Connection in a Material World

Through technology, we are better connected than ever before. Platforms such as Blockchain have allowed a new economy and digital ecosystem, one that is now disrupting the way we work, speeding up processes and breaking down hierarchical walls. Yet despite this new ease of communication, loneliness and isolation has become a global health problem. What role can architects, designers and urbanists play in helping us feel better connected to each other? Perhaps we need to look back to 1975. Walden 7 was a groundbreaking residential building that was conceived as a social network; a neighbourhood within a building. This same aim applies to the global co-working phenomenon, where clever, flexible design has connected people from diverse cultures and professions. But perhaps the key to spatial connectivity lies in science itself. The principles of neuroarchitecture aim to help us feel more connected to our built environment, and in turn, each other.