The Scan Issue #7
The Scan: An Architecture and Neuroscience Electronic
Newsletter
Issue 7: Winter 2006
Happy Holidays
Dear Readers:
In Issue 6 of The Scan this past summer, John Eberhard,
the founding director of ANFA, challenged us to think about a “new paradigm for
architecture,” where we will “shift away from an emphasis on solving the puzzle
of designing a building…to studying how to accommodate human activities
correlated with responses of the brain and the mind.” Pretty tall order for a
profession grounded in tradition and tried-and-true methods. But, as the brief
articles describe below, there is movement: Frank Gehry describing his process
of “informed intuition” to 7,000 neuroscientists in Atlanta; a workshop on
neuroscience and correctional facilities design where participants helped
define a follow-on research effort; and a workshop on aging and Alzheimer’s
facilities where a session on research applications was lively and
substantive.
This coming year ANFA will devote its attention to advocating and promoting the
benefits of a research program to move this paradigm forward.
It will be an interesting journey.
Sincerely,
Peter Smeallie
Executive Director, Washington, D.C.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Frank Gehry speaks at 2006 Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting
2. Neuroscience and Correctional Facility Design Workshop
3. Workshop on Aging and Alzheimer’s Facilities
4. ANFA launches updated website
5. ANFA Washington DC: change of address
RECENT PUBLICATIONS/NEWS
6. Recent Press
INVOLVEMENT
7. How to subscribe/unsubscribe from The Scan
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1. Frank Gehry speaks at 2006 Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Annual Meeting
Renowned architect Frank Gehry launched the 2006 Society for Neuroscience annual meeting as this year’s “Dialogues between Neuroscience and Society” series speaker. Gehry’s presentation included a slide lecture of his work, a one-on-one conversation with ANFA Board Member Dr. Fred H. Gage of the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, and an audience question and answer session.
The decision to feature an architect at a meeting for neuroscience is significant in promoting the convergence of these two disciplines: “It is an especially timely and relevant milestone for the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture because it is our mission to foster intellectual links between neuroscientists and architects,” said Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture President Gordon Chong, FAIA.
Gehry’s presentation, which was held on Saturday, October
14th at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, drew an estimated crowd
of 7,000.
Links:
AIArchitect
www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek06/1110/1110n_gehry.cfm
Society for Neuroscience
www.sfn.org
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2. Neuroscience and Correctional Facility Design Workshop:
Understanding cognitive processes in correctional
settings
Jay Farbstein, Ph.D., FAIA
Melissa M. Farling, AIA
Research has demonstrated that correctional environments
have positive or negative impacts on inmate behavior, contributing to or
inhibiting the achievement of facility operators’ objectives – such as safety,
security, order, freedom from assaults and destruction of
property. These can be influenced by environmental factors
such as crowding, space allocations, availability of resources, levels of
noise, natural light, and other factors.
Approximately 1 year ago, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Academy of
Architecture for Justice (AAJ) and ANFA joined forces to further research in
correctional environments. The National Institute of
Corrections (NIC) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) have historically
been very supportive of research on corrections environments and
programs. In early September 2006, NIC continued their
support and approved a "cooperative agreement" providing funds for a pilot
study of the application of neuroscience concepts and methods to correctional
environments. The AIA and Turner Construction have also
agreed to provide financial and logistical support.
Specific topics considered for investigation include:
- The impact of daylight and views, including the level of
luminance and means of control.
- The effect of exposure to nature (e.g., views of
greenery or water) on stress and aggression.
- The impact of the size of space in which one is confined
(and the number of people one shares it with), density, crowding, etc.
- The impact of ambient noise on stress and
communications.
- The effects of environmental design features on
inmate-staff relationships.
- The impact of color on perceptions.
The eventual outcomes from this project are expected to be
better, more evidence-based design decisions about correctional environment
design and operations, more humane and effective correctional settings, and
more satisfied clients of design services.
The project will complete the following 3 tasks in approximately thirteen
months, from September 2006 through September 2007.
Phase 1 focused on a workshop where participants defined an agenda for
neuroscience research in correctional settings. The workshop, held in New
Orleans in October, was attended by over 20 participants. As
a result, four sets of research projects were identified and two of them are
being further developed for possible implementation. One
project focuses on the impact of visual features (light, color, views of
nature) and would be studied in an intake/booking center at a Northern
California jail.
The second possible study would look at the neuroscience impacts of
improved and increased inmate-staff interactions. There
would be three parts to the study which would compare the level of “mirror
neuron” activity in a direct supervision jail, and in an indirect supervision
jail before and after implementation of inmate behavior management.
Phase 2 entails the conduct of one of the above research studies
within one or two correctional settings (jails).
Phase 3 consists of documentation and dissemination of results.
Links:
The Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ)
http://www.aia.org/caj
National Institute of Corrections (NIC)
http://www.nicic.org
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3. Workshop on Aging & Alzheimer’s facilities
In a joint effort between the Academy of Neuroscience for
Architecture and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Design for Aging
Knowledge Committee, a workshop on “Aging/Alzheimer’s Design: Links to
Neuroscience” was held November 29 – December 1 at the Dana Center in
Washington, D.C. The workshop assembled 25 participants with
representatives from the neuroscience, Alzheimer’s research, aging facility
management, and architecture communities.
Participants broke into focus groups to identify and discuss high
priority research topics and translational research applications in the
following critical areas: memory, physiological and physical ability, sensory
perception, cognitive mapping, and environmental press. For
example, in the sensory perception group, the question was raised whether
multi-sensory environmental cuing is an effective tactic for orienting
Alzheimer’s residents. Research suggests that the
association areas in the brain where this information is combined suffers
impairment in early stages of Alzheimer’s. Therefore, since
multi-sensory stimuli would be processed in separate, versus integrated,
cortical regions in this population, is the resulting effect more stressful or
disorienting compared to the potency of a single sensory stimulus?
The workshop was made possible by the generous financial support of
The American Institute of Architects, the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives,
the Aging Research Institute, Bovis Lend Lease and a special grant from the
Alzheimer’s Association which supported the attendance of junior
investigators. A report from this workshop will be made
available on ANFA’s website in the upcoming months.
Links:
AIA Design for Aging
http://www.aia.org/dfa
The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives
http://www.dana.org
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4. ANFA launches updated website
On Friday, October 13 the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture launched a redesigned website. The web address remains the same: http://www.anfarch.org.
Link:
ANFA Website
http://www.anfarch.org
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5. ANFA Washington, D.C. office: change of address
Beginning January 1, 2007, ANFA’s Washington, D.C. office will relocate to a new address:
600 Woodland Terrace
Alexandria, Virginia 22302
Phone: 703.683.1808
Fax: 703.683.1815
The headquarters office for ANFA remains at the following address:
1249 F Street
San Diego CA 92101
Phone: 619.235.0221
Link:
ANFA Website
http://www.anfarch.org
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6. Recent Press, July - December 2006
AIArchitect
“Gehry Talks About Architecture and the Mind at Neuroscience Conference”
by Meredith Banasiak
November 10, 2006
http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek06/1110/1110n_gehry.cfm
“The Neuroscience and Architecture of Time”
by John P. Eberhard, FAIA
September 15, 2006
http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek06/0915/0915p_neuro.cfm
Cel l
“Neuroscience and Architecture: Seeking Common Ground”
By Esther M. Sternberg, and Matthew A. Wilson
20 October 2006, Vol 127, 239-242
http://www.cell.com/content/article/fulltext?uid=PIIS0092867406013043
Cosmos FM
“Neuroscience and Architecture: an interview with ANFA’s Dr. Eduardo Macagno
and Meredith Banasiak”
By Areti Tsiola, Ph.D.
11 October 2006
Forward: The Quarterly Journal of the National Associates
Committee
“A Legacy of Service”
By Margaret Tarampi, Assoc. AIA
http://www.aia.org/nwsltr_nacq.cfm?pagename=nacq_a_061026_pcp_tarampi
PLACE Architecture Michigan
“Neuroscience: The Next Frontier of Understanding Architectural Experience”
By Robert Carington, AIA and Margaret Tarampi, Assoc. AIA
pages 17 - 18
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7. How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe from The Scan
Thank you for your interest and continued support of our
work.
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Questions and comments should be directed to Meredith Banasiak (meredith@anfarch.org).
Link:
Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture
http://www.anfarch.org