace, and even homes.

Prof. Dr. Yasha Jacob Grobman
Prof. Dr. Gerry Leisman
Dr. Avishag Shemesh
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neuroarchitecture
  • cognitive neuroscience
  • environment
  • nervous system
  • cognitive function

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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30 pages, 12912 KiB  
Article
Neurophysiological Markers of Design-Induced Cognitive Changes: A Feasibility Study with Consumer-Grade Mobile EEG
by Nathalie Gerner, David Pickerle, Yvonne Höller and Arnulf Hartl
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(5), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15050432 - 23 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Background: Evidence-based design aims to create healthy environments grounded in scientific data, yet the influence of spatial qualities on cognitive processes remains underexplored. Advances in neuroscience offer promising tools to address this gap while meeting both scientific and practical demands. Consumer-grade mobile EEG [...] Read more.
Background: Evidence-based design aims to create healthy environments grounded in scientific data, yet the influence of spatial qualities on cognitive processes remains underexplored. Advances in neuroscience offer promising tools to address this gap while meeting both scientific and practical demands. Consumer-grade mobile EEG devices are increasingly used; however, their lack of transparency complicates output interpretation. Well-established EEG indicators from cognitive neuroscience may offer a more accessible and interpretable alternative. Methods: This feasibility study explored the sensitivity of five established EEG power band ratios to cognitive shifts in response to subtle environmental design experiences. Twenty participants completed two crossover sessions in an office-like setting with nature-inspired versus urban-inspired design elements. Each session included controlled phases of focused on-screen cognitive task and off-screen breaks. Results: Factorial analyses revealed no significant interaction effects of cognitive state and environmental exposure on EEG outcomes. Nonetheless, frontal (θ/β) and frontocentral (β/[α + θ]) ratios showed distinct patterns across cognitive states, with more pronounced contrasts in the nature-inspired compared to the urban-inspired design conditions. Conversely, occipital ([θ + α]/β), (θ/α), and (β/α) ratios remained consistent across exposures. Data triangulation with autonomic nervous system responses and performance metrics supported these observations. Conclusions: The findings suggest that EEG power band ratios can capture brain–environment interactions. However, limitations of consumer-grade EEG devices challenge both scientific rigour and practical application. Refining methodological reliability could improve interpretability, supporting more transparent and robust data-driven design decisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroarchitecture: Humans in the Built Environment)
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23 pages, 870 KiB  
Article
Architecturally Mediated Allostasis and Neurosustainability: A Proposed Theoretical Framework for the Impact of the Built Environment on Neurocognitive Health
by Cleo Valentine, Heather Mitcheltree, Isabelle A. K. Sjövall and Mohamed Hesham Khalil
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(2), 201; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15020201 - 15 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1282
Abstract
The global rise in mental health-related disorders represents a significant health and wellbeing challenge, imposing a substantial social and economic burden on individuals, communities, and healthcare systems. According to the World Health Organization, one in four people globally will be affected by mental [...] Read more.
The global rise in mental health-related disorders represents a significant health and wellbeing challenge, imposing a substantial social and economic burden on individuals, communities, and healthcare systems. According to the World Health Organization, one in four people globally will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives, highlighting a significant global health concern that warrants carefully considered and innovative responses. While mental health challenges arise from complex, multifaceted factors, emerging research indicates that the built environment—the architecture of our homes, workplaces, and public spaces—may exert a critical but underappreciated influence on mental health outcomes. This paper outlines a novel theoretical framework for how visual stressors in the built environment might trigger neurophysiological stress responses via the HPA and SAM axes, potentially contributing over time to allostatic load. In this paper, it is proposed that chronic physiological strain can alter neuroplastic processes and neurogenesis in key brain regions—such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex (PFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and amygdala—thereby affecting cognitive health, emotional regulation, and overall mental wellbeing. Drawing on the principle of neurosustainability, this paper suggests that long-term exposure to stress-inducing environments may create feedback loops, particularly involving the amygdala, that have downstream effects on other brain areas and may be linked to adverse mental health outcomes such as depression. By presenting this framework, this paper aims to inspire further inquiry and applied experimental research into the intersection of neurophysiology, mental health, and the built environment, with a particular emphasis on rigorous testing and validation of the proposed mechanisms, that may then be translated into practical architectural design strategies for supporting health and wellbeing. In doing so, it is hoped that this work may contribute to a more holistic approach to improving mental health that integrates the creation of nurturing, resilient spaces into the broader public health agenda. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neuroarchitecture: Humans in the Built Environment)
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