Storytelling is the most natural form of human communication. We tell stories to convey ideas, project a vision of the future, share knowledge and values, understand our history and our place in it, teach behavior and create meaning.

 

Where actual storytelling uses words, body language and tonality to tell a story, architectural storytelling uses the built environment to introduce these aspects:

 

Order: when done right, architecture provides people and organizations a strengthened sense of identity, which in turn creates a sense of belonging. This helps communities to get their house in order, so to speak, and to thrive.

 

Connection: architectural storytelling is the difference between stacking people or truly connecting them. A shared story, connects, strengthens, unifies and creates mutually beneficial relationships.

 

Meaning: being in a place that empowers you to go places. That is the meaning people crave for and that architecture, in part, has an obligation to provide.

 

Experiences: Architecture isn’t just about materials, engineering and anything else that fits in an excel sheet. It provokes an emotional response, transcends the rational mind and is conducive to emotional experiences and the expression of human potential.  

 

Control: biophilic architecture and urban planning gives people a handle on their day-to-day lives and gives direction in times of uncertainty.

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NEXT: What is behavioral design?