When architects have complete freedom in their designs, things can get weird. Just like how we used to create crazy buildings with LEGO bricks as kids, the r/bizarrebuildings subreddit features architects bringing their wildest dreams to life. We've chosen some of our new favorite posts from the Reddit community to show you these unique designs and to bring about either light-hearted amusement or strong opinions.
Nowadays, psychology studies help us understand the urban places that people enjoy and find exciting. Studies found that the way buildings look and having access to green areas can affect how we feel emotionally. As Winston Churchill once said, "We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us."
#23 This Building In The Philippines That Looks Like A Ship And Has A Korean Restaurant And A Cafe "Onboard"
Talking and spending time with others is really important for keeping your mind healthy. Same goes for urban design: "Social interaction is often achieved by concentrating groups of people in a single node or landmark so that it is suggested they interact with each other. Strategies for urban design to accommodate this can include higher density development, so that more people are concentrated in an area," shares Jonathan Monfries in his research paper 'The Psychological Effects of Urban Design.'
Making sure someone is physically healthy often helps their mental health too. Having enough public spaces in cities makes it easy for people to find places to be active. A study by Roe (2016) backs this up by showing that having green spaces in cities is good for people with mental health issues like stress, anxiety, and depression. Adding more trees, small parks, and even outdoor exercise equipment, especially in the city center, can really help improve how people feel and act, and make their overall mental wellbeing better.
#29 Transcendence, Keith Jellum (1998). Public Art Installation In Portland, Oregon
The way we feel and act each day can be really affected by how we travel around the city. It can shape our mood and how we behave when we go to work and when we come back home. The things around us always have an impact on our thoughts. Making sure a city has good transportation and ways to connect is helpful. This can make traveling to work, especially on public transit, less stressful and make it easier to reach places and services. When transportation works well, it can lower stress and anxiety, which makes living in the city much smoother.