Reinventing the learning environment of an architecture school- Architecture and Neuroscience

India is a country which is striving to educate its young population up to the international standards. The government of India has made several tie-ups with Ivy League colleges to fill a necessary gap for students who cannot afford to go to international campuses. In 2021, there were 4,44,553 Indians – an overall increase of 41% in just one year. There are over 860 architecture colleges in India where 30k to 40k students pass out yearly. Only about 10-15 are suited to the needs of architecture students. The learning environment plays a very important role in education and academic success. Neuroarchitecture is the interdisciplinary field that ensures the creation of environments that can optimise human behaviour, well-being, and performance. Our behaviour is influenced by how we perceive the environment. Designing environments with beneficial aspects would lessen the adverse physiological, emotional, and cognitive effects, and in turn, educational buildings can have a positive psychological influence on how a student learns. Neuroscience is helping merge the gap between the physical built environment and human perception and behaviour. Incorporating evidence from reviews and academic papers, the thesis focuses on cognitive processes and how architectural aspects can be used to enhance the learning experience of a college-level student. Cognitive processes are the mental operations the brain performs to process information. These include attention, perception, reasoning, emoting, learning, synthesizing. Attention and Memory are considered to be the mainstays that impact the learning environment. Determining the architectural features that can affect users on a short-term level, and these impact the nature of the built environment. Hence, the thesis analyses these architectural elements with reference to neuroscientific architectural research. The architectural elements, in evidence, that prove to be impactful for the cognitive processes are: 1. Light 2. Sound 3. Colour 4. Forms and shapes 5. Ceiling height 6. Nature integration 7. Flexibility 8. Finishing materials This thesis concludes by connecting the learning environment with neuroarchitecture by giving solutions to design each space and classroom based on the purpose of the room. The following positive emotional responses to spaces can make the classroom a tool incorporated into lesson planning and used to improve the educational experience for students and teachers. Keeping a strong identity in each zone can anchor the learning processes in long-term memory. The thesis focuses on each learning zone by analysing the cognitive processes it needs and using different architectural elements to create spatial layouts that inspire creativity, interaction, attention, and memory as required by each space.