Aesthetics of Architecture: Emerging Insights from the Brain

It has long been recognized that design features of built environments can impact how we feel, think, and act. Recently, however, data from brain imaging studies have begun to add to our understanding of the underlying neurological and psychological mechanisms that may underlie the aesthetic preferences that arise in relation to those design features. In this chapter, I will review the brain imaging work that has been conducted in the emerging domain of the cognitive neuroscience of architecture, focusing on the associations between specific design features (e.g., curvature, ceiling height, perceived enclosure) and variations in brain function, as well as aesthetic preferences. The evidence to date suggests that aesthetic evaluations of architecture largely engage a domain-general set of neural systems that underlie aesthetic preferences. The findings have implications for our understanding of the evolutionary basis of aesthetic preferences for built environments.