Designing Spaces for Human Experience

Welcome to the NeuroArchitecture Lab (NAL)

We shape our spaces, and they, in turn, shape human experience. 

Our research investigates how spatial design influences human cognition, emotion, and behavior, focusing on the complex interactions between individuals and their built environments. We recognize that well-designed spaces can enhance human experience, social dynamics, and overall quality of life.

We take a holistic approach to integrating human needs, ecosystems, and sustainability into the design process. Through conceptualization, prototyping, and evaluation, we explore diverse dimensions of spatial design to create environments that go beyond functional requirements, enriching emotional, cognitive, and behavioral experiences. By adopting a human-centered design approach and incorporating sustainable practices, and advanced technologies, we strive to enhance human potential, inspire creativity, and promote harmony with the environment.

Our work emphasizes evidence-based design, leveraging advanced digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR),  Internet of Things (IoT)–based sensing technologies, alongside multimodal psychophysiological measurements, including eye-tracking, electroencephalography (EEG), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), galvanic skin response (GSR), and electrocardiography (ECG). These approaches enable us to generate biometric data and derive empirical insights into human–environment interactions across diverse spatial contexts.

Through collaboration with multidisciplinary researchers, industry partners, and international institutions, we conduct funded research that addresses real-world challenges. By integrating theoretical frameworks with practical applications, we aim to develop innovative and inclusive spatial design solutions.

We welcome students, researchers, and professionals interested in designing spaces that support neurocognition, behavior, and well-being to join us in advancing a more sustainable and human-centered future.

Publications

May 2026 I New Publication

We are delighted to share our latest publication in the International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, entitled “Attention Restoration and Mental Imagery in Direct and Indirect Biophilic VR Retail Environments: An Eye-Tracking Study.” This study examines how direct and indirect biophilic design cues in VR retail environments influence visual attention, restorative experience, and mental imagery. Our findings offer implications for VR designs that facilitate restorative experience and mental simulation to improve user experiences. link

News & Announcements

Oct 2026 I International Conference of fNIRS 2026, Macau, China

We are delighted to share that our ongoing research will be presented at the upcoming 9th Biennial Meeting of the Society for Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (SfNIRS), also known as the fNIRS 2026 Conference, the largest and most prestigious international conference in the field of fNIRS.

Our work, titled “Neurocognition and Creativity in a Spatial Augmented Reality Biophilic Room,” will be presented  in person as a poster presentation at the  fNIRS 2026 conference in Macau, China. 

July 2026 I International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition (DCC'26), Paris, France

DCC'26 website

We are pleased to announce that our ongoing research will be presented at the 12th international conference on Design Computing and Cognition 2026 (DCC’26), to be held in Paris, France  this July. We warmly invite you to visit our poster session, where we will present the following two studies:

1. Measuring Creativity Across Natural, Biophilic Built, and Spatially Augmented Environments

2. AI-Generated Hospital Room Design within an Environment-Based Design Framework

Our research group has presented our works  in this biennial conference series since 2020 (DCC’20, DCC’22, DCC’24), and all conference papers have been published in Springer Proceedings. 

Jan 2026 I Recipient of the 2026 Mitacs Globalink Research Award, Canada 

 We are excited to announce that our Ph.D. student, Jie Yun, has been awarded the 2026 Mitacs Globalink Research Award in Canada. Her project, titled “AI-Driven WELL-Based Design Framework for Healthcare Spaces: An Environment-Based Design Approach,” has been selected for this prestigious program. As part of the award, she has been invited to undertake a research internship at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. Congratulations to Jie Yun on this outstanding achievement! 

New Opportunities for International Collaborations and Graduate Studies 

We welcome potential international collaborations in interdisciplinary design research and practice, with a focus on Neuroarchitecture and Design Neurocognition. Our current projects are supported by National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)–funded research grants (2025–2028) and investigate how built environments shape human cognition, emotion, and behavior, with specific emphasis on mental health, well-being, and human performance. We are currently recruiting highly motivated graduate students for doctoral and master’s programs, as well as researchers interested in joining our ongoing projects. For inquiries, please contact me via email at ny.kim@catholic.ac.kr

• • 본 연구실에서는 함께 연구할 성실한 박사과정, 석사과정, 학부연구생(인턴) 모집합니다 . 

  • 2025년 - 2028년 한국연구재단(NRF) 연구과제  신경건축학기반 디자인 융복합연구 (Neuroarchitecture, Mental Health, Creativity,  fNIRS,  AI, Data Science)에 참여할 연구원을 상시 모집합니다. 본 프로젝트에  관심 있는 분 (전공무관, 외국인 환영)은 언제든지 문의해주시기 바랍니다. 디자인 비전공자도 지원 가능하며, 인지심리학,  신경과학, 컴퓨터공학,  AI,  생체신호 시계열 데이터분석 경험자 우대합니다. (근무 형태:  재택근무, 하이브리드, 파트타임, 인턴  가능)

  • 연구원 지원을 원하시는 분들은 언제든지 이력서(CV)와 자기소개서를 이메일(ny.kim@catholic.ac.kr) 로 보내주세요.

# Spatial Design, #Human Centered Design,  # Life Centered Design, # Evidence-Based Design, #Spatial UX #Design Methdology, # Design Process,  # Interior Architecture, # Environmental  Analysis, #Bio-Inspired Design, # WELL Building Standard,  # Sustainability, # Mental Health,  # Creativity, # Well-being,  #Environmental Psychology,  # Design Neurocognition,  # NeuroArchitecture,  #NeuroDesign, # NeuroMarketing,  # Human Behavior,  # Biometrics,  # Eyetracking, # EEG, # fNIRS #Brain-Computer Interction, # Virtual Reality (VR), #Augmented Reality (AR),  # Artificial Intelligence (AI), #Consumer Experience,  # Visual Merchandising,  # Space Branding,  # Brand Experience Design