Designing for the Unconscious Brain

Subliminal responses direct our behavior in the built environment more than most realize. In this chapter, we focus on the impact of architecture on the human body and brain to better understand our ‘unconscious’ experience around buildings.

Belief Systems and Urbanism

Delving into the human centric approach of an inclusive environment through design, beliefs and cultural heritage.
The intersectionality and imprint of history, diaspora and spirituality.

Neurodiversity

For too long, the global conversation has focused mainly on ‘curing’ autism, but this does little for the millions currently living with a neurodiverse approach to life. Our vision is clear: we will change the narrative and build a more equitable and sustainable world for those affected by autism and other forms of neurodiversity.

Human Mobility

If, from a global perspective, urban society is moving from car-friendly to human-friendly urban
spaces, it raises the question of the extent to which the
individual can sustainably influence urban space through his/her own mobility behavior and what
in turn must happen in the design of urban space so that people move and appropriate it
sustainably.

What does this mean for future urban planning and what does it mean for human
mobility behavior?

Accessible Design

Coming Soon

Data-Driven Design

Innovation is a driving force in ensuring interconnectivity between people and place within the context of urbanization. Using data analytics, smart design strategies and design support tools as mediums, Data Driven Design explores the integration of technology in urban environments to bridge the gaps of the urban fabric. Addressing the challenges of rapid urbanization by referencing big data, this focus area intends to critically analyse new methodologies to redefine city governance and service delivery.

Biophilia

Biophilia, humankind’s innate need to affiliate and bond with living systems, has deep roots in the human evolution and architectural design. The focus of our domain is to explore the deep connections between natural ecosystems and our own physiology and identify the cues to build more sustainable, ecological, and life-affirming environments.

Democratic Design

Working through perspectives of both designers and “non-designers,” in this domain we explore the social and political locations of the designed urban environment, as well as collaborative and participatory design processes and ways of working that make both the process of planning and outcomes democratic. Likewise, these contributions acknowledge the different ways in which design always happens in a social, cultural and political context.

Neuroscience for Architecture

The focus of our domain, Neuroscience for Architecture, is to understand and accommodate the human neural makeup as it interfaces with the built environment in an effort to support human wellbeing and potential.

Parametric Phenomenology

Parametric Phenomenology is the bridge across the subjective and objective dimensions of person-space dialogue.

Thought Playground

An exploratory domain for thought experiments and musings of all things architecture and its infinite intersections.

Design for Wellbeing

What is wellbeing and how can we design to promote it? More than the absence of illness or discomfort, wellbeing is shorthand for happiness, self-actualization, and holistic health. These outcomes are directly influenced by the physical and social spaces of our daily lives.

Culture and Design

Culture plays an important role in shaping behaviors and cognition of space users. Now more than ever we live in multicultural communities. Understanding needs of inhabitants with various backgrounds helps to design spaces that embrace collaboration, trust and respect. In the times of design globalization, when similar solutions are realized in various, remote parts of the globe, it is vital to understand local needs, traditions and habits to successfully adapt these solutions without harming local social environment. We research the influence of culture on perception and behavioral patterns associated with space. We investigate vernacular design practices rooted in different cultures to understand their impact on users' behavior and cognition. If you are interested in contributing to this domain please let us know!

Design for Equity

The purpose of Design for Equity is to not only reduce and ultimately eliminate oppressive structures, systems, and spaces but to identify and understand the complexities of oppression within design. Within this area of the CCD, we hope to employ an "investigative design" approach to investigate and conceptualize design interventions to promote spatial equity. From these narratives and user-centric research, we aim to curate and create design interventions to reduce oppression and advance equality.

Design Innovation

Design Innovation is developing processes, strategies and tools for transforming design culture across education, research and practice.

Neuroaesthetics

Prior to recent technological developments, aesthetics had largely been the domain of the faculties of arts and humanities. Neuroaesthetics is a relatively new subcategory of cognitive neuroscience stemming from both evolutionary psychology and design theory. Neuroaesthetics incorporates an interdisciplinary approach to aesthetics with the aim to better understand the neural substrates implicated in human aesthetic judgment.

Early Years

About 380 million children under 5 years old live in cities around the world, and around 1 million neural connections are formed every second in a young child’s brain, shaped by their interactions with people and space. This domain explores how conscious design can contribute to shaping cities into an environment for all young children to develop to their full potential.