Jonas Salk often claimed that retreating to the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi helped him think more clearly about problems in his research into polio.

Now, neuroscientists are discovering that he may have been correct.

The insight led Salk to grow more interested in architecture, eventually hiring Louis Kahn to design his masterpiece, the Salk Institute, in San Diego.

Salk’s story is anecdotal, but the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture is proving it true, at least partially--our brains are deeply affected by our environments.


Neuroscience Says Buildings Can Reshape Our Brains

A new piece in Pacific Standard explores how neurobiology is driving emergent thinking about how certain types of spaces affect our behaviors and, ultimately, our brains.

Science has always led architecture, a profession that soaks up knowledge from other fields like a sponge. In the late 1800s, new insights in physics led to a revolution in how steel buildings were built; cutting-edge aerospace engineering in the 1960s migrated into architecture within a matter of years. According to a fascinating piece in Pacific Standard, architecture is now on the brink of another revolution—this one stemming from neuroscience.

Emily Badger introduces us to a group of scientists who believe that our brains are deeply affected by the spaces around us. Led by the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, an organization of neuroscientists and architects, a growing body of evidence proves that certain types of spaces actually promote the growth of new neurons. Such an insight could have huge implications—Badger points to Jonas Salk’s own anecdotal story about retreating to a 13th-century monastery where he felt the most mental clarity (foreshadowing his work with Louis Kahn). "Architects could even design environments expressly to foster research breakthroughs," she suggests.

Let’s backtrack for a second, and parse some of the evidence brought to light in the story. First we meet Fred Gage, the neurobiologist behind a study that proves our brains don’t actually stop growing in our 20s, as previously thought. In fact, Gage’s research suggests that our stuffy old brains are capable of something called neurogenesis, or, the growth of new neurons in adults, which seems spurred at least in part by our environments. At the 2003 AIA conference, Gage presented his findings, saying, "changes in the environment change the brain, and therefore they change our behavior."

Another major insight comes thanks to advancements in brain-imaging techniques, which are helping scientists better empirically gauge how our brains react to specific types of spaces, light, and noise. Badger talks to Eduardo Macagno, a UC San Diego biologist who runs a virtual reality lab testing new types of hospital design (here’s a great video about it). Premature babies, brain damaged patients, or those suffering from dementia will all spend significant amounts of time in hospitals, which means that Gage’s and Macagno’s insights could help create spaces conducive to their sensitive brains. Badger explains:


Of course, architects have been interested in exploiting how our brains interpret space for ages. Just think back to Bruno Taut, who argued in the 1910s that buildings with certain shades of glass could affect their occupants’ emotions. That was a totally unscientific observation, of course, but surely Taut would have been tickled to know such ideas are now being tested in earnest.

Head over to Pacific Standard to check out the full article.

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  • Iain Soden

    Fascinating. I agree. But will it mean a new divergence from architectural continuity to address it? If so, the heritage lobby will take some convincing.

  • Qingshan

    It is verified by YiJing, one book wrote more than 5000 years ago. Now it is derived to one technique, called Fengshui. It is focusing on how to link well the architecure with the human body.  The brain should be one part of that. The building with better Fengshui could help improve the human's health, on the opposite it would damage the person.

  • Chev

    I really enjoyed this article. Very interesting.

    The environment has been shown to influence the brain's development through countless psychological experiments and observations. We know that the brain is plastic. 

    So I think that investigating the influence of buildings on the brain is worthwhile. Especially if it can help patients with their illness.

    Not to mention - psychologists working with architects is a very exciting prospect! 

  • uberfu

    Couldn't the fact that the monastery lacked any technological advancements - no Interent - no television - to cell phone - basically completely unplugged.

    Not to mention potentially a remote location away from traffic and city-type noise have just as much influence over the conclusions rather than it was a monastery vs a castle vs a secluded farm ?

    The argument in the article fails.

  • Chris Rooney

    Yeah! He was clearly just avoiding ubiquitous television, Wi-Fi and cell phones back when he was doing the research in the 1940s and 1950s. Obviously.

  • Osagie Igbeare

    Sweet article Kesley, this is some really compelling stuff. If anything, its really humbling as we continue to discover how much more there is to discover in this world.