In today's fast-paced world, our nervous systems are under constant assault. Chronic stress, digital fatigue, and overstimulating environments drain our vitality daily. While we cannot always control the chaos of the outside world, we can turn our personal space into a naturally healing environment.
No matter if you are just too busy or struggling with chronic health conditions, you deserve a home, a workspace, a community environment that not only looks good — it should support and restore your health and well-being by regulating your nervous system!
“Architects and Designers have a greater ability to improve public health than medical professionals.”
Dr. Claudia Miller, Professor Emeritus, University of Texas School of Medicine
Design is never neutral. According to the Science of Neuroaesthetics, about 90-95% of the environmental input our brains receive never reaches our consciousness. Instead, it funnels directly into our nervous system.
Every texture, lighting temperature, acoustic frequency, and spatial proportion is actively doing one of two things:
1) Healing us (lowering cortisol, regulating heart rate… supporting physical health)
or
2) Hurting us (triggering stress responses and eroding health over time)
As designers and architects, this shifts our responsibility. We aren’t just making things "look pretty" — we are altering human biology.
Based on this understanding of the human experience and consideration of influencing factors like cultural background, personal history, and desired emotional states, applied Neuroaesthetics optimizes the data input to the brain. At LEE²DESIGN, we use Neuroaesthetic design principles to strategically fine-tune architectural environments to evoke desired neurological effects and promote holistic health and well-being.
In the home environment
lower blood pressure and improved cortisol regulation
In the workplace
up to 15% prductivity boost
up to 60% reduction in physiological stress markers
In educational settings
20-25% higher test scores, improved focus and memory retention
In community spaces
up to 7-8% reduction in violent crime
In visitor engagement & retail
visitors stay longer, customer spending increases by 8-12%
Leading University Research Departments & Centers
Johns Hopkins University
International Arts + Mind Lab artsandmindlab.org
University of Pennsylvania
Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics neuroaesthetics.med.upenn.edu
Max Planck Society
Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics
Professional Associations
International Association of Empirical Aesthetics (IAEA)
Society for the Neuroscience of Creativity (SfNC)
Foundational Books
Inner Vision: An Exploration of Art and the Brain
by Semir Zeki
(Conway & Rehding, 2013)
The Age of Insight: The Quest to Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind, and Brain
by Eric R. Kandel
(Conway & Rehding, 2013)
Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us
by Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross
(Random House, 2023 - USA
Canongate Books - UK & internationally)
