Respiratory Architecture: Spatial Healing Mechanisms Based on Biomimicry and Smart Material Systems

Abstract

This study explores ‘respiratory architecture’ as a new paradigm thought of as a framework that views structures as part of an active organism which breathes and interacts with occupants and the environment in a meaningful way. Integrating both feng shui concepts and MIT innovations, such as the programmable cement, the study proposes a new theory for understanding and assessing the respiratory qualities of architectural spaces. The research proposes the Architectural Respiration Index (ARI), the first of its kind evaluative framework that comprises four measurement domains; the effectiveness of air circulation, the porosity of plant materials, spatial acoustic vibrations, and the capability to integrate plant-architecture. Through the analysis of five case studies that include feng shui houses and modern works such as Bosco Verticale, the research claims there are strong relationships between the respiratory qualities of architecture and measurable occupant wellbeing indicators such as lower stress biomarkers and enhanced cognitive function. Buildings with high ARI scores also outperform these parameters; the physiological “comfortable zone” of psychometric humidity controlled, breathable air the space sustained, along with the bioindicator of psychological comfort. The research concludes that responding to human needs and building with these principles facilitates the shift of the built environment from passive, static boundaries to active, human health sustaining spaces responsive in natural and artificial environments.The approach offers potential paths for architectural practice in tackling urban stress and environmental disconnection by proposing a novel design paradigm in which buildings serve as mediators of meaningful exchanges between humans and their ecological surroundings.