Category Archives: Patterns

Architecture that grabs us? It’s on the supermarket shelf!

Posted on February 7, 2022 by Genetics of Design

It’s fascinating to see how billion-dollar retailers seriously consider client feelings in the built environment – including ones not widely acknowledged, like the power of car-free streets and old architecture to make people feel safe and happy – to drive sales of things that have nothing to do with buildings at all. Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, Design, faces, Health, Patterns, STEM, Walkability | Leave a comment

Nature’s Patterns + Designs in Architecture, April 27, hosted by The National Arts Club

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Genetics of Design

This free webinar, hosted by The National Arts Club, featured Nikos Salingaros, PhD and Ann Sussman, discussing the importance of patterns and ornament in architecture and their impact on our health and well-being. The speakers reviewed the science of natural … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Fractals, Health, Nature, Neuroscience, Patterns, People-centric Design | Leave a comment

Embracing Nature on a Rail Trail

Posted on December 10, 2020 by Genetics of Design

How does this picture make you feel: Scared? Happy? Or in awe of nature’s ability to co-exist with humans? We often disrupt Nature, and she, in her wordless way, adapts. Here, a tree wraps around a concrete marker along an … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature, Patterns, Walkability | Leave a comment

To Keep Calm: Take in Nature + Fall Fractals

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Genetics of Design

Nature walks relieve stress, curb anxiety, and help us feel calm. That’s what we found on a recent walk through the woods in Concord, Massachusetts, and now there’s more science to back it up. Outside in nature, we easily take … Continue reading →

Posted in Fractals, Nature, Patterns, Primal Vista, Walkability | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Do the ‘Fish Experiment’ to ‘See’ What We’re Built to See

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Genetics of Design

Did you ever wonder about the strange way humans take in the world? Like the animals we are, of course! A quick way to see this is with the ‘Fish Experiment.’ Look at the images below and note where your … Continue reading →

Posted in Neuroscience, Patterns, People-centric Design, Primal Vista | 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

‘The Postcard Test’ in Copenhagen + beyond

Posted on March 30, 2019 by Genetics of Design

If you want to know which buildings attract people in cities—head to the postcard rack. The postcard above is from Copenhagen by Danish illustrator, Martin Schwartz, who’s created a series that capture “the soul of a city in a single … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, City Planning, Design, Patterns | Leave a comment

Faces of Japan

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Genetics of Design

Have you ever looked at a house and felt it was looking back? Did the windows, doors and threshold resemble a friendly face? Now that I’m attuned to our subconscious bias for faces, I’m on constant lookout for buildings that … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Patterns, People-centric Design | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Architecture that Calls to Us

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Genetics of Design

I was heading to the beach the other day when I saw this barn at a nearby local orchard, and I knew I’d have to stop by. The barn seemed to have wide eyes that met my gaze and called … Continue reading →

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The Allure of Repeated Patterns

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Genetics of Design

The main draw of the new Broad Museum slated to open in Los Angeles on September 22 is the eye-catching pattern on the building’s skin. Humans are captivated by repeating patterns: dots, diamonds, circles, cross hatches, ovals, stripes, spirals, scallops, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Design, Patterns | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment