Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, “We shape our buildings and afterward our buildings shape us.” The first part is obvious—architects create buildings. We design them, build them, furnish them and ultimately people occupy them. It’s the second part of his quote that is more intriguing. How do buildings shape us?
Sometimes we learn that people have adapted to problems within their old space—creating habits that aren’t efficient and
shouldn’t be brought to the new space.
It’s not just interior spaces that impact mood. A building’s exterior is our preview of what to anticipate when you walk through the front doors. The overall aesthetic of the exterior can inspire creativity as students go to class every day. Color. Shape. Materials. Size. All of these factors evoke emotion in people as they pass by or approach a building. Taking time to learn about what we
want them to feel as they view or enter the building is an important first step. Taking cues from older buildings on campus when designing new facilities also provides a sense of continuity and symmetry during a campus tour.
The Importance of Taking Time to Discover During Building Planning
There’s a reason the first step of our Upward Thinking process is called Discover. It’s primarily a listening and learning phase. Whether we’re designing a new learning center, athletic complex, residence hall, or commons, we start by learning about the people that will use it. It’s in this crucial step—before any building design is done—that we explore how students, staff, and faculty are using the current building they occupy. What’s working. What’s not working. What’s missing. We also explore how a new building can work more efficiently for them—or be more inspiring for the work they’re doing. Our goal is to turn Churchill’s quote a little on its head and make sure everyone can use the building in a way that suits their needs, rather than having to adapt movements and workflow to a sub-optimal building design.Space Can Change Behavior
Sometimes we learn that people have adapted to problems within their old space—creating habits that aren’t efficient and
shouldn’t be brought to the new space.
- Staff members don’t use the stairs because they’re cold, dark and noisy.
- Students use a service entrance to a campus building because it’s closer to their natural walking path than the main entrance.
- Faculty store materials in multiple locations because there isn’t adequate storage near their classroom or office.
Space Can Impact Mood
One other way that campus building design pays off the second half of Churchill’s quote is how materials and light can impact the mood of those using the building. Studies show that natural light can significantly elevate peoples’ moods. You see this more and more in modern building design with large windows positioned to provide maximum light. Or atrium spaces in common areas of campus buildings. The availability of natural light can also impact the interior spaces resulting in lower partitions in a learning center or all-glass offices in an administrative building to let the natural light flow more freely through the space.Exteriors of Buildings Impact People as Well
It’s not just interior spaces that impact mood. A building’s exterior is our preview of what to anticipate when you walk through the front doors. The overall aesthetic of the exterior can inspire creativity as students go to class every day. Color. Shape. Materials. Size. All of these factors evoke emotion in people as they pass by or approach a building. Taking time to learn about what we
want them to feel as they view or enter the building is an important first step. Taking cues from older buildings on campus when designing new facilities also provides a sense of continuity and symmetry during a campus tour.
