This past weekend was the 4th biannual Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA) Conference and my abstract was selected for a poster presentation!

My topic was “Suppressing the Visual Sense to Enhance the Experience of Spiritual Spaces…

Think about the last time you took a walk outside. How was your experience? Was there a small sidewalk, a large sidewalk or no sidewalk at all? Was the floor uneven? Did it smell unpleasant or could you smell the lovely roses? Did you have to run so that you wouldn't get ran over by a car? Were you staring down at your phone because nothing else seemed more interesting?

Have you ever walked into a space and just felt so claustrophobic? Like you can barely catch your breath and you can’t wait to get out!

...that my friends, is probably the result of a low ceiling height (and probably tightly spaced walls)...

Of all the senses, I would say that the sense of smell is the most underappreciated.

Smell is an important sense as it can alert us to danger like gas leak, fire or rotten food but also is closely linked to parts of the brain that process emotion and memory. 

Have you ever felt a sound? Did you even know that you could feel sounds? It is amazing to learn about the human body and all of its capabilities, and I think it's even more amazing that architecture has led me to learn so much about the human body. 

That moment you enter into a space and your initial reaction is "oooh" or "ahh"...and you feel like you are in the perfect place. You feel at peace. You feel happy. You feel alive & grateful. You feel inspired, and no matter what was going on that day, you know that everything will be okay.

Can color transform a space? 
Can color change your attitude & influence your energy?
Can your mood really be altered by color?

The answer to all of these questions is YES!