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

| Feb 2, 2012

Next phase of construction begins on Scripps Prebys Cardiovascular Institute

$456 million Institute will be comprehensive heart center for 21st Century.

| Feb 1, 2012

Increase notched in construction jobs, but unemployment rate still at 16%

AGC officials said that construction employment likely benefited from unseasonably warm weather across much of the country that extended the building season.

| Feb 1, 2012

Replacement windows eliminate weak link in the building envelope

Replacement or retrofit can help keep energy costs from going out the window.

| Feb 1, 2012

‘Augmented reality’ comes to the job site

A new software tool derived from virtual reality is helping Building Teams use the power of BIM models more effectively.

| Feb 1, 2012

New ways to work with wood

New products like cross-laminated timber are spurring interest in wood as a structural material.

| Feb 1, 2012

Blackney Hayes designs school for students with learning differences

The 63,500 sf building allows AIM to consolidate its previous two locations under one roof, with room to expand in the future. 

| Feb 1, 2012

Two new research buildings dedicated at the University of South Carolina

The two buildings add 208,000 square feet of collaborative research space to the campus.

| Feb 1, 2012

List of Top 10 States for LEED Green Buildings released?

USGBC releases list of top U.S. states for LEED-certified projects in 2011.

| Feb 1, 2012

ULI and Greenprint Foundation create ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance

Member-to-member information exchange measures energy use, carbon footprint of commercial portfolios.

| Feb 1, 2012

AEC mergers and acquisitions up in 2011, expected to surge in 2012

Morrissey Goodale tracked 171 domestic M&A deals, representing a 12.5% increase over 2010 and a return to levels not seen since 2007.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Urban Planning

The magic of L.A.’s Melrose Mile

Great streets are generally not initially curated or willed into being. Rather, they emerge organically from unintentional synergies of commercial, business, cultural and economic drivers. L.A.’s Melrose Avenue is a prime example. 


Curtain Wall

7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks

It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. 

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