Neurocentric Interior Architecture: Explaining the Role of Spatial Features in Shaping Human–Product Interaction

Seyyed Ehsan Mousavi¹ Tanin Lak Ghasemabadi² Mohammad Reza Fatehi³

1) Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Yadegar-e-Imam Khomeini (RAH) Shahre Rey Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2) B.Sc. in Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Iran.
3) B.Sc. Student in Professional Architectural Engineering, Technical and Vocational University of Enghelab-e Eslami, Tehran, Iran.

IOI Code : ABDB-ACAAEC
Publication : International Conference on INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE: THE INTERACTION OF HUMAN, SPACE, AND PRODUCT(iafdconf.ir)
Abstract :
    Human interaction with a product is not limited to the product’s functionality and physical characteristics; rather, it develops within a context shaped by perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors. Although extensive research has been conducted on human–product interaction, on the one hand, and the effects of the environment on cognition and behavior, on the other, the relationship between these two fields has been less frequently examined in an integrated manner at the scale of interior architecture. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of interior architectural spatial features in shaping the quality of human–product interaction through a neurocentric approach. The research adopts a review-based, analytical-descriptive method and is grounded in theoretical foundations across four areas: the principles of neurocentric architecture; environmental perception theories (Gestalt theory, Brunswik’s Lens Model, interaction theory, adaptation-level theory, and environmental affordances); human-centered design (ergonomics, scale and proportion, circulation paths, privacy, balance, and harmony); and human–product interaction. The findings indicate that features such as lighting, color, acoustics, spatial organization, legibility and wayfinding, sensory quality, textures and materials, and the degree of environmental controllability influence users’ experiences and the quality of their interactions with products through their effects on perceptual, cognitive, and emotional processes. Consequently, interior space is not a neutral setting but an integral part of the interaction experience. The proposed conceptual framework can serve as a foundation for human cognition-based interior design and future empirical research.

Keywords : interior architecture neurocentric architecture spatial features environmental perception human centered design human product interaction