In what ways can architecture impact human behavior? What affects have you seen in your own life concerning your reactions to different architectural designs?

          Architecture can impact or affect human behavior in positive and negative ways, and impact or affect the health and well-being of humans, as well as human performance; which has an effect on human behavior. In particular, it is varying architectural designs that impact or affect human behavior. Humans spend the majority of their lives in built environments and less of their lives in natural environments; therefore, it is inevitable that architecture regardless of whether it is residential or commercial architectural designs will indeed impact or affect human behavior in positive and negative ways. The direct and indirect consequences of architectural designs can either be functionally appropriate and aesthetically pleasing to humans; therefore, fostering positive behavior or functionally inappropriate by imposing restrictions on behavior.

          In my life I have seen, resided in, and worked in residential and commercial architectural designs that either were functionally designed and were aesthetically pleasing or were not, and that incorporated nature and did not. For instance, in regards to certain commercial architectural designs, the buildings were not aesthetically pleasing designs and had poor lighting or no natural lighting and no open space designs; which had a negative affect on behavior and employee morale. In these types of architectural designs employees and I felt confined and crowded.             

What observations have you made concerning the psychological effects of different commercial designs?

          The observations that I have made concerning the psychological effects of different commercial designs is that each particular design has varying psychological affects on each inhabiting individual. Commercial designs that incorporate aspects of nature are conducive to the psychological well-being of individuals because nature has the ability to lower stress levels. Even commercial designs with natural lighting or that allows varying views of nature affect the psychological well-being of individuals. Especially, designs with open spaces with windows on every side of the building such as with the office building I work in in downtown Charlotte. Also, there is a courtyard in front of the building with numerous trees and waterfalls that gives some sense of nature to the buildings inhabitants. 

Reference

Augustin, S. (2009). Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Steg, L. (2013). Environmental psychology: An introduction. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.