In his book “Unified Architectural Theory Biophilia: Our Evolved Kinship to Biological Form” Niko Salingaros describes that a crucial task of architectural theory is to explain and predict the impact that living structure, or its absence - has on us.

“It all resides in geometry. [Some] configurations generate stress... [Other] configurations, those we perceive as possessing life, do not generate stress, and release us to feel positive feelings…we are freer to experience a multitude of healing effects…because we are not dragged down by environmental stress.”

“The first step to discovering geometric qualities we look for is to examine nature environments. This brings us to the effect of Biophilia: the kinship human beings feel with other biological entities. The biophilia effect promotes mental wellbeing and also helps in physiological healing and recovery.”

“The positive effects of biophilia are clinically documented…we feel most comfortable in environments similar to those in which we have evolved, and reciprocally feel stressed in environments with alien qualities. Our neurophysiological system was developed precisely to deal with [our] ancestral natural environments.”

“Our body has an extremely sophisticated ability to detect environments that are good for us. Our goal therefore, is to discover the precise qualities that a healthy environment possesses and which makes us feel ‘free.’ This is the perception of ‘life’ which can be sensed in certain structures, architectural and horticultural.”