Designing for Instinct: Eye-Tracking, Emotion & the Future of Architecture– Ep 88 with Ann Sussman & Kelsey Bradley
In this eye-opening episode of Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski is joined by Ann Sussman and Kelsey Bradley from the Human Architecture and Planning Institute (HAPI.org) to explore the fascinating intersection of architecture, biology, and human emotion. Ann and Kelsey reveal how our brains are hardwired to respond to certain visual cues—like faces, fractals, and even the color red—and how this understanding can revolutionize the way we design buildings and cities. From eye-tracking software that predicts where people look first, to how blank facades might make us feel uneasy, this episode unveils the science behind why some spaces feel better than others. Tune in to discover how embracing our biological instincts can lead to more humane, joyful, and walkable environments.
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More About Ann Sussman and Kelsey Bradley
Ann Sussman: Ann Sussman, RA, an architect, researcher, and teacher is passionate about understanding how buildings impact us. She serves as president of the Human Architecture + Planning Institute, (theHapi.org), a nonprofit devoted to improving the design of the built environment through education and research. Her book Cognitive Architecture, Designing for How We Respond to the Built Environment (Routledge, 2015, 2021) won the 2016 Place Research Award from the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). She is co-editor of the forthcoming Handbook of Neuroscience and the Built Environment, (Routledge, 2025) due out this summer. Ann has taught a course on the human perception of architecture, Buildings, Biology + the Brain, at the BAC since 2018.
Kelsey Bradley: Kelsey Bradley has been working in the nonprofit space since she founded Design Cause Inc. in 2016. Her work led to the successful completion of 10 new primary and secondary school classrooms across multiple communities in Cameroon and Malawi. Kelsey is now focused on how the built environment impacts mental health at an individual and community scale and is excited to further her interests through the work of The Human Architecture and Planning Institute. Kelsey holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Thomas Jefferson University and will be entering a graduate program in urban planning in the fall of 2025.
CONTACT:
https://geneticsofdesign.com/2025/05/20/eye-tracking-buildings-in-lisbon-boston-take-part-in-a-quick-pilot-study/
annsussman.com
https://theHapi.org
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-sussman-a1a34a14/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseybradley/
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