Work For Humans Psychological Design: How Environments Predict Our Psychology, Behavior, and Ability to Thrive | Jan Golembiewski, Revisited
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Jan 6, 2026 Jan Golembiewski, an architectural researcher specializing in the psychology of built environments, joins the hosts for an enlightening discussion. He explains salutogenic design, emphasizing how spaces can foster health and resilience. Jan critiques conventional architecture that prioritizes profit over livability and discusses how thoughtful design can improve lives in various settings, from workplaces to dementia care. He shares insights on creating environments that nourish while providing meaningful choices, demonstrating the profound impact of design on human well-being.
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Behavior Settings Direct What Happens
- Behavior settings embed inhibitory forces around affordances and structure expected behaviors.
- Children (and adults) choose activities that the environment invites, showing how settings create habits.
Provide Multiple Behavior Settings
- Design multiple distinct behavior settings within the same facility to match different moods and preferences.
- Let people pick settings (e.g., grand hall vs. cozy kitchen) to improve engagement and belonging.
Sunlight Has Measurable Health Effects
- Architectural features like sunlight and access to outdoors measurably affect recovery and mortality.
- Natural light correlates with faster recovery and lower mortality in clinical studies.
