The Next Era of Multifamily Design – Color & The Biology of Belonging
Multifamily housing is entering a period of profound transition, shaped by changing populations, environmental constraints, and shifting financial and policy frameworks—forces that are redefining expectations for performance, safety, and resident experience across both new construction and adaptive re-use projects.
One of the central challenges in designing for human health is that the conditions the body needs to thrive—access to nature, light, and spatial ease—are often constrained by development economics. Color offers a rare and powerful bridge.
Without increasing footprint or density, intentional color selection and application can significantly shape how environments are perceived and navigated, influencing orientation, stress regulation, social connection, and everyday experience at both building and community scales.
This course examines multifamily design trends shaping the next decade through a color-led neuroarchitectural and neuroaesthetic lens, informed by research from neuroscience and environmental psychology.