Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Architecture is often conceptualized through two opposing perspectives: either as a static, objective composition of matter that acts upon passive observers, or through human-centered design that reduces architectural space to a passive backdrop shaped entirely by human needs and intentions. The first view overstates environmental de- terminism by portraying architecture as an autonomous force that molds human experience, while the second view places excessive emphasis on human agency by treating architecture merely as a product of anthropocentric requirements, neglecting its inherent material and spatial properties. Drawing from embodied and dynamical ap- proaches in cognitive neuroscience, we propose a conceptualization of architecture as a relational phenomenon mediated through rhythmic interactions. Endogenous neural and physiological rhythms shape architectural perception, while architectural rhythms, i.e. patterns and repetitions, modulate neurophysiological processes, establishing a dynamic system from which patterns of cognition and behavior emerge through envi- ronmental coupling. We propose that architectural influence can be quantified through simultaneous measurement of neural, physiological, and environmental rhythms. This system can reveal a complex dynamical landscape, where variables of brain, body, and environment converge toward stable patterns of interaction. This approach both allows us to reconsider automatic, unconscious responses to architecture, and provide a clearer vocabulary for describing physical settings beyond subjective impressions or abstract formal analyses. By understanding the relationship between physiological and built rhythms, interactions with architecture transcend mere unidirectionality and evolve into a dynamic dialogue, wherein the rhythms of space and body influence one another. We conclude that conceptualizing architecture through rhythmic dynamics offers a novel theoretical framework that aligns with contemporary embodied approaches in neuroscience while providing new methodological tools for understanding architec- ture’s role in shaping human experience, perception, and behavior. This perspective positions architecture as an active participant in cognitive processes rather than a passive backdrop or mere cultural artifact.
Institution: Aalborg University
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7135160430
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: