Investigating Atmosphere in Architecture: An Overview of Phenomenological and Neuroscientific Methods

Based on the multi-component character of our emotions, we can study the affective dimension of architectural atmospheres through several approaches. This essay reviews the main research models that employ a first-person perspective (self-observation) and a third-person perspective (external observation), analyzing methodological potentials and limitations. We need a multi-perspective approach to investigate the complexity of the atmospheric vocation of architecture, integrating both models and working on complementary notions: atmosphere and architecture, resonance and attunement, impressions and appraisals, nonconscious and conscious, emotions and feelings, living body and lived body, neuroscience and phenomenology, physiological measures and self-report techniques.