Have you ever walked into a room and immediately thought, “This feels amazing!” Or, “I don’t like this,” with the ‘this’ not being anything in particular, just a feeling?

Even though we Americans spend a lot (A LOT!) of time inside buildings (90% of our time, on average), we struggle to articulate the reasons why buildings/spaces make us feel the way they do.

Part of this difficulty comes from the fact that talking about space is not a big cultural priority here. Sure, we watch HGTV shows and renovate the kitchen. But, as a culture, we tend to focus on stuff—which type of marble to use on a countertop, what color to paint the wall. These choices are usually made based on what is popular and available. We rarely talk about how these materials make us feel.

Nevertheless, we are influenced by our surroundings on a subconscious level. Inside a building, natural light, views, proportion, ease-of-use, acoustics, haptics, and site all have an impact on how we feel.