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Psychology and Black Architecture

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PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION (2021) 58(5), ISSN 1553 - 6939
Article Received: 22th November, 2020; Article Revised: 26th March, 2021; Article Accepted: 26th April, 2021

Psychology and Black Architecture

Avitesha, Dr. Naveen Nandalb
a- Research Scholar, School of Art & Architecture, Sushant University, Gurugram, India
b- Assistant Professor, Sushant University, Gurugram, India
aravitesh13@gmail.com , naveennandal@sushantuniversity.edu.in

Abstract

Architectural Design or architectural field and human psychology are sharing a vital relationship but it
has been ignored all the time and unnoticed by the design industry. Interrelation of design and
psychology is not just significant but also reciprocal. One side claims, effective design has been shown
psychologically impacted and physiological effects; the other side, psychology, human experience, and
the work of our neural systems all play a role in our perceptions of Successful design. This paper aims
to explain how the dynamic relationship came to be and how it should function in today's era and how
black architecture theory has an essential significance during the design process. It accomplishes this
by first looking at the working of the human brain and how the nervous system organized with it, how
our forefathers adopted this structure and function. It reviewed literature that how modern culture
affects that function. The positive impacts and harmful effects with the similarities and
interrelationships in-between nature, psychology, and our nervous system are examined with that
context. The modern-day issue of human stress induced by poorly built buildings and spaces will be
illustrated, design recommendations with the help of psychological study followed by a discussion on
black architecture theory and architecture buildings.

Keywords: Black Architecture, Design, Psychology, Human interaction

Introduction psychological and its benefits in architectural

design are beyond the mere sense of an
In the architectural field, styles have evolved as aesthetically pleasing aspect. Nowadays, the
the general public has invested in building psychological advantages of aesthetics in
materials and new construction processes have architecture are more frequently reorganized. A
witnessed new evolution and enhancements. few years ago, in exchange for form, use and
Some of them have faded quickly, while other craft, architectural elements traditionally taught
styles have stood for a long time and stood the (form, use and beauty) were dropped. To a
test of time and been around for several considerable degree, human behavior is
decades. Some old or traditional styles are even governed by the environment and resources
influencing modern architecture today. The within the environment. The physical structures
of human behavior have a significant effect.
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Article Received: 22th November, 2020; Article Revised: 26th March, 2021; Article Accepted: 26th April, 2021

Human beings spend more time inside the walls supported at the planning stage and
of the structures; structures that feature a continuously optimized so that weaknesses can
natural environment and structural landscape be resolved and damage prevention carried out
into the human environment are valuable for prophylactically. In order to strengthen the
design. In addition, we create or are surrounded buildings of the residents, the analysis of the
by a particular living environment. Our design is also a significant element in this
environment is also a fertile basis for our process, which will facilitate and use details on
individual development and assessment. In a existing buildings.
practical sense, space also helps strengthen our
In architecture, psychology has a high value
sense of self-appreciation, fulfilment and
and should never be undermined. Winston
introspection. Relief in this sector can be a
Churchill said that people are shaping and then
reason for unhappiness, worry, isolation and
shaping their buildings. The complex layers of
lack of spirit.
human ideals, aspirations and motivations are to
The population has increased in demand for be produced in a human-centred design. We are
households and institutions over time. So, trying to enhance architectural design that
everyone's attention bubble came to the need connects emotionally. The design of any
for quicker and more efficient buildings. This building affects the behavior of a person and
led to increasing numbers of tiny, hideous one- changes the mood. It is possible to define black
story 'box houses,' which were not well- architecture in many respects, but essentially it
conceived about the floor plan, space use or is the relationship between emotions and
aesthetics. Box housings are also in India, not architecture. People/public/crowds generally
just EWS but LIG housings. Due to these connect it to color, but dark emotions stand for
housing types, people are drifting out of nature. black architecture. A user of that particular
A lot of architectural characteristics affect the space cannot feel or accept the art and scientific
well-being of our minds, emotions and know-how of their survival in the building and
emotions. The main question to be answered by the entire architecture cannot influence the
all the brotherhood architects and designers: behavior of a user. In general we can call it
what feelings, feelings and feelings do I want to black architecture if you visit any place or
spark in the building's occupants? The patterns building and your experience is dark or the goal
of behavior according to the building should be behind the building does not trigger positive
clear. The healthy patterns can be selected with vibration. The terrible episode of any room,
the help of an appropriate design. Because Black Architecture comes from a field of
various patterns of awareness, personalities and academic psychology to investigate the impact
cultural imprints come into play, architecture of architecture on human beings, their feelings
has a non-identical effect on every human and behavior. Architecture psychology is
being; clear measures or tips are hard to define. dedicated to the interaction of people with
However, some recommendations may help space. (AAvitesh. 2020)12.
each professional in different design stages.
Before the planning process, it would make
more sense to integrate the criteria for each
project in order to create spaces (social or
collective). Then the project should be

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PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION (2021) 58(5), ISSN 1553 - 6939
Article Received: 22th November, 2020; Article Revised: 26th March, 2021; Article Accepted: 26th April, 2021

Psychology and Evolution of Brain medulla). The brain stem connects the brain
with the spinal cord and is responsible for
unintentional functions such as breathing,
It is essential to understand the process of how
swallowing, heart rate, reflexes, etc. The
architectural and interior design knock humans
brainstem is also essential as it acts as a relay to
psychologically, at least on the basic level, one
inform the brain about the rest of the body. It
should get the idea about psychological impact
collects and transfers sensory input to the
on the human brain. In comparison to other
corresponding brain areas where the peripheral
species, the brain of a human being used to
nervous system is labelled satisfactory or
evolve in a more refinished fashion over time.
disagreeable. Human brains were designed to
The brain is the part of the body that is active
combine satisfaction with things and locations,
24 hours and observe each and everything.
which have, over time, improve our chances of
Species to species can be different in shape and
survival. All the earliest human needs have
size. For example, the forebrain in humans is
been food, water, shelter, and, above all,
bigger than several other animals
architecture. Despite the way the village
comparatively. It is the hub of executive
features are encoded and determined in our
thought, planning, and emotion. On the other
minds and our tastes in today's built
hand, the more fundamental aspects of the brain
environment, most citizens no longer live on
and brain stemming work closer to most
rural lands. Modern humans continue, although
mammals, which are already designed and work
more subjectively, to match shelter with
so that we can enjoy living and following fun.
pleasure. While it is not apparent at first glance
Survival is focused on the quest for the most
that architectural and interior design has a link
common means of shelter, food and filling.
between these work mechanisms and the
Since we no longer have natural predators,
psychological impact on human brain, they play
survival has taken on a new, less objective
a critical role in controlling stress in modern
sense in the modern world, one that differs
humans.
according to demographics, social status, and
geographic position. On the other hand, Stress affects modern humans in a very
pleasure has, for some 200,000 years and so, different way than it did our forefathers and
remained essentially unchanged. Pleasure is other mammals. Predators and bad weather
described as a sense of pleasure, pleasure or were the main sources of stress for our
pleasure. However, the strategies for this ancestors. The fact that a human being no
feeling have been subjective and over time have longer has natural degradation and that shelter
developed, with our human desires growing and is readily available to shield us from this world
our resources changing. Two sections of the could encourage us to progress, but it has also
human central nervous system are the brain of drastically altered our stressors. Stress can be
that human and the spinal cord. The brain is caused by a variety of factors and varies widely
divided into a range of treatment structures and from person to person. Stress can be caused by
working sections dedicated to particular tasks. a number of factors in daily life, including
traffic, jobs, and relationships; stress can also
A large forebrain (cerebrum), a smaller back
be caused by seemingly insignificant incidents.
brain (cerebellum), and a central brain stem are
Irrespective of the cause our bodies today react
part of the human brain (midbrain, pons, and
to stress in the same manner they intended for

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Article Received: 22th November, 2020; Article Revised: 26th March, 2021; Article Accepted: 26th April, 2021

our ancestors when it was about birth and beautiful. Why do buildings have the potential
death: the anxious sympathetic division comes to physiologically impact us positively if the
into play, and everything that is not critical is only function of structure or place is where
slowed down for immediate survival. people can quickly assemble for specific
purposes? The answer is based once again on
In contrast to the eventual pressures
evolution. Buildings that give us a good feeling
experienced by our ancients, our stress is
include architectural features that our brain
worried because the reason behind that stress
recognizes as similar to those that helped our
does not go away or we are not able to justify
ancestors survive.
the reason and even though our survival is not
in jeopardy, our bodies spend far too much time Consequently, it is crucial to determine the
in survival mode. Consistent or chronic stress particular features or trends of our brain and
can cause severe problems in physical and why. People were fascinated for a long time by
mental health, including permanent ones. Since the patterns we effectively adapted to our
stress is now so prevalent and the health ability to plan for the future. There are many
impacts of stress are well understood, ways to understand patterns that the brain
techniques such as psychological therapy, understands. The first is feature matching,
meditation, medicines and other approaches are which happens when the brain breaks up
used to ignore it. While it is widely accepted incoming pattern information and compares it
that stress can somewhat be diminished, there to a previously stored pattern, one by one.
are many different viewpoints on which Prototype matching is the same as matching
strategies are most effective. This is why features, but our brain tries to relate the
architecture and interior design's beneficial incoming data to specific characteristics of a
psychological impact have become increasingly known prototype instead of matching the
important. incoming pattern to the stored pattern.

The Positive Psychology and Architecture The last matching pattern method is template
matching, compared with the whole pattern
Architectural design has evolved from time to only parts of the pattern. Patterns reflect order,
time with the market's changing tastes and continuity and lack of disturbance. The chances
discovering new methods and equipment for of survival of our ancestors increased as they
building. Such styles were urban myths that could identify patterns and predict what would
went quickly, whilst others stood the test of happen next. Patterns in our constructed
time for decades, shaping contemporary environment that our mind recognizes as
architecture. According to a renowned architect, beneficial from nature to our ancestors produce
shape, usage, and elegance are the three today the same physiological response. Because
components that make a "beautiful" house. The insecurity or unpredictability, the polar contrast
feeling associated with the word "beautiful" is to sequence, has a physiologically negative
universal, even though the word "beautiful" is impact on us. The human brain has been used to
fundamentally subjective. We experience joy survive for so long as pattern identification is
when we see something we consider to be something that we regularly do subconsciously.
While you do not know that your emotions are

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Article Received: 22th November, 2020; Article Revised: 26th March, 2021; Article Accepted: 26th April, 2021

the result of a pattern, the physiological system craftsmanship. The demand for housing and
has the same sympathetic or para-sympathetic institutions increased after World War II as a
reaction as our ancestors. The significance of result of the baby boom in the population. As a
the pattern goes beyond the ability to identify result, there was a need to build faster and more
something tangible, like a shelter or a house. It efficiently. Giving less informative, tiny houses
is also important because beautiful architecture concentrated on this form, features and
has aesthetic influence. handicraft because of some limitations in
technology available at that time. In the 1950s,
Rhythms make the eye vary through one
this resulted in the proliferation of small, ugly
attention and another and allow the eyes to
or very sophisticated such as one-story 'box'
swing wildly from one direction and the next
houses that were poorly designed in terms of a
(for example one part of a room to the next).
floor plan, use of space, and aesthetics. It is
This not only captures your interest but also
currently taking place in illegal colonies and
enhances the object's charm (house or room).
urban villages. We and others also discovered
There are four types of rhythms in architecture:
the same settlement in satellite areas, includes
Reproduction is known as alternation of a
settlements with interminable rows of
contrasting pair. Progress is the process of
households that are primarily indiscriminate
elevating or decreasing the dimension of an
and constructed as near as practicable for more
element of a pattern; repeating a single element
housing.
repeatedly and using a line the eye can follow
from one phase to the next is transition. Since This plain, architecturally unoriginal building
the development of our brain equates the trend was not limited to homes; it also had a
aesthetically pleasing patterns and rhythms with significant impact on the industrial evaluation,
protection, safety, well-being and survival, we which were helping in the built environment at
find buildings with patterns or rhythms that are the time. Because of the war's improved
more beautiful. As mentioned above, the material manufacturing capacity, new
perception induces the release of oxytocin, construction materials could be easily
endorphins and DHEA, and a reduction in the manufactured in factories that had previously
fight or flight responses of the sympathetic been committed to the war effort. Those
nervous system, all of which lead to a sense of construction materials sparked the aesthetic in
pleasure. This helped regenerate our physical modernism architecture, which dominated
and physical wellbeing, the immune system, especially industrial structures from the 1950s
telomeres and other aspects of our health. to the 1990s. The materials used basically to
build a modern, futuristic, space-like look were
The Negative Effects of Psychology on
glass, concrete, aluminum, synthetics, and steel.
Architecture
A rare type of sensory deprivation was created
by monochromatic colors, poorly positioned
Although the psychological advantages of windows, a lack of architectural detail, and
architecture’s aesthetics are now more broadly repetitive designs. Not only did this pattern lead
understood, historically evolved elements of to the lack of intellectual stimulation, it also
different type of architecture (shape, use, substantially eliminated any type of human
ornaments and beauty) were removed according interaction, which resulted in a cold and
to the purpose for shape, utility and unpleasant atmosphere that was lacking the

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Article Received: 22th November, 2020; Article Revised: 26th March, 2021; Article Accepted: 26th April, 2021

ability to evoke a positive sense of comfort. just managing disease (both mental and
With the high demand for houses beginning to physical). The design of the individual
decline, it is no wonder that the era's style was buildings that make up the building
soon removed/replaced and a new passion was environment for the city is important to public
born for individualistic and creative expression health as well as city planning. Studies show
in architecture. that we feel vulnerable, frightening and anxious
in battered homes and neighborhoods, as well
The ancient ideals of beauty that defined the
as abandoned and decaying structures. These
Classical era started to resurface once more. A
emotions stimulate our survival mechanisms
new emphasis was attached to the structure,
and, as we already know, activate our
geometry (the use of patterns such as Nine
supportive nervous system.
Square) and uniform grid. Classically designed
columns, buildings built on foundations, and “Sussman and Hollander (2015)” discuss the
colonnades have made a comeback. This negative psychological effect modern
underpins the previous argument that buildings communities have upon people in the book
that combine elegance and patterns will Cognitive Architecture: designing how we react
withstand evolving styles and social to the constructed environment. They argue that
preferences. Not only did this motion people are generally happy when their urban
incorporate a variety of additional components area has more small businesses, unique spaces
of the mediaeval era, but it also returned and houses instead of uniform cement systems
artefacts such as terracotta, stone, and limestone and chains. The only two who were intrigued
used throughout that period, and it also by the phenomenon were not “Sussman and
incorporated use of artefacts produced by Hollander”. Neuroscientist “Colin Ellard” has
human beings, which imitate these resources in taken matters a little further. He led an audience
the architecture sector. As a consequence of the through two streets of the city while monitoring
above, the houses built at this period were much emotional enthusiasm for skin behavior and
larger and more costly. Poorly designed electrical dermal reaction. The first consisted of
structures and settings have a major negative a massive, generic Whole Foods house, while
psychological effect on humans, just as good the second consisted of a myriad of unique and
architecture does. vibrant restaurants with open doors and
windows. The study's lowest arousal level was
The Supreme Court has been a critical
in the former setting, while the latter generated
responsibility of local governments since 1926,
a high level of excitement. "The holy grail in
when the public health system (identified
urban design is to create some innovation or
initially as physical health) was decided to do
improvement every few seconds, otherwise, we
so. As a result of this declaration, governments
become cognitively disengaged," Eller
have been granted legal authority to control
concluded. From a psychological standpoint,
land use. The World Health Organization
such disengagement is undesirable; research
extended the definition of public health to
shows that many times only slight boredom
include mental, social and physical health and
may trigger stress. (Ellard C. 2011)5
disease absence over time. The World Health
Organization. In addition, the WHO In short, the influence of architecture and
emphasized the importance of avoiding and not design on psychology and a person’s emotions
is significant. Buildings with effective patterns,
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PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION (2021) 58(5), ISSN 1553 - 6939
Article Received: 22th November, 2020; Article Revised: 26th March, 2021; Article Accepted: 26th April, 2021

such as the Nine Square or that invoke the sense psychologists and architects understand
of protection felt by our ancestors in the architecture's positive psychological and
savannah have a positive impact, and we can restorative effects. In that case, the
feel better. Stimulating our nervous system psychological implications of thoughtless
helps to nerve and make us fearless, poorly design will never be entertained or discussed,
maintained buildings that are harmful to our which a critical prospectus is and the discipline
health both mentally and physically. Many will continue to lack the tools required to
unique buildings and shops stimulate us while change the environment we live in. This study
repeated dull buildings are tedious and focused on the relation of psychology and
scientifically stressful. In addition, protracted architecture, this must be recognized as a social
exposition to these negative building problem that is both pressing and very
characteristics can cause chronic stress and important.
damage to one's health. Fortunately, both brain
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