A theoretical approach to endorphin-stimulating architecture

Abstract

As with the other creative and design industries, architecture is mainly aimed to solve users’ needs. However, in the current practice, the design transformation process is less responsive to user feedback and primarily relies on the architect’s perceptual skill that tends to be subjective. Innovative architectural problem-solving strategies can be derived from neuroscience knowledge, allowing a more scientifically proven user-centered design. The interdisciplinary collaboration in architecture design, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence may offer a new concept generation to design our built environment. The neuroarchitecture design approach, combined with artificial intelligence engineering, can create an environment that produces impulses that directly affect the human brain’s response and induce happiness. Endorphin, called the happy hormone, can be stimulated to develop happy feelings essential for today’s stressful life. This theoretical study aims to determine how architectural elements affect happiness through endorphin stimulation. An interdisciplinary literature study involving architecture and neuropsychology of both theoretical and methodological was adopted to explore this possibility. The result showed that the architectural environment could generate happiness, potentially indicating the endorphin presence. This study recommends using Virtual Reality apparatus to experiment and a blood test to check the endorphin level in the human body.