Catherine Osborne writes: “Architect Tye Farrow is a leading expert in bringing neuroscience together with the built environment. His latest project at a Toronto Montessori School reveals just how persuasively our surroundings can positively shape us, both physically and mentally.

 Positive ambiguity is but one chapter of a larger field of study Farrow is now a leading world expert. Referred to as cause health (or salutogenic in medical terms), he and his firm look at how the built environment can engage and enrich society by considering design through various lenses. For instance, can buildings be generous? Or, what makes a street, a town or a city authentic, and, in turn, radiate a sense of trust, resilience and importance?” “If that sounds a bit like we’re talking about people rather than buildings, in many ways, cause health is just that – thinking about architecture beyond its functional services and toward its potential to make us feel vital and connected, more like friends and family than inanimate objects.”

 “For Farrow, cause health is the ultimate test for good design. And we aren’t there yet. “Right now, architecture is interested in ecological health,” he says. The industry is focusing on making buildings more efficient with solutions like solar panels and timber construction. “But we are environmentally embedded beings. We should be looking at all aspects of health, including social, physical and mental wellness.”

Full article at: www.architectatwork.ca/en/aw-newsletter/n/20533/the-psychological-benefits-of-good-design