The Spaces That Make Us
Why Design Is Broken and How We Can Create a Happier, Healthier World
- Publisher: Harper Celebrate (HarperCollins Focus)
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
Create a better life by creating better design. Did you know that...... the arrangement of your living room could improve your relationship with your partner?... the layout of your child's classroom affects their grades and test scores?... the design of your hospital room influences how quickly you recover? We live in a symbiotic relationship with the spaces around us—first we make our spaces, and then our spaces make us. But we're living in a suboptimal world, one that we designed. The good news: We can redesign it. For twenty years, architect and designer Danish Kurani has been transforming spaces to improve people's health and happiness through the design of schools, homes, offices, and community centers across four continents. The Spaces That Make Us offers you: A clear, easy-to-follow philosophy you can apply to any space—your home, office, school, or neighborhood. Surprising research revealing how design impacts your physical health, emotional well-being, and the quality of your relationships. A journey through the past 2 million years, arriving at how current design practices make life worse. An inspiring vision for creating future designs and a compelling call to rethink design's fundamentals Practical strategies for using smarter design to improve your life, at any budget level. Kurani unveils a life-changing design philosophy, Baaham (pronounced BAH-hum), a word from Urdu meaning “in tandem”—describing two interconnected things working in harmony. Baaham draws from psychology, sociology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology. Whether you're designing for yourself or others, at any scale from a bedroom to a city block, Baaham is a roadmap for improving health, building deeper relationships, and finding greater fulfillment. It's not just a philosophy—it's a way of life. Featuring seven core principles, Baaham helps everyone—from financially strapped college students to a manager looking to improve their team's performance—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 each principle and bring Baaham to life. The Spaces That Make Us will change how you see the world—opening your eyes to what isn't working, and helping you remake your spaces for a happier, healthier life.
Endorsements (8)
“Praise for Danish Kurani’s The Spaces That Make Us “Danish Kurani is one of the industry’s most exciting, innovative figures. His ideas changed how I see the world and interact with my surroundings. This book is an eye-opener for anyone who loves design—or simply wants a happier life.”
“In his new book, Kurani introduces a world-changing design philosophy that will inspire readers to craft their ideal world. In doing so, he reveals how as we shape our spaces, our spaces then shape us.”
“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.”
“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.”
“An engaging read and a powerful argument that the best design grows out of generous attention to human need and deep regard for place.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
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