The urban landscape can be improved to reduce the stress experienced by citizens. Therefore, stress-relieving buildings constitute a crucial topic and a future trend in architecture and design. In this study, different architectural styles were investigated to explore design methods for and characteristics of stress-relieving building shapes and to identify indicators for measuring participant stress relief while viewing buildings. To understand stress relief from architecture, we performed semi-structured interviews with 60 participants who viewed images of 30 buildings. The semantic differential method with a 7-point image scale was used to rate stress relief from different architectural styles. The study results revealed that the participants perceived curvilinear buildings as interesting but do not relieve stress. The participants identified as feeling high pressure considering rectilinear patterns to relieve more stress. To support this observation, we identified three principles—city image, identity, and spiritual atmosphere—as fundamental loci of designing cities for livability. We illustrate the three principles with several cases that facilitate a detailed understanding of their applicability in biodesign practices.

The emotional responses and perceptual preferences of individuals for urban public spaces are shaped by their interactions with the physical environment. Emotions and perceptions are inextricably linked, forming the basis of people’s spatial experience. For instance, the presence of dense city buildings can result in feelings of crowding and friction. By improving the urban landscape, it is possible to reduce the stress experienced by citizens. In this study, architectural styles and building facade colors were examined to explore design approaches and features of stress-relieving building facades and identify metrics that measure participants’ stress-relief when viewing buildings. The color of 600 buildings in Japan and Taiwan was analyzed to understand stress-relief from architecture. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 70 participants who viewed images of 30 buildings. The semantic differential method with a seven-point image scale was employed to assess the stress-relieving potential of different architectural styles and colors. The findings of this study indicated that participants perceived that architectural colors influenced feelings of relief. Additionally, they anticipated variations in architectural colors contingent on architectural usage patterns. To substantiate this observation, three principles—city image, identity, and spiritual atmosphere—were identified as fundamental elements in designing cities for livability. The three principles are illustrated by several case studies for a detailed understanding of their applicability in biodesign practices.

Due to rapid urbanization, high-density cities have become a dominant human habitat, and sustainable urban development has become a key concept in urban governance. Thus, it is important to understand the impact of visual elements in urban architecture on stress to make accurate and practical planning and strategies for healthy and sustainable living environments. We examined the designs and features of building facades that alleviate stress and identified measuring metrics for stress relief in viewers. We selected 20 Taiwanese-style public buildings for the examination. To understand the relationship between architecture and stress relief, 70 participants were interviewed in a semi-structured method after showing images of the 20 buildings. We used the semantic differential method and a 7-point image scale to rate stress relief from various architectural styles. The participants found the use of multiple materials or lighting in public buildings interesting but not stress-relieving. A greater amount of cooler and heavier materials made of iron in the building exterior increased stress. This finding offers insights into planning and developing sustainable and psychologically supportive urban environments.

The concept of sustainable cities encompasses not only environmental concerns but also extends to the physical and mental well-being of residents. Urban design, particularly the structuring of street environments, plays a crucial role in alleviating stress and promoting public health when it emulates the qualities of natural settings. The present study adopts a multifaceted methodology, incorporating semi-structured interviews, semantic dif-ferential analysis and a seven-point imagery scale, to explore the influence of street life on emotional states. The case study focuses on Zhongshan Road in Chiayi City. Furthermore, field perceptual experiments, environmental feature extraction, and video recording were conducted to analyse correlations between specific street characteristics and psychological well-being. The findings identify several key environmental factors that significantly affect mental health: green space ratio, vehicle presence, walkability, environmental complexity, building enclosure, facility distribution, sky visibility, facade transparency, proportion of slow events, and color richness. The present study found vehicle presence and excessive environmental complexity to be positively correlated with feelings of boredom, while facade transparency was found to be positively correlated with en-gagement. Moreover, a higher ratio of green space and building enclosure has been demonstrated to be associated with heightened interest. The results of this study demonstrate that street environments exert a measurable psychological impact on well-being, either fostering or diminishing it, depending on their configuration. Beyond the empirical insights yielded by the study, its findings are closely aligned with the broader objectives of sustainable urban development. The expansion of green spaces and the prioritisation of pedestrian-friendly street design have been identified as key strat-egies for reducing carbon emissions and enhancing sustainability.