Brains in bodies in the—social, built, and natural—environment

Each brain enlivens a body in interaction with the social and physical environment. Peter Zumthor’s Therme at Vals exemplifies the interplay of interior with surroundings, and ways the actions of users fuse with their multimodal experience. The action–perception cycle includes both practical and contemplative actions. The author analyzes what Louis Sullivan meant by “form ever follows function,” but more often talks of aesthetics and utility. Not only are action, perception, and emotion intertwined, but so are remembering and imagination. Architectural design leads to the physical construction of buildings—but much of what our brains achieve can be seen as a form of mental construction. A first look at neuroscience offers schema theory as a bridge from cognitive processes to neural circuitry. Some architects fear that neuroscience will strip the architect of any creativity. In counterpoint, two-way reduction explores how neuroscience can “dissect” phenomenology by showing how first-person experiences arise from melding diverse subconscious processes. This raises the possibility that neuroscience can extend the effectiveness of architectural design by showing how different aspects of a building may affect human experience in ways that are not apparent to self-reflection.