Kesi Shankar
Kesi Shankar is a Chicago-based designer, writer and researcher, and the founder of NEURODESIGN. Her work examines how buildings and interiors are experienced through light, sound, material and the arrangement of space.
She develops essays, research guides and spatial work connecting those experiences with the questions a design project needs to resolve.
What she publishes
The NEURODESIGN research corpus, a library of 700 neuroarchitecture studies, reviews and standards. Each record describes a finding, its study setting and its possible relevance to design.
A 35-part research series on how particular spatial decisions affect everyday experience, from ceiling height and acoustics to thresholds, materials and memory. The series also runs as short videos on TikTok.
Guides to the evidence: what neuroarchitecture is and what the research shows, and how it applies to specific building types.
- Neuroarchitecture in offices
- Neuroarchitecture in hospitals
- Neuroarchitecture in schools
- Neuroarchitecture for sleep: bedrooms and hotel rooms
- Neuroarchitecture vs biophilic design
- Neuroarchitecture examples
A book, The Dopamine Palette, is forthcoming.
Practice
Through NEURODESIGN she works on spatial research, interior design, creative direction and strategy across residential, hospitality, workplace, retail, cultural and urban projects. See the studio page for services, or get in touch about a project, a talk or press.
Elsewhere
- Substack
Essays on neuroarchitecture
- TikTok
Short videos from the research series
- kesishankar.com
Personal site and journal on neuroarchitecture and wellness architecture
- LinkedIn
Professional profile
- The Living City
A WELL AP exam prep game and free study guide
For press and speaking requests, use the contact page.