DESIGNING EMOTION

Dear Friends …

Everyone has walked into a space and immediately felt something—calm, tension, comfort, unease. Whether they notice it or not, these reactions reveal the powerful influence the built environment has on the human subconscious. Architecture consistently shapes emotional responses through form, light, color, and material.

Long before we’ve consciously registered a space, it has already begun to affect us. These responses are both mental and physical, influencing heart rate, stress levels, and emotional state through form, light, texture, sound, and movement.

Form is a fundamental driver of emotion. Curved, open spaces tend to feel welcoming and comfortable, while sharp angles and tight enclosures heighten alertness and tension. Large, monumental spaces can convey importance and scale, while also risking a sense of distance or intimidation. Human-scale spaces often promote safety and belonging, sometimes at the risk of feeling confined. Form is never neutral; every curve, corner, and proportion carries emotional weight.

Light, texture, and sound amplify these effects. Natural light supports calm, health, and productivity, while glare or darkness can increase stress. Natural materials often feel warm and grounding, while highly manufactured ones can read as cold, modern, and corporate. Sound can focus, energize, or overwhelm, depending on how it is shaped. We experience architecture with our whole bodies, not just our eyes.

Architecture also shapes collective behavior, influencing how people interact and function in shared spaces of every kind, where design decisions directly impact comfort, usability, and experience.

For designers, understanding emotion is essential. Asking how a space should feel on a winter morning, during focused work, or in moments of connection, leads to buildings that perform more effectively; emotionally, socially, and functionally. Ultimately, the most successful architecture is efficient, innovative, and simply feels right.

TAKING SHAPE

Doubletree Conversion
Greenville, South Carolina

This five-story hotel conversion brings new life to a former office building, creating a modern stay with welcoming gathering spaces and an elevated arrival experience. Located just off Pelham Road near Pelham Medical Center, Prisma Health, Michelin, BMW, and GSP Airport, the property offers 146 comfortable guest rooms, on-site dining, flexible meeting space, and amenities designed to make business or leisure stays easy and enjoyable.

Owner: Pinnacle Partnership | Civil: Bluewater Civil Design, LLC | Structural: Whisonant Engineering Services, LLC PME: WAVE Engineering | Contractor: SKA Construction

Branchburg Storage
Branchburg, New Jersey

Branchburg Storage is a 4-story, 90,000 SF climate-controlled storage facility located in Branchburg, New Jersey. Significant changes in the site’s topography created the perfect opportunity to nestle half of the building below-grade. A driveway passes through the building, creating a covered loading zone perfect for rainy days and snowy winters!

Owner: Confidential | Civil: Van Cleef Engineering | Structural: Taylor & Viola | PME: Wilde Engineering

GOING UP

Statesville Parking Deck
Statesville, North Carolina

This project includes a five-story precast parking structure providing approximately 326 parking spaces, developed alongside the renovation of an existing police station. The lower level of the deck is dedicated to secure police parking, while the upper levels support public use and a nearby multifamily development, allowing multiple users to share a single, efficient parking solution. The structure balances durability, functionality, and long-term performance while supporting the broader needs of the site and surrounding community.

Owner/Contractor: David F Looper & Company | Civil: McGill Associates, PA | Structural: Taylor & Viola
PME: Wilde Engineering

Hilton Dual Brand
Charlotte, North Carolina