The Human Response to Physical Structure Most of the world's inhabitants see space and structure through visual elements such as bricks, rock, vegetation and foliage, corridors, doors, windows, finishes and floors. These elements combine to enable each individual's experience of a space. The German word gestalt means shape or form. Gestalt psychology attempts to investigate the human mind and how it conceives or recognizes patterns. Scientists believe that the human mind is programmed to seek importance and meaning in the sensory information it inputs. This wiring could be the evolutionary result of hundreds of thousands of years of human development. “The human survival instinct relied on changes in color in the environment (to seek refuge in lower light levels that signaled the arrival of night) or on auditory input (the snap of a twig that indicated the threat of a predator)” (Popow, 2000, page 2). A central question in environmental psychology is how different types of environments can trigger different emotional states in individuals; whether positive or negative reactions and behaviors. Architecture is described as the design of a structure capable of housing people or objects. Visual appeal, colors, building materials, and size contribute negatively or positively to human behavior. The most basic and basic architectural tools can be skillfully manipulated to promote a positive and humane environment even under conditions of severe restrictions. Architecture operates as an essential tool in restoring a positive and healthy human consciousness. Therefore, environmentally conscious architecture represents a fundamental step towards a more progressive understanding of human health (Ouroussoff, 1999). Research in the field of psychotherapy...... half of the document ....... Retrieved from http://www. architecture-student.com/sustainable-design/importance-of-sustainable-architecture-in-21st-century/Ouroussoff, N. (1999, January 30). Architectural review; designed to aid healing; renowned architectI.M. Pei overcomes project constraints and creates an uplifting environment for UCLAhospital. Los Angeles Times, pp. 1-1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/421337523?accountid=35812Popow, V. G. (2000, December). A report on psychology and architecture. Grand Lodge of Manitoba. V.1. Retrieved from http://www.grandlodge.mb.ca/mrc_docs/Psychology%20of%20Architecture.pdfStraub, R. O. (2007). Health psychology. (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth. Veitch, J. A. (2008). Investigating and influencing how buildings impact health: Interdisciplinary efforts. Canadian Psychology, 49(4), 281-288.doi:10.1037/a0013567