Djebbara, Z. (2023) ‘Rhythms of the Brain, Body and Environment: A Neuroscientific Perspective on Atmospheres’, in Canepa, E. and Condia, B. (eds) Designing Atmospheres: Theory and Science. Manhattan, KS: New Prairie Press.
Link to the book:
https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/50/
Book Abstract
This book was born as the legacy of the “Designing Atmospheres: Theory and Science” Symposium, an Interfaces event of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA), sponsored by the EU’s Horizon 2020 MSCA Program – RESONANCES Project, the Perkins Eastman Studio, and the Department of Architecture at Kansas State University. The event was hosted in the College of Architecture, Planning and Design (APDesign), Kansas State University (K-State), Manhattan, KS, on March 28, 2023. Recent advances in science confirm many of the architects’ deep-rooted intuitions, improving knowledge about the perception of space and the meaning of architectural and urban design. This volume collects four essays: “Investigating Atmosphere in Architecture: An Overview of Phenomenological, Physiological, and Neuroscientific Methods” by Elisabetta Canepa; “Rhythms of the Brain, Body, and Environment: A Neuroscientific Perspective on Atmospheres” by Zakaria Djebbara; “A History of Tool-Atmospheres” by Kory Beighle; and “Atmospheric Histrionics” by Harry Francis Mallgrave. Bob Condia provided the introduction.
Paper Abstract
Atmospheres enjoy ambiguity beyond the constraints of words. While
the theory of atmosphere is well-established, its scientific testing remains challenging due to this ambiguity. Focusing on the effect of atmospheres, I discuss nonconscious processes and rhythms in the body and brain concerning behavior and atmosphere, arguing that the body’s active engagement with the environment is crucial in our experience. Our sensory suppression of the atmosphere is actively used to adapt our behavior, making it a phenomenologically rich process. I conclude by providing a neuroscientific hypothesis on the mechanisms behind the enacted atmosphere and its impact on human cognition.
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