flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Study explores why high ceilings are popular

Architects

Study explores why high ceilings are popular

High ceilings give us a sense of freedom, new research finds


By BD+C Staff | March 9, 2015
Study finds out why most people like high ceilings

Interior view of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Photo courtesy Jean_Christophe Benoist/Wikimedia Commons

Real-estate listings usually include high ceilings as an amenity. This makes sense, as research has shown that home buyers tend to prefer homes above the standard eight-foot ceiling.

A recent study done by a team from the University of Toronto-Scarborough (UTS), who revealed to us recently why the human brain prefers curvy buildings, also explored why high ceilings are desirable.

Led by psychologist Oshin Vartanian of the UTS found that our brains tie high ceilings to a psychological sense of freedom, Fast Company reports.

In addition, the team also looked at the brain activity of research subjects who were placed under a neuroimaging scanner as they reviewed pictures of interiors. They found that the majority of respondents labeled a space with high ceilings as “beautiful.”

“Such rooms promote visuospatial exploration,” Vartanian told Fast Company. “At the same time they prompt us to think more freely. This could be a rather potent combination for inducing positive feelings.”

Fast Company has the full report.

Related Stories

High-rise Construction | Mar 4, 2015

Must see: Egypt planning 656-foot pyramid skyscraper in Cairo

Zayed Crystal Spark Tower will stand 200 meters tall and will be just a short distance from the pyramids of Giza. 

Transit Facilities | Mar 4, 2015

5+design looks to mountains for Chinese transport hub design

The complex, Diamond Hill, will feature sloping rooflines and a mountain-like silhouette inspired by traditional Chinese landscape paintings.

Energy Efficiency | Mar 4, 2015

DOE launches crowdsourcing website for technology innovators

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory launched a new crowdsourcing website called the Buildings Crowdsoucing Community to collect and share ideas by innovators for energy-efficient technologies to use in homes and buildings.

Multifamily Housing | Mar 3, 2015

10 kitchen and bath design trends for 2015

From kitchens made for pet lovers to floating vanities, the nation's top kitchen and bath designers identify what's hot for 2015.

Office Buildings | Mar 3, 2015

Former DuPont lab to be converted into business incubator near UPenn campus

The new Pennovation Center will provide collaborative and research spaces for educators, scientists, students, and the private sector.

Sponsored | BIM and Information Technology | Mar 3, 2015

The great debate: Is 3D PDF really BIM?

You can pull apart buildings, cut through floors, and view simulated animation for assembly instructions all within a PDF.

K-12 Schools | Mar 2, 2015

BD+C special report: What it takes to build 21st-century schools

How the latest design, construction, and teaching concepts are being implemented in the next generation of America’s schools.

Codes and Standards | Mar 2, 2015

Proposed energy standard for data centers, telecom buildings open for public comment

The intent of ASHRAE Standard 90.4P is to create a performance-based approach that would be more flexible and accommodating of innovative change.

K-12 Schools | Mar 1, 2015

Are energy management systems too complex for school facility staffs?

When school districts demand the latest and greatest, they need to think about how those choices will impact the district’s facilities employees.

Office Buildings | Mar 1, 2015

Google unveils dramatic tent-like, modular-focused plan for corporate HQ

The master plan by Bjarke Ingels and Thomas Heatherwick will wrap highly flexible office blocks in soaring translucent canopies.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Museums

The Tampa Museum of Art will soon undergo a $110 million expansion

In Tampa, Fla., the Tampa Museum of Art will soon undergo a 77,904-sf Centennial Expansion project. The museum plans to reach its $110 million fundraising goal by late 2024 or early 2025 and then break ground. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi, and with construction manager The Beck Group, the expansion will redefine the museum’s surrounding site.



Reconstruction & Renovation

Movement to protect historic buildings raises sharp criticism

While the movement to preserve historic buildings has widespread support, it also has some sharp critics with well-funded opposition groups springing up in recent years. Some opponents are linked to the Stand Together Foundation, founded and bankrolled by the Koch family’s conservative philanthropic organization, according to a column in Governing magazine.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021

Â