Each of us perceives our surroundings slightly differently, and the ways in which we interact with our environment are also different. Some people may find it difficult to function in unsuitable spaces, so it is important to design in a way that takes into account the needs of all users and users. The upcoming Accessibility Forum, to be held in early November in Poznan, Poland, is dedicated to the latest developments in inclusive design. Natalia Olszewska tells us about neuroarchitecture - one of the tools of accessible design.
On November 5 and 6, 2024, the second Accessibility Forum will be held in Poznań. During the two-day event, held on the grounds of the Poznań International Fair, in addition to the fair part, where companies will present accessibility solutions, participants and attendees will have at their disposal two halls - "Architecture" and "Design", where a total of 26 panels and meetings will be held. Speakers and presenters will discuss issues such as accessibility in healthcare facilities, inclusivity of public spaces and universal design, among others. We talk about neuro-inclusive architecture with one of the panelists, Natalia Olszewska, co-founder of IMPRONTA office.
Natalia Olszewska - Specialist in the application of neuroscience in architectural design. Co-founder of IMPRONTA, a research and consulting firm dedicated to designing for health and well-being. She has a unique background in medicine (Jagiellonian University and Tor Vergata University in Rome), neuroscience (University College London, École Normale Supérieure, Sorbonne) and applied neuroscience in architectural design (Università IUAV). She has held research internships at Harvard University and the College de France, among others. She gained experience working on projects for global companies such as Arup, Skanska and Google. She is a lecturer at the NAAD (Neuroscience Applied to Architectural Design) Master program organized by Università IUAV.
Przemyslaw Ciępka: Your work is located at the intersection of neuroscience and architecture. How do the sciences of the senses, perception and the nervous system enrich our knowledge of design? Can we therefore speak of "neuroarchitecture" here? What is the history of this field?
Natalia Olszewska: Let me start with an anecdote that I often quote when explaining the concept of neuroarchitecture. The story concerns Jonas Salk, one ofthe scientists who worked on a vaccine against the Polio virus in the 1960s. As part of a break from his research, which Salk was conducting at a laboratory in Pittsburgh, he traveled to Assisi for several weeks. Upon his return from Italy, a breakthrough was made in Salk's work.
Influenced by this event, many years later, when Salk was already an established scientist and sponsor of the Institute for Biological Research in La Jolla, California, he advocated starting research on the effects of architecture on the human nervous system. In 2003, his thought was taken up, creating the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture in the States. The basic premise of this endeavor was to create a dialogue between the worlds of neuroscience and architecture in order to contribute over time to the design of spaces that benefit human health, primarily the human nervous system. From the point of view of the functioning of our body, this system is extremely important, regulating the operation of many other systems, synchronizing diurnal rhythms or managing emotions, including stress. The founders of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture believed that by using neuroscience in architectural design we would be able to design schools that support children's learning, hospitals that speed up the recovery process or offices where employees work better together.
In the 21st century, it is time to move beyond thinking in which architectural space serves only as an aesthetically designed shelter. IMPRONTA's vision, which I am co-creating, is that architecture can act preventively. We can design buildings in such a way that they not only do no harm to our health, but also optimize our daily functioning. We increasingly understand how many of the spaces we inhabit can have a negative impact on our bodies - polluted air, inadequate lighting, poorly chosen colors, toxic materials, lack of or excess stimulation. We stay in such buildings for up to 90% of our lives, making their impact on our psyche, physical health and well-being not insignificant. Neuroscience allows us to take an increasingly conscious approach to designing spaces that support the body's balance and positively affect our quality of life.
Przemyslaw Ciępka: How can architecture influence our senses, health or well-being?
Natalia Olszewska: We often look at architecture through the prism of aesthetics, choice of colors or forms, without thinking about how these elements affect our mental and emotional processes. Fortunately, our knowledge on this subject is still developing - Jonas Salk's intuitions and the influence of Assisi's architecture on his thinking have already been confirmed scientifically. For example, Julio Bermudez, a professor of architecture at the Catholic University of America, is conducting research using brain imaging techniques that show that when we are in sacred or contemplative architectural spaces, the so-called resting-state network, crucial for reflection and contemplation, is activated in our brains.
At the most basic level, buildings affect our senses, as it is through them that we interact with architecture. Sight is most often mentioned, but equally important are hearing, smell, touch, and proprioception, the sense that allows us to feel the alignment of our bodies in space. Designers are also beginning to consider the impact of architectural stressors in this context. Research shows that when the spaces we inhabit abound with stress-inducing elements - whether through inappropriate lighting, toxic materials or excess stimuli - our bodies respond with an extended state of arousal. Chronic exposure to architectural stressors affects the body's immunity, and can promote the development of chronic inflammatory processes, which in turn have been linked to a range of conditions, from depression and anxiety to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
This is why neuroscientific research on the impact of architecture is so important. Knowing how our body and mind respond to space can support design decisions that previously relied primarily on intuition and experience. This allows us to create spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also support our physical and mental health, optimize our daily life and increase our resistance to stress.
Przemyslaw Ciępka: How does all this information translate into design practice?
Natalia Olszewska: Architects can integrate this knowledge into their designs, but in order to do so effectively, cooperation with specialists is essential. The architect's input alone is often not enough - interdisciplinary competencies are needed to create spaces that respond to the psychophysical needs of users, while also being aesthetically appealing. An example of this approach is our team made up of highly qualified specialists.
Przemysław Ciępka: Speaking of adapting spaces to the needs of different user groups, the concept of neuro-inclusion immediately comes to mind. How should we understand it in the context of neurodesign?
Natalia Olszewska: Neuroinclusion in its narrowest definition is a way of designing space taking into account the specific sensory needs of neuroatypical people, i.e. those whose development of the nervous system is different from the average. But neuroinclusion goes much further. It is about taking into account the complex mechanisms of executive functions, such as working memory, emotion regulation and the ability to concentrate. These needs arise from the unique brain functioning patterns of neuroatypical individuals, which may require more tailored solutions in space.
Today, however, there is a growing shift away from focusing solely on neuroatypicality itself. Neuroinclusion specialists and activists propose a broader perspective, according to which exclusions are rather due to society's failure to recognize and respond to the specific needs of different groups. In this view, all accessibility barriers become a social problem that can be overcome by, among other things, inclusive design of spaces adapted to everyone.
Neuroinclusion is thus not just a matter of neuroatypicality. The nervous system changes over the course of a lifetime, so inclusive design should also take into account the needs of children, the elderly or anyone who may need special adaptation. Only in this way can we create spaces that support diversity and the real needs of users.
Przemyslaw Ciępka: What do these changes consist of?
Natalia Olszewska: In children, the nervous system develops very intensively, and the maturation process continues until the end of the teenage years, and even longer - some brain structures, especially the prefrontal cortex, mature until around age 25. As a result, the sensory and cognitive needs of teenagers differ from those of younger children, as well as those of adults. It is even different for seniors, in whom neurodegenerative processes naturally occur with age. If someone ages in a healthy way, these changes are mild and often do not cause significant cognitive or sensory losses.
On the other hand, we also have people who suffer from pathological forms of neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementias or Parkinson's disease. In these cases, changes in the nervous system are more advanced and affect the way a person reacts to space and processes sensory stimuli. For example, people with dementia may have problems with spatial orientation and recognition of their surroundings, which affects their sense of safety and comfort. Conversely, people with Parkinson's disease may experience difficulties with motor skills and balance, which also require special approaches in space design.
This demonstrates the importance of an inclusive design approach that takes into account changing sensory and cognitive needs at different stages of life, as well as the specific needs of people with neurodegeneration. Each group of space users may need different solutions to ensure their safety, comfort and optimal conditions for daily functioning.
Przemysław Ciępka: Neuro atypicality itself is a very capacious term, encompassing extremely diverse models of nervous system functioning. Is there a way to design spaces that would take into account the needs of all people who fall into this group?
Natalia Olszewska: Indeed, neuroatypicality is a broad spectrum with significant differences - for example, people on the autism spectrum often need much less sensory stimulation than those with ADHD, who may prefer a more dynamic environment. The answer here is a diversity of spaces. When designing offices, schools or other public spaces, it's a good idea to apply the principle of diversification: create different zones tailored to different needs. For people on the autism spectrum who find sensory overload difficult, we can plan zones for decompression, that is, for calming and de-stressing. In contrast, people with ADHD often function better in spaces that provide adequate sensory stimulation and opportunities for interaction, including social interaction. So we think of spaces equipped with different zones, giving users the freedom to choose according to their individual needs.
Przemysław Ciępka: And what about the needs of neurotypical people? Is it possible to reconcile them with the needs of neuroatypical people in the same spaces?
Natalia Olszewska: When creating inclusive spaces, we must also keep in mind neurotypical people who also use these places. When designing for different groups, it is important to provide appropriate conditions for each group, without leaving out neurotypical users. In the process of inclusive design, however, we focus first on groups that have the most specific needs and who are more sensitive to their surroundings. This approach helps create spaces that are not only tailored to neuroatypical users, but also functional and comfortable for all, regardless of the model of nervous system functioning.
Przemysław Ciępka: When it comes to designing for children - in nurseries and kindergartens they spend their time in very different ways, so these places are multifunctional spaces. How do you design architecture for children so that it can cope with all these tasks?
Natalia Olszewska: Four years ago, I had the pleasure of participating in a project with Hume studio, where I headed the Human Metrics Lab department and where I had the opportunity to gain experience in designing spaces tailored to the needs of users around the world. Our client was the AmericanAssociation for Children's Museums. We were working with Harvard University at the time, and our task was to create guidelines for designers of museum spaces designed for children. Although we were not designing a kindergarten, museums also serve an educational function, offering opportunities for informal learning through interaction with the environment.
When creating the brief, we considered various factors. We analyzed how getting to the museum affects young visitors and their caregivers - including aspects of recovery after traveling by private car or public transportation, often in traffic jams and rush-hour traffic. After such a stressful start, visitors need a place where they can calm down, so we designed a relaxation area.
We also took into account the need for cooperation and interaction. We created zones where children can talk, explore exhibits together and engage in various activities with each other and with caregivers - whose needs we also took into account.
If we translate this into kindergarten design, the key question is: what actually happens in this space? A preschool is a place for learning, often based on play, but also for rest and exploration. It is necessary to adapt the space to the specifics of each of these activities. Even young children have different needs due to different developmental patterns of the nervous system - there are more introverted or extroverted children who require different stimulation. It is important to design spaces in such a way that they both stimulate curiosity and adequately support development.
Przemyslaw Ciępka: So could we imagine such a model school classroom to support learning processes?
Natalia Olszewska: Everything really depends on the type of building and the place where it is being built. We design completely differently in the north of Europe than on its southern edges. The differences even break down to the use of colors in the interiors, since their final tone depends on the sunlight coming through the windows, which, after all, varies depending on the latitude. Color palettes are used quite differently in Denmark and Italy. On top of all this, there are also cultural patterns and a host of other nuances.
Przemyslaw Ciępka: There is a lot of talk about designing for children. And the elderly? What difficulties, related to the sensory or cognitive zone, can seniors and senior citizens face in spaces?
Natalia Olszewska: With age, degenerative processes occur in the nervous system of seniors. Nerve cells regenerate much more slowly, the number of receptors for neurotransmitters gradually decreases, and the brain chemistry itself changes, which affects the ability to absorb new information. Although learning is possible at any stage of life, with age, for example, the number of dopamine receptors decreases, which weakens dopamine's function as a natural brain stimulator. In some cases, entire areas of the brain may even "shut down" due to disease processes.
Degeneration also affects the senses - older people develop hearing loss, changes in the lens of the eye, and with it nearsightedness, farsightedness or cataracts, which generates difficulties with reading space and perceiving perspective. Designing spaces for seniors therefore requires taking these changes into account to maximize support for their daily orientation and comfort.
A separate issue is designing for people with neurodegenerative diseases, where there are ways to help them with memory and cognitive processes.
A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to work with the U.S. office of HKS on a project dedicated to older adults, focusing on healthy aging. We designed spaces that support aging minds with cognitive, sensory and motor stimulation.
With all of this, it is important that design be multi-generational - we should not create closed "ghettos" for the elderly. On the contrary, the space should allow them to interact with younger generations, which supports the health and well-being of both seniors and younger users.
Przemysław Ciępka: Such intergenerational encounters happen most often in publicly accessible urban spaces. Can neuroscience also contribute something in terms of designing urban-scale spaces?
Natalia Olszewska: We are talking about neuro-urbanism here. Recently, our IMPRONTA team finished preparing a report commissioned by the University of Silesia and the project leader, Aneta Moczkowska. "Green Learning Zone," as the new space is to be called, is being developed by scientists, architects, urban planners, landscape designers and small architecture specialists, who are aiming to prepare a master plan for the University's campus. Two new buildings are to be constructed on the campus, but we mainly consulted on the existing spaces between the buildings. Our work for this project initially focused on creating guidelines to design spaces that eliminate environmental stress. In the next stage, we were concerned with creating a healthy space, which we understood through the lens of three aspects - mental, physical and social health. We based our recommendations on research in environmental psychology and neuroscience, which we are discussing today.
Przemysław Ciępka: It seems that quite a lot is happening in the topic of neuroarchitecture. Are we rather at the beginning or the end of the road to surround ourselves with spaces designed based on the achievements of neuroscience?
Natalia Olszewska: We are certainly not at the end of this road yet, but not at the beginning either. We are in the process of developing this direction. Like any new discipline, neuroarchitecture needs time to establish itself and gain a solid foundation. Interest in neuroscience-based design is definitely growing - just a few months ago, a research group dedicated to neuroarchitecture was established at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Similar research is being conducted at Cambridge University, or at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, where Npur Tawil, a member of our team, works as a researcher.
First educational directions are also emerging, such as the course in applied neuroscience in architectural design at Iuav University in Venice, which I completed.
It is apparent that this field is becoming popular, but unfortunately I also notice that it is being dealt with by people without proper training, which can lead to superficial and less reliable results. In order for neuroarchitecture to be truly beneficial, reliable research and interdisciplinary cooperation of specialists are necessary.
Przemysław Ciępka: What is needed for the further development of the discipline?
Natalia Olszewska: First of all, experimental research conducted in laboratories is key, but not only - solid research in real architectural space, or simulations in VR, using tools such as encephalogram recording of brain waves or sensors, is also needed.
Equally important is translational research, which transforms the knowledge gained in laboratory research into concrete projects, and then into their implementation. However, well-conducted translational research requires the participation of professionals, people with the right training and experience, in projects.
The most important thing, however, is to understand what benefits the use of neuroscience in design can bring, and to arouse the interest of investors, who in the realities of the capitalist market have a key influence on the direction of architecture.
Przemyslaw Ciępka: In terms of investors - there is a lot of talk about office buildings designed according to the assumptions of neuroscience, although you also mentioned consultations for the University of Silesia. In terms of interest in neuroarchitecture, are there any differences between public and private investors?
Natalia Olszewska: Before returning to Poland, I worked with the Hume design office. We had a commission there from clients such as the Children's Museums Association, and we were also approached by Landsec, a British developer, who was interested in consulting on shared spaces and office space in central London. We also worked with Google's "R&D for Built Environment" department in San Francisco. Private investors appeared. I've been active on the Polish market for a few years, and in the country we worked on office, educational and public spaces, among others. We have co-written reports - including a report for Skanska, entitled "Neurodiversity in Offices." We have a series of trainings on neuro-inclusion in spaces, and recently, as I mentioned, a public institution was interested in our services. I think that neuroarchitecture is a field that can bring a lot of good to public and private clients, both in large, medium and small scale projects. However, awareness is needed.
Przemysław Ciępka: I hope it will grow at an increasingly rapid pace. Thank you for the interview!
For more information on the Accessibility Forum, please visit the event website.
