WHY WE SHOULD BUILD AWFUL BUILDINGS
I recently read an interesting article about the emotion of awe. Researchers have found that experiencing awe has a range of emotional, physiological, and social health benefits. Awe is shown to make us happier and more satisfied, to make us care more about others, and to increase our humility. Research has also shown feeling awe can improve critical thinking, expand our perception of time, and lead to less materialism.
We feel awe when we encounter something with qualities so extraordinary it seems incomprehensible. We tend to think of awe as an emotion reserved for the most extraordinary moments in life – summiting a mountain, the birth of a child, or an outstanding live performance. But researchers argue even everyday experiences can evoke awe, and those moments can have a positive impact on our wellbeing too. We expect viewing the Grand Canyon to inspire awe, but a beautiful sunset seen from our porch can do it too.
Researchers say nature, art, music, and human interaction are all potential sources for daily experiences of awe. However, having daily awe experiences requires the right mindset. We need to slow down, pause, be present, and observe the world around us. It can be difficult to experience awe when too many things compete for our attention. Stress can make it more difficult to experience awe too.
Being an architect, I of course got to thinking about what implications this could have for the buildings we design. Architects have for much of history built monumental public buildings with the intention of evoking some sense of awe. Government buildings are designed to remind us of the power of civil authority or to celebrate the ideals of democratic government. Public libraries celebrate man’s attainment of knowledge and the production of literature. Schools and universities were once designed to remind students of the power and dignity that knowledge gives us.
The Architect’s daughter admiring the Nebraska State Capitol by Bertram G. Goodhue.
Why not design all buildings to evoke a sense of awe? After all, nearly every person experiences the built environment on a daily basis, whether it be in the office building where they go to work, the school building where they learn, or the restaurant where they dine and socialize.
There are many ways to invoke a sense of awe in buildings other than sheer size:
proper use of proportions, symmetry, and rhythm to instill beauty,
using fine, quality materials,
elegant details,
beautiful ornament,
color,
framing an extraordinary view,
creating a focal point with a piece of art or bold graphics, or
an unexpected setting.
Buildings can also help us to perceive daily moments of awe. A well-designed building can help occupants be more focused by:
enabling their intended purpose,
creating places for meaningful interactions,
providing for their environmental comfort, and
removing unnecessary distractions from their perception.
It ends up we just need to design awful buildings (yes, that is the correct word) to improve our well-being and quality of life through the built environment around us. So, let’s build awfully to enrich and inspire our communities!
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