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

| Oct 27, 2011

iProspect selects VLK Architects for new office design

Company growth prompted iProspect to make the decision to move to a new space.

| Oct 27, 2011

ASSA Abloy, MAXXESS Systems announce U.S. Aperio integration

Aperio will integrate with MAXXESS's eAXxess  and Efusion Event Management Software packages.

| Oct 26, 2011

Metl-Span selected for re-roof project

School remained in session during the renovation and it was important to minimize the disruption as much as possible.

| Oct 26, 2011

Shawmut Design and Construction awarded Tag Heuer build in Aventura, Fla.

New store features 1,200 sf fit out at Aventura Mall.

| Oct 25, 2011

HKS Science & Technology practice formed

Specializing in the planning and design of highly technical building types, HKS’s Science & Technology practice offers the broadest range of services available to the academic and biomedical research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device community, including laboratory programming, planning and design, strategic science planning and laboratory equipment planning.

| Oct 25, 2011

Universal teams up with Earthbound Corp. to provide streamlined commercial framing solutions

The primary market for the Intact Structural Frame is light commercial buildings that are typically designed with concrete masonry walls, steel joists and steel decks.

| Oct 25, 2011

Ritner Steel CEO elected to AISC Board

Freund will begin serving on the AISC board of directors, assisting with the organization's planning and leadership in the steel construction industry.

| Oct 25, 2011

Commitment to green building practices pays off

The study, conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, built on a good indication of the potential for increased productivity and performance pilot research completed two years ago, with similarly impressive results.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Retail Centers

Thinking outside the big box (store)

For over a decade now, the talk of the mall industry has been largely focused on what developers can do to fill the voids left by a steady number of big box store closures. But what do you do when big box tenants stay put?


Government Buildings

OSHA’s proposed heat standard published in Federal Register

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a proposed standard addressing heat illness in outdoor and indoor settings in the Federal Register. The proposed rule would require employers to evaluate workplaces and implement controls to mitigate exposure to heat through engineering and administrative controls, training, effective communication, and other measures.


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