Architectural Neuroimmunology: Do buildings impact the brain via the immune system?

By 2050, it is projected that two-thirds of the global population will live in cities (UN, 2018). Already it is estimated that residents in developed nations spend over 90% of their time in or around the built environment ( Schweizer et al. 2007 ). However, there is still remarkably little known about the impact of architectural form on the human body. In response, this research project, conducted at the University of Cambridge, endeavored to combine emerging insights from the disparate fields of architectural neuroscience and neuroimmunology. The following post will outline the objectives of the emerging field of architectural neuroimmunology and highlight some of the project's initial findings.