As architects gathered at AIA26 to discuss regenerative design, adaptive reuse, resilience, and healthier communities, one theme emerged across many of the conference’s most important conversations: the future of architecture is increasingly human-centered.
The profession has made tremendous progress in advancing building performance, reducing carbon emissions, and improving environmental outcomes. Yet as the conversation evolves, a broader question is gaining attention:
How do buildings make people feel?
Photo: Habitat Horticulture
A major new study published in Architectural Science Review offers compelling insight. In one of the largest investigations of its kind, researchers surveyed more than 4,000 participants to better understand how building appearance influences emotions, wellbeing, and perceptions of sustainability.
Their findings should resonate with anyone involved in shaping the built environment.
More than 75% of respondents reported that buildings affect their mental wellbeing, while over 70% agreed that society should invest more in buildings that create positive emotional experiences. Participants consistently preferred buildings they described as interesting, distinctive, and memorable, while expressing frustration with environments perceived as repetitive, uninspiring, or disconnected from community character.
For architects and designers, this reinforces something many have long understood intuitively: design matters. Not only because it influences how buildings function, but because it shapes how people experience places every day.
The Connection Between Wellbeing and Sustainability
Perhaps the most intriguing finding from the study was the relationship between emotional attachment and sustainability.
Participants expressed a strong preference for restoring and preserving buildings they valued rather than demolishing and replacing them. Buildings that fostered positive emotional responses were more likely to be seen as worth maintaining for future generations.
This insight aligns closely with discussions at AIA26 around adaptive reuse, building longevity, and regenerative design. Sustainable buildings are not simply those that consume fewer resources—they are also the buildings communities choose to keep.
When people feel connected to a place, they are more likely to care for it, invest in it, and advocate for its preservation.
Where Nature Fits Into the Conversation
Photo: Growing Green
We see a natural connection between these findings and the growing body of research supporting biophilic design.
Studies consistently show that integrating nature into the built environment can reduce stress, improve wellbeing, enhance cognitive performance, and strengthen occupants’ connections to place. Whether through interior plants, living walls, green roofs, daylight, views of nature, or thoughtfully integrated landscapes, nature-based design strategies help create environments that people enjoy spending time in.
While the Building Appearance and Wellbeing study did not specifically examine biophilic design, its findings reinforce a broader principle: people respond positively to environments that are engaging, memorable, and meaningful.
Nature can play a powerful role in creating those experiences.
Designing Places People Value
The conversations at AIA26 suggest that architecture is entering a new chapter—one that expands the definition of building performance to include human experience, community wellbeing, and long-term stewardship.
Photo: Greenery NYC
For architects and designers, this presents an opportunity. As we pursue regenerative outcomes and healthier communities, we can also consider how our projects foster emotional connection.
Because the buildings that endure are often more than efficient.
They are memorable.
They are meaningful.
They contribute to wellbeing.
And most importantly, they are places people care about.
As the profession continues to evolve, the integration of nature, wellbeing, and thoughtful design may prove to be one of the most effective ways to create buildings that not only perform better—but matter more.
References:
Dalton, R.C., Burgess, D., Mavros, P., et al. (2025). Building Appearance and Wellbeing: How Architectural Design Affects Public Emotion. Architectural Science Review. Findings include that 75.6% of respondents believe buildings affect their mental wellbeing and more than 70% support investment in buildings that create positive emotional experiences. View and/or Download PDF.
American Institute of Architects (AIA26). Conference themes and business meeting announcements emphasizing regenerative design, adaptive reuse, resilience, and human-centered practice.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023). Systematic review of biophilic design and workplace wellbeing.
Scientific Reports (2024). Research demonstrating positive wellbeing outcomes associated with biophilic workplace environments.
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