Reframing Human Experience Through Adaptive Reuse in Contemporary Architecture

As urban centers face escalating challenges of climate change, resource scarcity, and aging infrastructure, the discipline of architecture is being called to transcend technical efficiency and address the full spectrum of human experience. This paper positions adaptive reuse not only as an ecological strategy but also as a framework for cultural continuity, cognitive well-being, and embodied interaction. Building on insights from ecological psychology, embodied cognition, and neuroarchitecture, the study introduces the H-AIR framework (Human-Centered Adaptive Reuse for Interaction and Resilience)—a multidimensional approach structured around four interrelated pillars: spatial adaptability, sensory engagement, digital integration, and cultural continuity. Methodologically, the research advances a hybrid design that combines comparative case studies of adaptive reuse projects, behavioral mapping of occupant interaction, and emerging neuroscientific techniques such as Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI). This triangulated approach allows for the integration of qualitative narratives with quantitative evidence, capturing both cultural specificity and embodied perception. Preliminary findings demonstrate that adaptive reuse projects designed with human-centered strategies foster stronger emotional attachment, enhanced social interaction, and measurable neurocognitive responses to architectural thresholds and material continuity. The paper contributes to the growing field of neuroarchitecture by embedding empirical evidence into adaptive reuse discourse and offers practical guidance for architects and policymakers seeking to balance ecological performance with human resilience. Ultimately, adaptive reuse is reframed as a process of ecological and human healing, where neuroscience, culture, and design converge to create identity-rich and cognitively supportive environments.