Animated Materiality: The Impact of Architectural Materials, Motion, and Perceived Control on Psychophysiological Symptoms of Stress and Anxiety

Abstract

This dissertation emphasizes the critical role of architectural materiality on health by investigating how the perceptual qualities of materials modulate cognitive and physiological symptoms of stress, with a particular focus on individuals with heightened anxiety sensitivity. While architecture often engages questions of space, form, and sustainability, it has yet to fully address how material perception operates on a subconscious level to influence well-being. In response, this work proposes that materials, particularly when activated through movement, rhythm, and multisensory patterning, can become powerful agents in shaping emotional and physiological experience. Employing an interdisciplinary methodological framework that integrates virtual reality (VR), wearable biometric sensors, and programmable material prototypes, this research systematically quantifies psychophysiological responses while enriching them through qualitative analysis. Three empirical studies were conducted to evaluate the extent to which material perception, specifically; texture, naturalness, color, and rhythmic motion, shapes cognitive appraisal and autonomic recovery during moments of stress. Findings reveal that natural materials, especially wood, consistently reduce physiological stress markers, while materials animated with rhythmic motion most effectively support parasympathetic recovery, as indicated by lowered electrodermal activity (EDA) and increased heart rate variability (HRV). Unexpectedly, participants who were given control over material behavior during stress experienced diminished recovery and more negative subjective reports, highlighting the cognitive load that perceived agency may impose in emotionally heightened states. Across all studies, a disconnect emerged between subjective preference and physiological response, suggesting that embodied experience often speaks more clearly through the body than through conscious awareness. The research and methodological contributions in this dissertation offer not only notable potential for advancing the discipline but also raise critical questions about the complexities of instinctual responses, cultural associations, and multisensory interpretations that lie at the heart of what distinguishes materiality from material. These results support the development of animated materiality as both a conceptual framework and design strategy, one that reimagines materials as dynamic, perceptually rich agents capable of responding meaningfully to human states. This shift calls for a rigorous and ongoing exploration of how the synergy of technology, perceptual science, and historical context can be mobilized to address the pervasive mental strain of our time. Ultimately, this work underscores the profound responsibility, and opportunity, architects and designers have to create spaces that not only alleviate stress but also foster resilience and enhance the human condition in meaningful and lasting ways.