Architectural Design and Human Behavior: Narrative Review on the Psychological Influence on Built Space
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Keywords

Architecture
Architectural design
Human behavior
Built space

How to Cite

1.
Gómez Flores LE, Almirón Cuentas JA, Bernedo-Moreira DH, Velarde-Tejada MJ. Architectural Design and Human Behavior: Narrative Review on the Psychological Influence on Built Space. SAP Land and Architecture [Internet]. 2026 Jan. 1 [cited 2026 Sep. 25];5:297. Available from: https://la.southam.pub/index.php/la/article/view/297

Abstract

Objective: To study architectural design to improve the mental, emotional and behavioral health of people, creating spaces that promote well-being, social interaction, productivity and stress reduction through factors such as lighting, distribution, colors, accessibility and connection with nature.
Methodology: Narrative review of recent scientific literature (April 2022 - August 2023), consulting databases such as Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar. Ten relevant articles were selected after eliminating duplicates and non-relevant papers.
Results: It is highlighted that well-designed spaces can promote physical activity, social engagement and reduce stress. Architectural elements that affect brain responses and behavioral patterns were identified, highlighting the importance of taking into account the emotional and cognitive needs of the user.
Conclusions: It is essential to design environments that enhance quality of life and emotional well-being. Understanding spatial perception and environmental cognition allows architects to create functional spaces that meet the psychological and physiological demands of people, although more empirical research is needed to strengthen this evidence.

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References

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Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2026 Leonardo Esteban Gómez Flores, Juan Alberto Almirón Cuentas, David Hugo Bernedo-Moreira, Milusca Jaqueline Velarde-Tejada (Author)