Design and Psychology

This week the old facade was replaced giving the space a much needed face lift.  Where as before the face of the building looked very cold and commercial, now it reads as a very welcoming space.  Since the new facade has been erected, people have started to stop and ask "when will the restaurant be open".  People are very sensitive to the atmospherics of a space which is the basis for environmental psychology.  Environmental psychology is based on a stimulus-organism-response (SOR) perspective (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974). Stimuli from the environment give rise to primary emotional responses in people. These primary emotional responses then give rise to behavioral responses.  Behavioral responses are classified as either approach or avoidance.  And obviously the goal is to design a facade that will welcome.  By adding the casement and awning windows along the full length of the facade I believe we have succeeded in turning this facade into an inviting space.  Next week we will be choosing a color for the exterior millwork.  Maybe a blue-green?