We architects create two kinds of buildings – those we call “objects,” where appearance and shape are the focus; and those that are “space makers,” creating places inside and around a structure. I am fascinated by the latter.

 For those spaces are where we design places for people that engender happiness, security, and comfort. When these needs have been met, people are open to learn, love, and interact with each other. The design of “space makers” requires more than solving mundane problems of building design – like locating bathrooms, lobbies, and utilities. It requires an understanding of the subtle ways that people inhabit the world.

Science has long understood that human experience is driven by more than the rational. Indeed, we intuit many decisions about safety and comfort in the blink of an eye upon entering a room, long before these issues even cross our conscious mind.

We humans subconsciously ask ourselves the following questions upon entering a space: Is there enough light for me to feel safe; can I see everyone and can I hide or escape from them? Do I feel enclosed or exposed; can I see down from my tiny enclosed space and am I vulnerable from above? Do I feel comfortable in a crowd or near one or must I be far from it? Our sensitivity to these issues is what attracts us into a crowded kitchen at a party, a tiny treehouse, the enclosed edge of a dance floor or under the open sky of an Italian piazza. The lessons learned from these romantic types of spaces have a real impact on the design of the seemingly mundane conference and classrooms, auditoriums, lobbies, bedrooms, kitchens, and office spaces in the buildings of everyday life.