The Architecture of Happiness summary

So, there are different styles of architecture, each with its own set of rules. But why do we enjoy the aesthetics of some buildings and objects more than others?

One reason is that any designed object, whether it’s a teacup, a building or a chair, speaks to us about values, both psychological and moral. Just consider how a plain Scandinavian crockery set might suggest a modest and graceful lifestyle, while an ornate one would imply a ceremonial lifestyle focused on class.

Now you know that the architecture you find beautiful is the architecture that reflects your values – but why should you care whether your environment is in step with your beliefs?

Because your surroundings can help bring out parts of your personality. This is important since humans have loads of intricately connected psychological layers, and some aren’t so readily accessible.

Buildings can influence the way we feel and behave, which also explains why architecture has been utilized throughout history as a means to show off, and for people to project a particular image of themselves to the outside world.

For instance, a classical mansion with a grand facade and massive, stoic columns can evoke classical ideals of dignity, nobility and grace. As a result, people who see such a mansion may well associate its owner with classical values.

At this point, we’ve learned that people find beauty in all different forms, which largely have to do with their own ideals. But despite this subjectivity, is there any one aspect that could serve as a universal standard of beauty in architecture?

Well, one thing that all humans need is at least a little bit of order. This need makes sense since order appeals to our most rational selves; we appreciate order because we understand that nature could never produce it.

Elegance is a much-loved trait among humans, whether it comes in the form of a beautiful but simple garment, a pair of shoes or a thought. It should thus come as no surprise that people appreciate elegant buildings, too. But what makes architecture elegant?

Elegance in architecture often comes about as a result of making a difficult task appear simple. For instance, we prefer a sleek bridge with a minimum of visible supports to a clunky heavy one, because the slender bridge makes this feat of engineering appear easy; thus, it strikes us as more elegant.