Measuring Human Experience in Architecture
A Psychological Perspective on Post Occupancy Evaluation
June 1–4, 2026 | Calgary
How do we know if the spaces we inhabit truly support human experience?
Advances in neuroscience and environmental psychology are making it possible to better understand how people experience the built environment—and how those insights can begin to inform design decisions, user outcomes, and long-term value.
This June, the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA) and DIALOG are offering a four-day immersive workshop in Calgary exploring how human experience can be measured, interpreted, and applied across the built environment.
Capacity is limited to support a small-group, hands-on format.
A hands-on, real-world workshop
Over four immersive days, participants will take part in a collaborative, practice-focused workshop that goes beyond theory. Rather than simply hearing about research methods, participants will engage directly with them—working in small groups and guided by an interdisciplinary team that includes researchers and practitioners such as Robin Mazumder and David Kirsh, bringing expertise in neuroscience, environmental psychology, and architecture.
Through real-world case studies in occupied buildings—including projects such as the Calgary Central Library—the workshop provides a practical context for understanding how people experience space, respond to different environments, and how those responses can be better understood.
Strengthening decisions with evidence-informed insight
For decades, architecture and design have relied on intuition, precedent, and aesthetic judgment to shape the built environment. This workshop introduces emerging methods that complement traditional post-occupancy evaluation—offering new ways to interpret human experience as a measurable dimension of design.
Participants will:
- Engage with current research from around the world
- Experience hands-on methods for assessing human response to space
- Learn how these responses can be translated into meaningful, actionable insights
- Participate in real-world data collection exercises in occupied environments
Why this matters now
As expectations around user experience, wellbeing, and performance continue to evolve, the ability to better understand how people respond to space is becoming increasingly relevant across design, development, and public sector decision-making.
This workshop offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with this emerging approach— data-informed, human-centered design.
Who should attend
This workshop is designed for professionals involved in shaping, evaluating, and decision-making around the built environment, including:
- Architects, urban designers, and planners seeking to integrate human-centered and evidence-informed approaches into practice.
- Developers, real estate professionals, and workplace strategists interested in understanding how design impacts user experience, wellbeing, and performance.
- Healthcare planners and operators looking to evaluate and improve patient and staff experience through spatial design.
- Public sector leaders and municipal decision-makers involved in planning, policy, and city-making.
- Environmental psychologists, behavioral scientists, and researchers working at the intersection of people and space.
- Students and early-career professionals in architecture, design, psychology, or related fields.
No prior experience with research methods is required.
Workshop details
Measuring Human Experience in Architecture
A Psychological Perspective on Post Occupancy Evaluation
June 1–4, 2026
Calgary, Alberta
What you’ll gain
- Understand how explicit and implicit assessment methods reveal different dimensions of human experience in real-world case studies
- Practical insights you can apply to real projects, research, and decision-making
- Introduction to approaches for integrating human experience insights into practice
- New interdisciplinary connections and collaboration opportunities
Registration
Registration is now open. Capacity is limited to maintain a small-group, hands-on format.
Early registration is recommended.