CoDEC Research Lab- Collaboratory for Design, Environment & Cognition

Designing for Neurodiversity in the Hybrid Workplace This research investigates how spatial and sensory features of workplace environments influence user experience, focusing on neurodivergent employees. Using the HOK Miami office as a case study, the project applies a mixed-methods approach combining surveys, semi-structured interviews, and systematic field observations. The study is grounded in environmental psychology frameworks, including Person–Environment Fit, Attention Restoration Theory, and Prospect–Refuge Theory, to examine how workspace characteristics—such as spatial variety, acoustic and visual zoning, and lighting control—affect cognitive performance, comfort, and well-being. By correlating floor plan analysis with user data, the research develops field observation metrics that capture choice, sensory modulation, and spatial clarity as indicators of inclusivity. The outcomes aim to inform evidence-based design recommendations for hybrid workplaces that accommodate diverse sensory and cognitive profiles without prescribing uniform solutions. This work contributes to the broader discourse on inclusive and performance-oriented interior architecture, positioning neurodiversity as a central parameter in the evaluation and design of contemporary work environments.

Miami Underline Lighting Improvement Lighting ImprovementThis project develops a two-minute animated simulation of Miami’s Underline, exploring how variations in night-time lighting influence emotional perception. The animation presents three lighting scenarios—full illumination, alternating lights, and near darkness—to examine contrasts in luminance and their psychological effects. The study investigates how these lighting conditions shape users’ feelings of safety, discomfort, curiosity, and alertness, revealing the relationship between illumination and spatial experience. By analyzing emotional responses to changing light patterns, the project highlights how environmental lighting can guide perception, behavior, and the overall sense of security within urban public spaces.

The WOW Factor: Quantifying Emotional Impact in Architectural Space This study explores how architectural form and lighting contribute to emotional responses often described as the “wow” factor in interior and spatial design. Using the Pantheon in Rome as a case study, the research investigates how variations in ceiling height and luminance influence affective experience and spatial perception. Participants viewed two-minute animated simulations of the Pantheon under four experimental conditions combining high/low ceiling and light/dark transitions. Emotional responses were measured using the PANAS Likert Scale, complemented by think-aloud protocols that captured verbalized impressions of awe, arousal, and spatial coherence. Preliminary results suggest that high-ceiling and light-to-light transitions evoke stronger positive arousal and spatial engagement compared to darker or lower-ceiling conditions. The study contributes to understanding how perceptual and environmental factors shape users’ affective experience, offering new insights into evidence-based design and the intentional use of form, light, and proportion in architecture. Researchers: Newton D’Souza, Sam Moshaver, Armin Mostafavi

Spatial Zoning for Remote Work in Multi-Family Dwellings The research investigates how the spatial design of multi-family housing can enhance satisfaction and well-being by balancing domestic life and remote work. Guided by Habraken’s floor plan representation method and Gifford’s Person–Environment Fit Theory, the study explores how spatial arrangements can support household routines while integrating workspace needs. A mixed-methods approach combines quantitative surveys using the Environmental Satisfaction Scale (ESS) with qualitative interviews conducted in Toronto and Montreal. Findings show that locating workspaces near unit entrances and away from main family areas reduces disruption and improves environmental satisfaction for non-working residents. These results propose evidence-based strategies for flexible, inclusive housing that accommodates remote work without compromising the comfort and well-being of other household members.

Physics Simulation–Enhanced Augmented Reality (PSE-AR) This project explores how integrating physics simulation into augmented reality can reshape architectural education. In many design studios, gravity and material behavior are treated as abstract ideas. PSE-AR bridges this gap by linking 3D modeling with real-time physical simulation, allowing geometry to move, balance, and respond as it would in the real world. Through this approach, students learn to design with gravity instead of against it. Every modeling decision becomes a conversation between intention and physical force, helping students understand how stability, rhythm, and assembly emerge through interaction rather than control. PSE-AR encourages a new way of thinking about architecture—not as a collection of fixed forms but as a living process shaped by feedback, motion, and adaptation. It combines visual intuition with computational reasoning, turning digital models into experiments that reveal how matter behaves under natural laws. By merging simulation and design, the project promotes a deeper awareness of how structure and environment are connected. It offers a framework for learning that values exploration, responsiveness, and collaboration between imagination and the physical world.

We’re exploring how student housing environments—like Everglades Hall—can better support students with developmental disabilities. Our research investigates how spatial, sensory, and social design elements influence comfort, focus, and well-being, advancing inclusive strategies for campus living. 🔗 Learn more: codec.fiu.edu #InclusiveDesign #StudentHousing #Neurodiversity #FIU #CODECLab