The Surprisingly Important Role of Symmetry in Healthy Places
New research suggests there might be a symmetry deficit disorder in today s built environments, with significant impacts on health, well-being, and even sustainability. Share
Among the many factors influencing health and well-being, the environment might be the least appreciated but in many ways, it s one of the most important. Intriguing new research is indicating that, within human environments, the mathematical property of symmetry plays an outsized role.
The relationship between mathematics and architecture is an ancient one, and the topic of symmetry has long been central to both. But the symmetry described by classical writers like Vitruvius and Alberti was not limited to the idea of mirroring two sides, as is commonly thought. Rather, symmetry was a much deeper concept, covering many other complex kinds of geometrical relationships. What was important was that there was some kind of measurable corresponden