Head space: an exploration into architecture and neuroscience

Abstract

The mental capacity for knowledge production, storage and dissemination is one of the characteristics that makes us human. Throughout history humankind has built spaces to accommodate knowledge in its various forms: from medieval monasteries to state-of-the-art research laboratories. The evolution of these ‘knowledge spaces’ and their architectural character can tell us a lot about a society´s views and perceptions of knowledge. Using monasteries, universities, libraries and research laboratories as examples of ‘knowledge spaces’ this essay aims to explore the relationship between knowledge and architecture throughout history in order to understand where knowledge has traditionally been produced, stored and disseminated. Drawing on this information, the appropriateness of the historical typologies will be assessed with regards to today´s context where the nature of knowledge is rapidly changing as a result of the emergence of new technologies