Since the 1960s, theories on the relationship between people and their environment have explored how elements of the built environment may directly or indirectly influence human behavior. In this context, neuroarchitecture is emerging as an interdisciplinary field that integrates neuroscience, architecture, environmental psychology, and cognitive science, with the aim of providing empirical evidence on how architectural spaces affect the human brain. This study investigates the potential of neuroarchitecture to inform environmental design by clarifying its current conceptual framework, examining its practical applications, and identifying the context in which it is being implemented. Beginning with an in-depth analysis of the definition of neuroarchitecture, its theoretical foundations, and the range of interpretations within the academic community, the study then offers a critical review of its practical applications across various design fields. By presenting a comprehensive overview of this emerging discipline, the study also summarizes the measurement techniques commonly employed in related research and critically evaluates design criteria based on observed human responses. Ultimately, neuroarchitecture represents a promising avenue for creating environments that deliberately enhance psychological and physiological well-being, paving the way toward truly human-centered design. Nevertheless, neuroarchitecture is still an emerging experimental field, which entails significant limitations. The experiments conducted are still limited to virtual reality and controlled experimental contexts. In addition, small and heterogeneous population samples have been tested, without considering human variability.

TheWorld report on ageing and healthhighlighted the need to ensure age-friendly environments to foster active and healthy ageing because, as theWorld Health Organizationhas estimated, the number of people over 60 is set to double by 2050. Recently, SHAFE (Smart, Healthy, Age-Friendly Environments) has been proposed as a design approach to face the challenge of ageing. SHAFE model is focused on two goals: the promotion of smart and inclusive solutions to improve the independent life throughout the life course, regardless of age, gender, disabilities, cultural differences and personal choices; the optimization of social and physical environments, supported by digital tools and services. Nevertheless, studies on how to apply integrated principles of SHAFE to architectural design are still lacking, even if the interdisciplinary network NET4Age-Friendly is the most recent application of SHAFE model and aims to implement its practice and deployment. Based on a literature review, the paper discusses the contribution of environmental design for improving SHAFE approach on architecture, to build living spaces really responding to the changing needs of people from the ageing in place to the long-life approach.

The NewEcoSmart project addresses the need to foster inclusive green and digital transitions in rural habitat sectors by systematically assessing local socio-technical readiness and tailoring capacity-building interventions. We adapted the validated SCIROCCO Exchange Maturity Self-Assessment Tool—selecting eight dimensions relevant to environmental, technological and social innovation—and conducted a two-phase evaluation across three pilot sites in Italy, Portugal and Spain. Phase 1 mapped stakeholder evidence against predefined criteria; Phase 2 engaged local actors (45+ adults, SMEs and micro-firms) in a self-assessment to determine digital, green and entrepreneurial skill gaps. For each domain of the SCIROCCO Tool, local actors can assign a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 5. The final score of the SCIROCCO tool can be a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 40. Quantitative maturity scores revealed heterogeneous profiles (Pacentro and Majella Madre = 5; Yecla = 10; Adelo Area = 23), underscoring diverse ecosystem strengths and limitations. A qualitative analysis, framed by Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments (SHAFE) domains, identified emergent training needs that are clustered at three levels: MACRO (community-wide awareness and engagement), MESO (decision-maker capacity for strategic planning and governance) and MICRO (industry-specific practical skills). The adapted SCIROCCO tool effectively proposes the assessment of socio-technical maturity in rural contexts and guides the design of a modular, multi-layered training framework. These findings support the need for scalable deployment of interventions that are targeted to the maturity of the local ecosystems to accelerate innovations through equitable green and digital transformations in complex socio-cultural settings.