How "Your Brain on Art" is a Bright Spark for a Building a New Platform in Design

If we will stop looking at our phones for a few minutes, humanity with see that we are in a renaissance era of new scientific enlightenment where the intersection of science, art, and design is becoming increasingly important. It is essential for architects like myself and others in industries of design application to make these scientific discoveries, tangible parts of the world we live in. Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross ’s new book, Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us (2024), presents groundbreaking evidence-based insights into how art and creativity impact the human brain. This groundbreaking work is not only reshaping our understanding of neuroscience but it has the capability to provide architects with revolutionary concepts that can profoundly influence our approach to designing spaces. Truthfully, I think the book is a masterfully crafted resource of information, but it's important for us to see this as a small spark to illuminate the fact that armies of scientist and researchers around the world, are making discoveries about the human condition and our response to the world around us.

I do not have a PhD, I am not a scientist. I am merely an architect, but I created my new practice, felspar, so that I can break out of the reactionary stance that most architecture practices have with science. For me, felspar is a means to become a part of generating the science, testing new concepts, and creating new pathways. Architecture has made dramatic technological advancements throughout the past few decades. However, I am sorry to say that, with a few exceptions, architects have not been great practitioners for advancing the mental wellbeing of the humans that interact with our work.

The Science Behind Art and Creativity

Susan Magsamen , a leading neuroscientist and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, and Ivy Ross , a Google design executive with a deep understanding of the integration of art and science, have come together to explore the profound effects of art on the brain. Their book discusses how artistic engagement and creativity stimulate neural pathways, influence emotional well-being, and enhance cognitive function.

Recent scientific research, as discussed in Your Brain on Art, highlights that engaging with art and creative processes can lead to measurable changes in brain activity. For instance, studies have shown that participating in artistic activities can enhance brain plasticity, improve memory, and even alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. This intersection of art and neuroscience presents a compelling case for the importance of integrating artistic elements into everyday environments.

This also creates a compelling case for architects to collaborate with scientists, in a way that we can learn the mechanisms responsible for these human connections to their engagement with our spaces. When we break out of the box that is architecture alone, and step into the world of people such as Karen Barad PhD, we learn to challenge the traditional notions human consciousness. Exploring Barad's views on "Intra-active" versus "Interactive", have led me to expand the understanding of human experience in contact with the space we create. These concepts, help make reason discourse about one individual person interacting with one individual space, and how that may go much deeper than we have previously thought, creating a new component that is not separate but is the result of this coming together. Is our emotional and physical reaction to a space, the intra-action? Let's go so far as to stop asking "if" emotions matter, to "are" emotions matter?" Does that open the minds of our children, students, future architects to explore their creativity in different ways?

The fascinating work of Karen Barad PhD, and Susan Magsamen MAS, are the latest advancements in their fields. These works show us the latest understanding of research originating in the early 18th century by German Philosophers, Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten, and Immanuel Kant. It was Baumgarten who coined the term Aesthetics, and began the work of examining it's relation to art and beauty, which set the study of Aesthetics apart as it's own category of exploration in science and philosophy. It was through Baumgarten's publication of Metaphysica (1739) that influenced Immanuel Kant's work. It was Kant who began associating the term aesthetics to all of mankind's sensory experiences. This breadth of Aesthetics would go on to expand and retract many times throughout history. It's Kant's publication of A Brief Outline of Some Meditations on Fire, (1755) in which he asserts the theory that there is an invisible elastic-like matter also present in heat and light, which individual elements act upon one another through. It's Baumgarten's advancements in aesthetics and feelings, along with Kant's theories that influenced generations of philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians.

As an architect, it is Baumgarten's views in which he looked beyond man imitating nature, and instead asserted the intention that man should alter nature by way of adding our feelings on aesthetics to our perceived reality, such that the processes of nature influences the process of man's creation. For me, this displays significant parallels to the writing of Le Corbusier. Magsamen and Ross, have reinvigorated these historical philosophical thoughts and shown us the science behind their truth in many cases.

A New Paradigm for Architecture

We are those who profess what we do. This is why we are Professionals, and / or Professors. If you are reading this, you certainly fall into one of the following categories that make my model for our paradigm shift in knowledge. We begin our explorations unconsciously, unconscious, then consciously, unconscious, next consciously conscious, and finally unconsciously conscious. For architects, the emerging understanding of the brain's response to art opens up new avenues for designing spaces that nurture well-being, creativity, and productivity. We know that many people experiencing our building aren't there to create a work of art, so in this book we gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved when our brain is stimulated in such ways. We can then create projects that go beyond paint color, and art hanging on the walls, to spaces that engage the user more profoundly, even subconsciously. The book provides a framework for how architects can incorporate these scientific insights into their work, making it an invaluable resource for professionals in the field. Here’s how the concepts discussed in Your Brain on Art can revolutionize architectural design:

1. Designing for Neuroaesthetics

Neuroaesthetics, the study of how aesthetic (sensory) experiences influence neural processes, is a key theme in Magsamen and Ross’s book. Architects are one of many who can apply these insights by considering how visual elements, such as colors, shapes, and patterns, impact occupants’ mood and cognitive function. For example, incorporating artwork and dynamic visual stimuli into spaces can enhance creativity and reduce stress, creating environments that foster both innovation and relaxation. The book offers us great starting points for advancing architecture in this way, however, we can apply an architect's understanding of scale, proportion, materiality, our understanding of light, building systems, and acoustics to advance architectural space even more.

2. Creating Spaces for Cognitive Enhancement

The book emphasizes the role of environments in stimulating cognitive functions. Architects can leverage this by designing spaces that encourage engagement and mental stimulation. Incorporating elements like interactive installations, varied textures, and immersive experiences can help stimulate brain activity and promote mental agility. Such spaces not only enhance user experience but also contribute to overall cognitive health.

3. Promoting Emotional Well-Being

Emotional well-being is another critical aspect explored in Your Brain on Art. The book details how exposure to art and creative activities can positively affect emotional health. Architects can design spaces that facilitate emotional expression and support mental health by integrating art installations, relaxation areas, and spaces that offer opportunities for personal reflection. This approach can be particularly impactful in settings such as healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and corporate environments. We should be offering the users of our buildings a diverse set of spaces which can support the ever changing beings that we are. A 2016 lecture by Stefan Behling Senior Executive Partner at Foster + Partners expressed the human need for variation in our environment throughout the day, along with connections to nature.

4. Fostering Social Connections Through Design

Social interaction and community building are also addressed in the book. The authors argue that art and creative spaces can play a significant role in fostering social connections. Architects can create communal areas that encourage interaction and collaboration, such as open-plan spaces, communal art installations, and flexible environments that adapt to different social needs. By promoting social engagement, architects can enhance the sense of community and collective well-being.

Practical Applications and Future Directions

The insights from Your Brain on Art offer architects a scientific basis for making quite a few design decisions that go beyond aesthetics. Here are a few practical applications:

• Integrative Design Workshops: Collaborate with neuroscientists and artists in the design phase to explore how different artistic elements can be integrated into architectural plans.
• Evidence-Based Design: Utilize research findings to create spaces that are not only visually appealing but also optimized for cognitive and emotional benefits.
• User-Centric Spaces: Involve end-users in the design process to understand their preferences and needs regarding art and creativity, ensuring that spaces are tailored to enhance their well-being. We must understand, in the user's own words, their perceptions about our intended creations, and we must do so in an absorptive way rather than a confrontational situation. Think, "I hear you, and I appreciate your experience or opinions".

Parting Words

Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross is more than just a book; it’s a call to action for architects to embrace the transformative power of art and creativity in their designs. By incorporating the latest scientific discoveries into our work, we have the opportunity to create spaces that not only look beautiful but also profoundly impact the mental and emotional well-being of their occupants. As we continue to explore the nexus of art, neuroscience, and architecture, it is clear that the future of design will be enriched by these innovative concepts, leading to environments that truly enhance humanity.