How do buildings make us feel? How can they make us feel better?

Through research at the emerging intersection of neuroscience and architecture, Tye Farrow will explore how our mind, and its various sensory systems, interacts with our built environment to enhance or harm our health and well-being. Drawing on recent discoveries in cognitive psychology (the science of the mind) and neuroscience (the science of the brain), he bridges the gap in knowledge between the therapeutic medical world and the design community to reveal how the intentional shaping of our environment can support our physical and neurological well-being.

He will set out two working frameworks. Salutogenic placemaking treats architecture as an active determinant of mind health rather than a neutral backdrop to it. The Buddhist framework of Six Perfections, including generosity, self-discipline, patience, perseverance, concentration, and wisdom, name the human capacities that places can help cultivate, giving design a specific framework rather than a general aspiration toward wellness.

Working at the intersection of architecture and neuroscience, Tye is a world-recognized pioneer in tackling how our built environments either give or cause health. The first Canadian architect to earn a Master of Neuroscience Applied to Architecture, he is a much sought-after speaker, having presented to respected organizations in over sixty-five cities on six continents.

This public lecture is part of a 2026-27 series on Salutogenic Placemaking. Organized by the Engaging Education in Buddhist Studies initiative, and in collaboration with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health program, the series examines how physical and social environments support individual, community, and planetary flourishing, with focus on how the Buddhist framework of the Six Perfections can shape design. The series is made possible with support from the Khyentse Foundation.