The Spaces That Make Us - by Danish Kurani (Hardcover)

About the Book

We shape our environments, and they shape us. In The Spaces That Make Us, renowned architect and designer, Danish Kurani, shares his revolutionary design philosophy---Baaham---to help us understand the profound impact our spaces have on us and how we can improve our lives by creating better designs.

Book Synopsis

Create a better life by creating better design.

Have you ever wondered how. . .

. . . the arrangement of your living room could improve your relationship with your partner? . . . the layout of your child's classroom might impact their test scores? . . . the design of your hospital room is taking a toll on your physical health?

We are in a symbiotic relationship with the design around us, and the hard truth is, we are living in a suboptimal world. But the good news is we can redesign it. For the past twenty years, architect and designer Danish Kurani has been transforming design to improve people's health and happiness for places like Google, New York City, and for communities across four different continents.

The Spaces That Make Us offers you:

• An easy-to-follow philosophy that you can apply to any space, whether it be your home, a school, a hospital, or a city block.
• Evidence-based research to identify how design impacts your emotional, physical, and social wellbeing.
• An engaging historical assessment of what's not currently working in our architecture and design.
• A compelling vision for the future and clear motivations to change the fundamentals of design as we currently understand it
• Practical strategies to implement health-based changes at any budget level.

In The Spaces That Make Us, Kurani unveils his lifechanging design philosophy, Baaham (pronounced BAH-hum). The word comes from his native language of Urdu, and it describes two interconnected things working in harmony. Baaham takes into account psychology, sociology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology. For any design decision you might make, whether for yourself or for others, at the level of a bedroom or a city block, Baaham is a roadmap to improving your health, forging deeper relationships, and finding greater fulfillment. It's more than a philosophy; it's a way of life.

With seven core principles, Baaham can help anyone from a budget-conscious college student to a real-estate tycoon create environments that are functional, beautiful, and life-changing. This book doesn't tell you what to design. It teaches you how to design, so that you can build the life you want. Engaging illustrations are included throughout every chapter, to illuminate the principles within and guide you through Danish's thoughtful teachings.

The Spaces That Make Us will transform your understanding of the world, opening your eyes to what's not working. Discover how to remake the spaces around you for a happier, healthier life.

Review Quotes

'The Spaces That Make Us' is a beautiful and powerful reminder that our health, happiness, and even identities are the product of hidden forces all around us. Danish Kurani shows how to design spaces that transform us into the people we want to be. You'll never see the physical world the same way again.--Jonah Berger, New York Times Bestselling Author of "Contagious and The Catalyst"

'The Spaces That Make Us' is an exceptional work that reimagines how smart, ethical, thoughtful design can radically change our lives. I want to live in that world.--Rachel Sonis, Editor, TIME

A heartfelt, deeply researched book. 'The Spaces That Make Us' shows that how we choose to design our surroundings shapes who we become. We can all become the architects of our own lives, should we choose to dream courageously.--Sheena Iyengar, Columbia Business School Professor and Bestselling Author of "The Art of Choosing"

An engaging read, and a powerful argument that the best design grows out of generous attention to human need and deep regard for place.--Sam Lubell, Contributor, New York Times

An uncommonly accessible book about architecture that pulls the focus away from buildings to show how design shapes people's experience of the world. It's a passionate call to use that power for good.--Nate Berg, Journalist, Fast Company

Danish Kurani is among the industry's most exciting, innovative figures. Kurani's ideas changed how I see the world and interact with my surroundings. I'm sure he will do the same for anyone who reads his book. Danish is equal parts visionary, problem-solver, and empath. He challenges the architecture industry to do better, and provides eye-opening solutions that inspire anyone who glimpses his designs. Where other architects follow trends, Danish disrupts--and then inspires design lovers of all stripes to follow his lead. His curiosity and passion are infectious, in just a few minutes, he can turn anyone into a design aficionado. His insights about everyday designs get people to sit up in their chairs--and to pay attention. Danish shows us that design is everywhere, and everything is designed.--Paul Makovsky, Editor-in-Chief, ARCHITECT magazine

Kurani has no illusions about the forces conspiring to make our world uglier, yet this is an undeniably hopeful book. With deep care and precision, he argues for a revolutionary reimagining of the places we call home. It's a delight to join him on the journey.--James Rodriguez, Senior Real Estate Reporter, Business Insider