思维的眼睛
建筑是在满足功能目的前提下为社会需求提供服务。这些需求可能跨越宗教、社会机构和娱乐行业。如果建筑像纯艺术一样不考虑功能，则违背了人们最初的意愿。在人们眼中，建筑可以传递信息并引发联想，它能够对社会文明进行理性甚至批判性的陈述。除了使用功能之外，建筑还能让我们感知一些东西。当我们每天匆匆忙忙，来来往往，忙碌于日常事务的时候，我们往往忽视了身边的一切。我们用自己的感觉和意识去体验每一个建筑，尽管只是在下意识中去反映它，而每个人都会依据自身的经验和价值观，产生独一无二的感受。
通过体验整个建筑，人和建筑两者之间进行着潜意识的交流和影响。建筑和环境之间的关系是人们感受到的主要信息之一。建筑不能被装在一个容器中来被参观，它不可能独立存在，它必须与环境结合在一起。这种关系在潜意识里被使用者理解和判断。依赖自然环境，使用者能够从其中激发起安宁、和谐或者碰撞等不同的情感。在这所有感觉中，我们主要通过视觉来体验建筑本身。色彩、灯光和材料是可以直接观察到并且会让使用者立即产生印象，留下记忆并产生情感交流。空间和结构的布局，建筑体量的整体感觉及设计风格都传递着不同的信息，让使用者潜意识中接受。所有这些元素都给使用者在体验整个建筑或者一个空间的时候，产生正面或者负面的印象。建筑具有极大的能量去“对话”并且影响那些接触到它的人，建筑师就肩负着以一种理解和感性的方式去使用这种能量的任务。

The Minds Eye
Architecture is created to fulfill a functional purpose, to serve the needs of a society. These needs can range widely from religious to institutional to recreational. Regardless of the function, architecture, like art, is also created to illicit an emotional response. Architecture conveys messages and instills imagery in the mind of the observer. It can make philosophical, even judgmental, statements about culture and society. In addition to performing its functional purpose, architecture exists to make us “feel” something. We are not often acutely aware of our immediate surroundings as we hurriedly rush about, moving through spaces as we take care of our daily business. We experience a building with our senses and our conscious mind, but react to it at a subconscious level, and each person's reaction is a uniquely personal one that is viewed in reference to their own experiences and values. This constant communication and influence at a subconscious level between the architecture and the observer takes place throughout the entire time the architecture is experienced. A building's relationship to its environment is one of the primary messages that an observer will encounter. Architecture cannot be viewed in a vacuum. It does not exist in and of itself. It can only be perceived within the context of its surroundings. This relationship is subconsciously comprehended and assessed by users. Depending upon its nature, this relationship can stir within the user emotions of peace and harmony or confrontation and conflict. Of all the senses, we primarily experience architecture visually. Color, lighting, and materials are directly observed and produce an immediate experience within the observer, creating impressions, recalling memories, and instilling feelings and emotions. The layout of space and form, the overall building massing, and the design style also convey messages that are subconsciously received and interpreted by the user. All these elements contribute to create the positive or negative emotions a person feels when experiencing a building or a space. Architecture has tremendous power to “speak to” and influence all those who interact with it, and it is the architect's role to use this power in an understanding and sensitive way.