Ceilings: The Forgotten Elevation

One of (the many) things I enjoy in Europe is the wonderfully high ceilings.  Not just in the museums and churches, but in ‘ordinary’ apartments and public buildings.

I am currently writing a webinar with the title, ‘Do Ceilings Have to Be So Ugly?’, because it seems to me that so many contemporary Australian buildings are designed with very little thought for the potential of the ceiling plane to elevate and amplify the spatial experience, and to thereby improve the feeling of spaces for people who inhabit them.

We spend so much of our lives inside, that it’s important to remember that the psychological effects of poor quality spaces accumulates over time.

High ceilings good, low ceilings bad?

Not at all. Recent neurological studies demonstrate that different ceilings heights can enhance different kinds of activities.  For example, many studies have demonstrated similar findings;

‘High ceilings often evoke a sense of expansiveness and freedom, fostering creativity and innovative thinking, while low ceilings can create feelings of security and intimacy, ideal for relaxation and connection’.

More specifically,

‘Ceilings around 3.05 metres (10 feet) high have been found particularly effective for creative tasks. However, excessively high ceilings above 3.05 metres may lead to feelings of being ungrounded or unfocused. On the other hand, ceilings below 2.44 metres (8 feet) may induce feelings of compression and lethargy over time.’[1]

On recent travels, I’ve stayed in airy apartments with 3.6m ceilings, and I’ve also stayed at the Le Corbusier designed Convent of La Tourette, where the monks cells and corridors have a ceiling height of just 2.26m.  The low height never felt oppressive in the convent, whereas I found the same ceiling height unpleasant and oppressive in the corridors of Corb’s Unite de Habitation apartment in Firminy.

A successful building is clearly not just a result of achieving the perfect ceiling height. And, many projects don’t afford the opportunity for 3m+ ceilings, and even if they did, the use of spaces may not necessarily be served by a higher ceiling.

I am interested in improving the qualitative aspects of ceiling design for the wellbeing of the people, regardless of the height, or even in spite of the height.  It’s the qualitative aspects that are most lacking in many buildings today. Colour, materiality and light can be overlooked, especially in relation to the ceiling plane.

Please consider: Which truly great buildings have flat white plasterboard ceilings strewn with cheap down lights and fire services?

[1] https://neurotectura.com/2024/12/26/how-ceiling-height-influences-creativity-and-focus/