31 This neurobiological insight reveals the pre-eminence of our “gut response” to space. Our emotional response is directly wired not just to focused vision, which accounts for a mere 5% of our entire visual field, but also to our peripheral vision, which encompasses 95% of our field of view. In other words, we perceive the general ambiance of any environment through the impact it has on our peripheral vision, which is also tied to our ingrained sense of safety or peril. When we sit at our desks, for example, we remain aware of the space around us. We can sense when someone enters the room or leaves the door ajar. We’re aware of the ceiling and whether the ceiling fan suddenly spins faster or slower. We’re even aware, at the edge of our peripheral vision, when a spider crawls down the wall. Peripheral vision builds our emotional connection to place. Photo by Hans Solcer, Getty Images. Furthermore, the emotional imprint that a given space creates is converted from chemical and electrical signals into a three-dimensional map etched into our neural networks as a spatial reference frame. Architects and designers should note that these spatial reference frames, which make up our sense of space, can be evoked by recreating the contextual or environmental cues that gave rise to the original memory map or experience. According to Dr. Groh, it turns out that “not only is memory an integral part of building a sense of space but space, in turn, serves as a kind of filing system for storing and accessing memories. And the brain’s memory-space connection relies on shared neural infrastructure.”10 This insight provides one of the clues that may answer the mystery behind why optical illusions differ from standard imagery. Unlike representational imagery, illusions are multisensory. They’re not only visual, but they also include spatial information – the spatial reference frame – that, when woven into the architectural context of an isolated interior, allows the cues to create a credible illusion of volume and depth. In fact, illusions of nature™ give rise to perceived open space because they engage a more sophisticated cognitive process than decorative, symbolic imagery. When we provide a visual stimulus that mimics a spatial relationship with which we’re familiar, the brain’s sensory and motor regions react as if the original memory itself is being re-experienced. This is consistent with a facet of illusions; they’re capable of conjuring an experience when key cognitive cues emulate a genuine past experience. Spatial reference frames: what you see, you become Turning to environmental psychology, one of the most researched spatial relationships is prospect and refuge – a panoramic view of nature from a secure vantage point. Such a spatial reference frame is so ingrained in our neurobiology that the experience of deep relaxation it elicits can even be credibly simulated in isolated, enclosed spaces. A multisensory Open Sky Composition is framed within a Luminous SkyCeiling. © 2018 Sky Factory. In deep-plan buildings, occupants lose the two most biologically meaningful spatial relationships architecture can provide: a visual connection to the zenith (the sky) and the horizon line, both of which extend for miles in natural environments. Compressed spatial footprints without direct access to nature lead to cognitive drain. Occupants lose access to panoramic views of open sky or nature, and thereby lose meaningful mental restoration and physiological relaxation. Dr. Groh notes that “some studies have shown that mentally picturing a visual stimulus elicits activity in the primary visual cortex and, furthermore, that the extent of this activity varies with the size of the object being imagined – tying it to the visual cortex map of space.”11 Her assertions provide a neurological basis to understand why natural environments have played such a fundamental role in the development of our neural circuitry and why, when our daily urban experience is one of limited built space, rather than interconnected open We must not underestimate the importance of these anchors as visual inputs that structure the spatial awareness essential to our well-being. — continued on page 32
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