Understanding Structures through Neuroscience: Embodiment and the New Structural Art in Architecture

Drawing on the recent findings of neuroscience, this book invites readers to rethink the issue of structural expression through the lens of embodiment. This book begins by exploring an often-overlooked yet ambiguous perspective on structural expression in architectural design. It reveals how structural expressiveness is profoundly shaped by evolving conceptions of the body and analogies between the body and structure. Going beyond the mechanical analogy, it argues that perceptions of structure are embodied, and, conversely, structures should be designed to evoke embodied perceptions. Incorporating the neuroscientific theories of embodied simulation, affordance, and enactivism, this book builds a theoretical framework that informs structural design through sense of force, sense of interaction, and sense of dynamic. Each sense is illustrated through a series of global case studies, which are then located in a comprehensive mapping of relevant figures to structural expression. Overall, this framework redefines the relationship between physical and mental aspects of structural design, offering a novel perspective on the artistry of structural expression. This book will be of interest to scholars, practitioners, students, and researchers in architecture, structural engineering, and cognitive neuroscience, particularly those interested in perception and liveability.