Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Capstone Project

First Advisor

Dustin Altschul

Second Advisor

Kimberly Buchholz

Abstract

Blueprints for the Mind investigates how public built environments influence the mental health of youth, with attention to rising rates of anxiety, depression. Through a multidisciplinary approach bridging environmental psychology, public health, interior architecture, and usercentered design, this project identifies the environmental factors shaping young people’s emotional well-being. Findings reveal that sensory conditions such as lighting, acoustics, layout, materiality, and predictability directly affect youth comfort, focus, and emotional regulation. Field research with students (ages 13–15) and an expert interview with licensed social worker Carmen Ortega-Cline further demonstrate that overstimulating, crowded, or unclear environments heighten stress, while semi-private, naturally lit, and sensory-balanced spaces support calm, safety, belonging, and social ease. Synthesizing literature, surveys, precedents, and professional insight, this project proposes that intentional, evidence-based design has measurable potential to reduce emotional strain and foster psychological resilience in youth-centered public spaces.

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