The Holistic Element

Could spending too little time in sunlight affect your brain? New research explores the relationship between daylight exposure, cognitive performance, attention, and the environments where we spend our days.

Can the spaces around us influence perception, emotion, and cognition? A new 2026 systematic review maps 121 studies and reveals what neuroarchitecture can—and still cannot—tell us about the relationship between buildings and the human mind.

 Why do some rooms feel instantly comfortable while others leave us indifferent? Explore how coherence, fascination, familiarity, openness, and architectural form shape the way we experience interior spaces.

Why do some small rooms feel surprisingly spacious while others feel cramped? Explore how light, visual boundaries, ceiling height, layout, mirrors, and sightlines can influence the way we experience architectural space.

Why can your body still feel tense when the stressful situation is already over? Explore why stress can linger, how the brain and body respond to repeated pressure, and how sleep, routines, surroundings, and everyday habits can influence our ability to truly switch off.

 Could the street outside your home influence how you sleep at night? New research using artificial intelligence, street-view imagery, and environmental psychology suggests that features such as greenery, enclosure, walkability, and perceived safety may be connected with sleep health. But the findings are more subtle than the headline suggests.

Discover how color influences perception, emotion, behavior, architecture, branding, workplaces, and everyday environments through science and design.

What makes one place feel different from another? Explore the ancient idea of genius loci, Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture, and how understanding the character of a place can transform the way we design, inhabit, and experience architecture.

Coming home is more than crossing a doorway. The transition from work, traffic, noise, and daily demands into the private environment of home can influence how we experience the space and how quickly we mentally shift into a different part of the day. Explore the psychology of thresholds, personal rituals, and the role of architecture in creating a more restorative arrival.

Why do certain spaces invite reflection and stillness? Explore the intersection of architecture, environmental psychology, and Jungian ideas to understand why humans create places of refuge, contemplation, and symbolic meaning.

Discover how neuroarchitecture, natural light, materials, ventilation, and biophilic design may influence comfort, emotions, cognition, and well-being.

Can your bedroom keep you awake? Explore the science of insomnia, psychological hyperarousal, light, noise, temperature, and the sleep environment.

Can your workplace affect concentration and well-being? Explore how noise, lighting, air quality, temperature, ergonomics, visual stimulation, and workplace design can influence comfort and focus.

Have you ever wondered how historical building cultures approached the placement of sleeping quarters? Throughout architectural history, traditional builders and vernacular designers paid close attention to the orientation, layout, and surrounding environment of residential spaces to foster a sense of restfulness.