The traditional architectural model often treats the building as an aesthetic object and the human as a passive viewer. This is a cognitive error. We do not just "see" architecture; we inhabit it through our physiology.
Embodied cognition argues that the way we think is shaped by the way we exist physically. Our concepts of "structure," "balance," "inside," and "up" are not abstract mathematical ideas—they are derived directly from the experience of having a body that must navigate gravity, protect its boundaries, and move forward.
"There is a good place to start — ourselves. Our engagement in our environment has shaped the way we think which we, in turn, use to then shape that environment... This is the start of architectural design."
— Making Architecture Through Being Human (2020)
1. The Atomic Unit: Image Schemas
Before we can have an "idea" about a building, we have "image schemas." These are the pre-conceptual patterns that recur in our physical experience. They are the scaffolding upon which all complex architectural meaning is built.
Figure 1: The CONTAINER schema (Body) mapping to Architecture (Room).
Key schemas relevant to design include:
- CONTAINER: Derived from our skin and body. We project this onto rooms