Category Archives: Biology

Open Invitation to Urban Experience and Design Book Launch: Friday, January 15, 2021, 3PM EST

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Genetics of Design

The Human Architecture and Planning Institute, Tufts UEP, and Routledge invite you to a global, virtual event to celebrate the publication of the new book Urban Experience and Design: Contemporary Perspectives on Improving the Public Realm on January 15, 2021, 3PM-4PM Eastern Time. Editors Justin Hollander and Ann … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, City Planning, Design | Tagged | 2 Comments

‘Built Beautiful,’ the Movie on Architecture + Neuroscience Streaming Live at Boston Architectural College on Dec. 7, 2020

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Genetics of Design

Built Beautiful – Trailer from Mariel Rodriguez-McGill on Vimeo. The Boston Architectural College (BAC) announced it will screen this new documentary which bridges the arts + sciences on Monday, December 7, 2020 at 7 PM EST. All are invited to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, Design, Neuroscience, People-centric Design | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Faces: The Key to Making Happy Places

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Genetics of Design

Do you see faces in these gingerbread cottages in Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, a popular summer retreat on this island ten miles off the coast of Massachusetts? Does it seem like they are looking at you? Built as part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, Design, Neuroscience, People-centric Design | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Case Against All-Glass Facades

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Genetics of Design

The pictures tell the story. And make the case. Biometric studies explain why. At left, is a photo of MassArt Design and Media Center, (c. 2016), a public college of applied art in downtown Boston; at right, the George Wythe … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, Design, Eye Tracking, Neuroscience, People-centric Design | Tagged | 3 Comments

Empathy in Design: Measuring the Impact of Biophilia

Posted on May 26, 2020 by Genetics of Design

Is home your happy place? Does it make you feel warm and welcome? Now that a pandemic has turned our homes into multipurpose spaces that double as offices, gyms, schools, playgrounds and safe havens from a virus, feelings matter more than … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, Design, Eye Tracking, Health, People-centric Design | Tagged | 2 Comments

Why eye-track the Mona Lisa? To see your brain at work!

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Genetics of Design

Humans are pattern recognition experts. And looking at Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (c. 1503) below, listed as the world’s most viewed painting,  is a good way to see the pattern we’re most cut out to see. It’s the face, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, Eye Tracking, Patterns, People-centric Design | 2 Comments

‘Ux+Design’ Conference Take-aways: Biometrics Can Tell Us a lot about Buildings …and Ourselves

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Genetics of Design

A good turnout at the 1st International Urban Experience and Design (Ux+Design/2019) conference at Tufts last month, which drew architects, planners, researchers and students from around the world interested in improving the built environment and better understanding our responses to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, City Planning, Eye Tracking, STEM, Walkability | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

O-x-y-t-o-c-i-n: The 8-letter Word Every Architect Should Know

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Genetics of Design

What are attributes of great design? It draws the eye. And you delight in taking it in—no matter your age, background or the times you live in. The buildings wordlessly beckon. But how? Turns out to understand why great buildings … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, People-centric Design, STEM | Tagged | Leave a comment

Wellness Walls: A Look at Leaves and their Long-lasting Allure

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Genetics of Design

Last week’s GreenBuild/ ABX2017Expo in Boston boasted a mind-boggling 550+ exhibitors and 75+ product categories focused on sustainable building—from insulation to solar panels. As the escalator descended to the 12-acre exhibit space, I felt that Robin Williams’ Moscow on Hudson … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Health, Primal Vista, STEM | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Genetics of Garden Design

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Genetics of Design

Architecture is not just about houses and buildings—it’s also about gardens and landscapes. In the Genetics of Design, we write about how design affects biology and how biology affects design. Well-designed spaces make people feel comfortable and safe. They mesh … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Design, Exercise, Health, People-centric Design, Walkability | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment