Designing Humane Places
A One-Day Workshop on Design, Neuroscience, and Human Experience
Boston — March 29, 2025
What makes a place feel alive — and how can we design for that?
This workshop brought together leaders in neuroscience, urbanism, and design to explore how human cognition can guide the way we shape cities.
Event Recap
Evidence-Based Design Strategies for More Livable Cities
This one-day workshop brought together world-class leaders in neuroscience, architecture, urbanism, and biometric technologies explore how human biology and cognitive science can inform better design for the built environment.
We gathered a dynamic group of 40+ architects, cognitive scientists, designers, engineers, planners, students and more to explore how the built environment shapes our minds, bodies, and communities.
Together, we examined how emerging tools — from biometrics to eye-tracking — can help us better understand human responses to space and design environments that truly serve.
Key Takeaways:
Gained insight into how humans map, navigate, and emotionally respond to space
Explored unconscious cognitive patterns that shape our perception of the built environment
Connected with experts bridging cognitive science, urbanism, and spatial design practice
Learned how emerging tools like eye-tracking and biometrics can reveal how people experience place
The workshop offered specific design takeaways to guide how we shape more humane, responsive environments. For many, it sparked a new way of seeing the relationship between mind and city.
The workshop was approved for 4 LU|HSW AIA Continuing Education Credits.
Chris Clinton, BAC
“This was my favorite seminar I have ever attended.”
Featured Speakers
Christine Franck
Chair, INTBAU USA | Principal, Christine Huckins Franck Architect, LLC
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Christine Huckins Franck is an architect, educator, and author in her 35th year of design practice. In addition to her architectural practice, she speaks, writes, and teaches about Classical and traditional architectural and urban design, with a focus on American domestic architecture.
A leader in the contemporary classical movement, she served as the first Executive Director of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. During her term on the ICAA’s national board she created the ICAA’s chapter structure and developed its first international drawing tours, among other advancements. In 2013 she founded CARTA, the Center for Advanced Research in Traditional Architecture at CU Denver. Today she serves as chair of the US Chapter of the International Network of Traditional Building, Architecture, and Urbanism.
Her work has been recognized with HRH The Prince of Wales’s Public Service Award, the Clem Labine Award, a Palladio Award, and others. It has been published in magazines such as Architecture and exhibited at shows such as the RIBA’s “Palladian Design.” She holds her degrees in architecture from Virginia and Notre Dame, which complement the design sensitivity formed in her hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia.
Will McCollum
President and Cofounder, Citymakers Collective | Project Manager, Lew Oliver Inc.
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Will McCollum, R.A. works alongside renowned urbanist Lew Oliver, shaping meaningful communities across the United States. As a project manager, Will bridges the design and development teams of notable projects like Trilith, a mixed-use development south of Atlanta, and Burton, a pedestrian-focused residential town in the Appalachian foothills. His work on Trilith has been recognized with prestigious awards, including a CNU Charter Award and multiple NAHB “Best in American Living” Awards. In 2023, Will founded Citymakers Collective, an educational nonprofit dedicated to teaching a human-centric and historically-based approach to designing a better human habitat. Will is committed to creating places that inspire connection and continuity, integrating elements of our shared heritage into new developments to forge communities worth preserving.that inspire, delight, and foster a sense of community and connection with all who walk through.
Nam Ngyugen
Senior Neuroscience Product Specialist, iMotions
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Nam Nguyen is a Senior Neuroscience Product Specialist with over 15 years of experience supporting enterprise, government, university, and commercial research programs. With a strong background in cognitive neuroscience and biosensor technology, he has contributed to cutting-edge research across military, healthcare, automotive UX, game design, and academic fields.
At iMotions, he specializes in designing and advising research protocols, leveraging his expertise in cognitive neuroscience methodology. His work includes multiple peer-reviewed publications on sleep-related memory, behavioral modeling, and decision-making in video games. Additionally, he has successfully secured and managed military R&D grants, driving innovation in neuroscience research and technology applications.
Nam holds an M.A. in Psychology, Brain and Cognitive Sciences from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, where he also earned his B.A. in Psychology.
Abigail Sekely
Board Member, The Human Architecture + Planning Institute
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Abigail C. Sekely is a researcher, designer, and advocate dedicated to shaping healthier, human-centered environments through the power of evidence-based design. With a strong foundation in architecture and a passion for public health, preservation, and neuroaesthetics, she explores how the built environment influences well-being, creativity, and community connection. Through her work with theHAPI.org, Abigail bridges innovation and research by piloting forward-thinking solutions that prioritize health and sustainability. As an engaging speaker and collaborative leader, she’s committed to advancing the conversation around placemaking, design, and the future of human-focused architecture.
Matt Strafuss
Director of Product and Solutions Engineering, Affectiva
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Matt Strafuss is an industry leader in AI-driven technology, product development, and innovation strategy. As the Director of Product and Solutions Engineering at Affectiva, a division of iMotions, he leads teams in software development, AI, and product management.
With a background in Computer Science and Physics from UMass Dartmouth, Matt has tackled everything from building AI-powered facial expression tools to developing the world's first calibration-less webcam-based eye tracking. His work blends creativity, problem-solving, and real-world impact.
Beyond his corporate career, Matt is passionate about mentoring the next generation of innovators. He serves on multiple advisory boards, including the UMass Dartmouth Departments of Physics and Computer Science, where he helps bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Cleo Valentine
Vice Chancellor’s Doctoral Scholar, University of Cambridge | Visiting Doctoral Fellow, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
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Cleo Valentine is a Vice Chancellor's Doctoral Scholar at the University of Cambridge, conducting interdisciplinary research under the joint supervision of the Department of Architecture and the Computational Neuroscience Group.
Specializing in architectural neurophysiology and bioethics, she investigates how architectural forms affect neuroimmunological activity. Valentine is currently a visiting doctoral fellow in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and serves as the Senior Research and Innovation Lead at the University College London/ RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Centre for NeuroArchitecture and NeuroDesign.
In addition to this, she engages in industry collaborations with practices such as Heatherwick Studio, holds affiliations with the University College London Spatial Cognition Lab, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Urban Studies and Planning, and the University of Cambridge Design Engineering Centre, and lectures on neuroscience and architecture at the Politecnico di Milano.
Dr. Mujde Yuksel
Associate Professor of Marketing & Director, X Lab, Suffolk University | Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Consumer Marketing
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Dr. Mujde Yuksel is a consumer behavior researcher specializing in consumer well-being, digital consumption, and sports and entertainment marketing. She is the Director of the X-Lab at Suffolk University and currently serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Consumer Marketing. Her research has been published in leading business journals, including the Journal of Interactive Marketing, Journal of Business Research, and Sport Management Review. A dedicated educator, she currently teaches Sports Marketing and Neuromarketing. Dr. Yuksel participates in the Collective Think Tank, a global initiative by Wasserman to promote inclusion in sports and entertainment. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Merrimack Valley YMCA and the Andover Green Advisory Board. A former professional basketball player and Turkish National Team member, she previously worked as the sponsorship coordinator for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and was an official Nike Athlete. Her contributions to academia and industry have been recognized with awards such as the Fulbright-University of Vaasa Scholar Award and a Massachusetts Gaming Commission Research Grant.
Kieu Wong
Senior Director of Academic Solutions, North America, iMotions
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Kieu Wong is the Senior Director of Academic Research Solutions, North America at iMotions, where she leads efforts to expand the use of biosensor technology and software in academic institutions. With over a decade of experience in sales leadership, Kieu has been instrumental in building strategic partnerships and integrating advanced research labs across academic departments. Her expertise in understanding human behavior and her problem-solving and data-driven approaches to sales have positioned iMotions as a trusted partner in the academic community, making her a strong advocate for designing spaces that enhance learning and execution. She is passionate about health and well-being in the spaces we occupy and works alongside thoughts leaders to showcase how neuroscience can help improve the built environments.
Ann Sussman
President, The Human Architecture + Planning Institute | Adjunct Instructor, BAC
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Ann Sussman, RA, an architect, researcher, and teacher is passionate about understanding how buildings impact us. She serves as president of the Human Architecture + Planning Institute, (theHapi.org), a nonprofit devoted to improving the design of the built environment through education and research. Her book Cognitive Architecture, Designing for How We Respond to the Built Environment (Routledge, 2015, 2021) won the 2016 Place Research Award from the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). She is co-editor of the forthcoming Handbook of Neuroscience and the Built Environment, (Routledge, 2025). Ann has taught a course on the human perception of architecture, Buildings, Biology + the Brain, at the BAC since 2018. For more info: annsussman.com and theHapi.org.
Anne Fairfax
Founding Director, Fairfax & Sammons Architecture
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Anne Fairfax is a founding partner of Fairfax & Sammons Architects in New
York and Palm Beach. A graduate of Oxford University and the University of
Virginia, she is also a member of INTBAU International College of Practitioners.
In her community in Florida, she serves on the Landmarks Preservation
Commission in Palm Beach and also the Community Redevelopment Agency in
Lake Worth Florida. Her firm’s monograph, “American Houses; the Architecture
of Fairfax and Sammons” is published by Rizzoli International.
Richard Sammons
Founding Director, Fairfax & Sammons Architecture
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Richard Sammons is a founding partner of Fairfax & Sammons Architects in New
York and Palm Beach. He is an internationally recognized expert in architectural
proportion having taught at The University of Notre Dame, The Prince of Wales’s
Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology and Pratt Institute. A graduate of the
University of Virginia and Denison University, he is also a member of the
INTBAU International College of Practitioners. Richard serves as the Vice Chair
of the Architectural Review Commission in Palm Beach. His firm’s monograph,
“American Houses; the Architecture of Fairfax and Sammons” is published by
Rizzoli International.
This event was organized in collaboration with:
The Science Behind Architectural Experience
Boston — March 29th, 2025
World-Class Leaders
Attendees met some of the world’s foremost thinkers in the field of cognitive architecture to understand how urban design is an extension of our biology.
Bleeding Edge Insights
Presentations explored pioneering science to learn how our brains unconsciously interpret the world – and what that says about design.
Community Building
We learned how to design spaces where people want to linger and community can organically form. Conversations flowed, ideas sparked, and connections grew.
Resources
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1. Neuroarchitecture: Designing Spaces With Our Brain in Mind
How neuroscience can inspire architectural designs that support emotional and cognitive well-being.https://imotions.com/blog/insights/neuroarchitecture-designing-spaces-with-our-brain-in-mind/
2. Five Ways Neuroarchitecture Shows Us How We React to Buildings
Discover how tools like eye tracking and biosensors reveal our emotional and physical responses to architecture.https://imotions.com/blog/insights/research-insights/5-ways-neuroarchitecture-shows-us-how-we-react-to-buildings/
3. From Curiosity to Discovery: Integrating Human Data into Architectural Design
A case study that explores how human data is being used to design spaces with people in mind.
4. Biometrics & Bus Stops: What Eye Tracking & Facial Expression Analysis Reveal
Explore how biometric tools can improve the design of public spaces, from bus stops and beyond.https://geneticsofdesign.com/2023/12/12/biometrics-bus-stops-what-eye-tracking-facial-expression-analysis-reveal/
5. Built Beautiful: The Science and Art of Neuroarchitecture (Documentary)
This documentary explores the intersection of neuroscience and architecture in creating beautiful spaces. -
