What can we learn from "cavemen"?
When I spoke at the Singapore Institute of Architects, I wanted to take everyone on a bit of a journey – not just through design principles, but way back to our very origins.
Imagine, we're not starting in the office, but in the deep history of us as Homo sapiens. For the past 200,000 years, our evolution has been shaping our fundamental needs and how we react to the spaces around us.
I always find it fascinating to think about why certain architectural spaces just feel right, don't you? Well, my talk delved into the hardwired aspects of our brains, those automatic responses that were crucial for survival on the African savanna all those years ago.
Think about that instinct to notice movement out of the corner of your eye – that primal wiring still plays a massive role in how we perceive and interact with our environments today.
But this wasn't just a history lesson, not at all. I wanted to connect these deeply ingrained human traits directly to the principles of well-being design. Prepare to have your thinking challenged on something as basic as air quality, understanding why our bodies, which evolved in incredibly clean air, really struggle with high CO2 levels and how that impacts our ability to think clearly.
Another of my pet topic is the powerful impact of natural light on our circadian rhythms, those internal clocks that govern our sleep and wake cycles, and how thoughtful design can either support these vital processes or completely throw them off.
Then we looked at the absolute necessity of movement. Comparing our ancestors' incredibly active lives to our often very sedentary modern routines really makes you think. I wanted to highlight how architectural design can actually encourage more natural movement throughout our day.
And finally, we touched on that innate human connection to nature, what we call biophilia, and its subtle yet incredibly powerful influence on our overall well-being.
Ultimately, for me, it's not just about creating buildings; it's about designing for the evolved human being. Drawing on my own experiences and a real passion for where architecture meets human well-being, I framed these core principles not as just technical details, but as absolutely essential considerations for creating spaces that genuinely support our health and happiness.
My goal always is to offer a thought-provoking look into the very heart of human-centric design, showing how understanding our ancient past can pave the way for a healthier and more fulfilling future through the architecture we create.
It’s all about sparking that curiosity, making you think about why we feel the way we do in certain spaces and how we, as designers, can use that knowledge to build environments that truly resonate with our fundamental human nature.
Does this chime with your ambition and goal for being an Architect?
Watch the lecture
If you find this newsletter teasing your creative and inquisitive mind, check out the full 35min recording of the talk using this exclusive YouTube link which only my Newsletter subscribers can access.
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