The house is not just a physical space; it is also a mental and sensory one. It is made up of several dimensions and incorporates an emotional, cognitive and physiological environment that directly influences the well-being of those who live in it or visit it. It is the intimate stage for the many dimensions of human life, whether for socializing, celebrating, studying, working or resting. At the same time, it brings together social, cultural and even architectural factors that intersect and impact the daily management of family life. But does the female brain design, see and experience the home differently? Experts say yes, and we set out to find out why.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, celebrated this Sunday, March 8 (8M), idealista/news decided to open the windows and bring this discussion into the home. To do so, we listened to several female voices, from architecture to engineering, including real estate brokerage, as well as women who have already gone through the process of buying, selling and renting homes, and an artist. From the design and construction of the walls to the world they enclose through all lived experiences, women inhabit the home inside (and outside) their minds. Their fingerprint is often felt, to a greater or lesser extent, in the choice of spaces, their decoration, as well as in the organization of household routines, in visible (and invisible) ways that end up being reflected in the emotional memory and identity that is built and shaped in each home.
“Science shows that women and men may experience the domestic space differently, but not because there is a separate ‘female brain’ from the male one in a deterministic sense. What studies demonstrate is mainly an interaction between biological, social and cultural factors, including domestic responsibilities, social roles and the mental load associated with organizing everyday life,” confirms Teresa Ribeiro, a specialist in neuroarchitecture.
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It is the multiplicity of functions of the home that changes the way the brain responds to the environment. A recent scientific review cited by the architect, which analyzed several studies using methodologies such as electroencephalograms, cortisol measurements (a hormone associated with stress levels) and psychological assessments, concluded that, on average, women report higher levels of stress related to the domestic environment and tend to classify it as less restorative than men do.
“This does not mean that the home environment is necessarily more negative for women, but rather that they tend to experience it in a more demanding way from a functional, emotional and organizational point of view,” says Teresa Ribeiro. In addition, the relationship with the home changes throughout life. “We know, for example, that the restorative effect of the home varies according to life stage, professional context and the presence of children (or not). This confirms that there is no single experience of the home, but rather a dynamic relationship between person, space and stage of life,” she adds.
From the design to the foundations of the home
Engineering and architectural projects are increasingly valued in the construction of a home – after all, this is the most important place in the world for most people. And also in this context, in professional and technical terms, the presence of women can impact the way space is built and perceived.
“The architect, as a woman, is usually a more sensitive being and more attentive to issues not only related to the family, but also to the dynamics and management of everyday life in the home. We therefore observe more deeply issues related to storage and maintenance of spaces, but also the need to create more inclusive spaces that encourage family closeness,” says Maria Fradinho, architect and founder of the Frari studio.
She believes that the added value of having a woman behind the design of a home is manifested in the attention to detail, “in a warmer project that is closer to the specific needs of those who will live there.” “Our concern lies in inhabiting rather than habitat, in the life that the building allows and promotes rather than the building itself,” she says.
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“Throughout my career, both in engineering and construction and in real estate development, I have observed that the female presence — whether as designers and engineers or as buyers — represents a clear added value,” comments Teresa Pereira, civil engineer and procedural director in the Real Estate Department of Grupo Arliz. In her opinion, in general, women tend to analyze a home beyond its utilitarian or financial dimension.
“They observe the space in an integrated way: they pay attention to construction details, value aesthetics, but also functionality and how each room will be lived in everyday life. This ability to combine technical rigor with a practical and sensitive vision leads to more conscious decisions and more humanized projects, aligned with the real needs of the market, and contributes to the qualitative evolution of the sector,” she argues.
A view shared by Vânia Faria, engineer and project director in the same group. “There are several areas in which we, women in the engineering sector, show a sharper perception and a greater capacity for questioning. We are particularly attentive to certain details, to aesthetics, to finishes and, above all, to the functionality of spaces,” she says. “In general, we do not limit ourselves to following and executing what is stipulated in the project without reflecting on whether it makes sense. We receive it, analyze it, study it and execute it. But between the study and the execution, we add questioning and the search for more efficient and appropriate solutions,” she adds.
When it comes to female clients, the pattern is similar. “Women visit construction sites informed — thanks to the availability and accessibility of technical information — and tend to be more observant, questioning and attentive to practicality and the use of space. They look at what will be their home with an attentive gaze, focused not only on what they see but also on the potential of the property,” the engineer also highlights.
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Neuroarchitect Teresa Ribeiro explains this phenomenon. She adds that “when we analyze the professional dimension, we know that architectural training was historically built from functionalist and productivist paradigms, often disconnected from care dynamics and the everyday management of domestic space.”
“Several studies in gender and urbanism show that more diverse design teams tend to incorporate greater attention to aspects such as safety, ergonomics, daily circulation and the multifunctional use of space. In this way, the difference does not lie in fixed brain biology but in patterns of experience and use of space. Women and men may perceive the home differently when their responsibilities, social expectations and daily trajectories are different. Gender, more than a biological destiny, reveals itself as a social construction that shapes how space is experienced, interpreted and designed,” the specialist explains.
Buying, selling and/or renting a home: between emotion and reason
When it comes to buying, selling or renting a home, are women more influenced by emotional factors, cognitive ones, or a combination of both? Joana Resende, founder and CEO of the Century 21 Arquitectos Group, with extensive experience in the real estate market, believes that it is a combination of both, in a very conscious way.
“A woman projects herself into the house. She imagines the routine, the safety, the stability, the growth of the family. But at the same time, she does the math, compares locations, evaluates the potential for appreciation and measures the financial impact of the decision. It is not an impulsive choice. It is a considered decision where emotion and reason walk side by side,” she explains to idealista/news.
She clarifies that “many women make a very complete reading of the space.” They do not look only at the typology or the finishes. “They notice natural light, circulation, storage and proximity to schools and services. They can anticipate future needs and understand whether that home will still make sense five or ten years from now. Aesthetics are valued, but they are always linked to comfort and well-being. The home is seen as a space for living, not just as an asset,” she emphasizes.
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In the practice of real estate brokerage, she notes that “women have a great capacity to listen and read the client and quickly understand the real motivations behind each decision. They negotiate firmly but with balance. They create relationships of trust and accompany the process closely, something essential in a sector where we deal with important and often emotional decisions.”
Catarina Beato has been on both sides, as a seller and a buyer. And she has no doubts about what drives her when choosing the “right home.” As a buyer, it is emotion. “The energy I feel in a certain place. It is not something esoteric; it is the senses — the light, the smell. In this house where we now live, it was only a plot of land where I could imagine myself making pancakes for my children every morning. And even when everything went wrong I never stopped having that image, which today is a reality,” she says.
At the same time, the content creator believes that “there is no point in idealizing something without realism.” First, the price of the house. “If the price can be paid, then I analyze the rest. Then the location. Although there is no consensus in the family on that topic — I am more of a city person, that is the main factor. Then the question of space because we are many people and many animals,” she shares.
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In the role of seller, however, the decision was not easy. “It required a lot of therapy (and that is not a metaphor, it is literal). Selling a house forces me to process many times that memories live beyond places. Then there is always the fear of making a bad financial decision,” she recounts, admitting that she had to put reason first. “In the sale, fortunately guided by a friend and real estate consultant, only the market mattered. My emotions had to stay out of it. Even so, I included all the rituals necessary for my brain to accept the change,” she says.
Sofia Neves, in the role of tenant, says that when she rented a house in 2019, the location, near the center of Vila Nova de Famalicão, was the aspect she valued most so she could walk everywhere. “I felt it was the right house also because of the rent price and because it had an elevator. Today, I consider the option of buying a house, looking for properties well located, with a balcony, elevator and a parking space. I hope to find the ideal home in the city soon so that I can benefit from the IMT exemption intended for young people up to the age of 35,” she confesses.
There are also those who have changed their lives almost radically to fulfill the dream of owning a home. This is the case of Maria Ferreira, who works in an international technology company. After almost 10 years living in Greater Lisbon, she decided to move to the city where she was born, in the district of Coimbra. The motivations were several: not only to be able to buy a house but also to be closer to family and have a support network.
“I lived in several rented houses in Greater Lisbon, but rental prices started to become unaffordable. Buying a house there was also not an option, both because of the price and the need for financing, which would eliminate that possibility due to the effort rate. Moving in 2024 was a considered decision and possible because the company I work for allowed a hybrid working model,” she explains.
“In my city I found a new three-bedroom apartment at an affordable price, in a quiet area where I can walk and have access to several types of services. I am closer to family and, in the meantime, I had a son. Without a doubt, in choosing the house the price was decisive, but emotion had its share. We are far from the big urban centers, but we believe this is the right place to raise our baby, also because of the support network and new friendships we have built with this return to our roots,” she confesses.
Across the border, Cristina Duarte has no doubt that her feminine intuition marked the choice of the two homes she bought — first an apartment in central Lisbon to live alone, and later a house on the outskirts of Madrid to live with the family she later built. “In both cases, I felt at home as soon as I walked in, and I closed the deal in minutes — literally, it is not an exaggeration,” she shares.
However, the communications professional emphasizes that she did not make these decisions lightly or hastily: “Both house-hunting processes were long and even desperate at times. I researched a lot about the areas where I would like to live, carefully analyzed house prices both to buy at that moment and in case I might want to sell one day, studied mortgage offers, calculated my finances and made a list of the features and needs I had… which ended up adjusting as I visited house after house and, obviously, none met all the requirements.”
She says that when the “click” happened in her mind and she decided to move forward quickly, “it may seem like something impulsive, but in fact there was a very rational basis for those choices because of all the previous market research I had done, and this is what I most recommend to anyone going through this process.” In the words of this neurodivergent woman, “it was the brain allied with emotions that led me to these places to live which, although not perfect, gradually gained soul and became a home.” Spaces where identity was created through “a (almost) personal obsession with organization and cleanliness, along with a fascination with decoration that mixes styles and objects with memory.”
How the female brain feels and perceives space
According to the neuroarchitect, the so-called “invisible mental load” associated with household management “can be directly reflected in the way the brain processes space and may eventually transform the house into a constant operating system.” “The brain stops perceiving it as a space for rest and starts interpreting it as a center of continuous decisions,” she explains.
Moreover, “neuroscience shows that prolonged overload reduces the efficiency of executive functions and increases the baseline state of stress.” In this context, a disorganized, noisy domestic environment or one lacking differentiated zones can significantly increase cognitive demand.
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“The domestic load influences the restorative perception of the home and psychological state. Women with greater pressure report less relaxation time and higher overall stress, which directly influences the restorative perception of the domestic environment (Hartig et al., 1998). In addition, research on parental restoration shows that factors such as family responsibilities and work deeply influence the capacity for psychological recovery within the home (Hata et al., 2014),” she explains, citing several examples and studies.
For Teresa Ribeiro, the experience of the home is not only a psychological matter, it is a neurocognitive one. “A house can be physically comfortable and neurologically demanding at the same time. Architecture can reduce or amplify that load,” she argues.
This is confirmed by graphic designer Madalena Freitas from her personal experience. “My home has to function almost as a counterpoint to my inner world. I am a somewhat disorganized person and with a lot of ‘noise’ inside me (perhaps a trait common to all artists) and therefore I need the space where I live to give me calm in return. I like clean walls, lots of light, an organized, airy and minimalist space.”
Designing homes that help the brain rest
According to the neuroarchitect, some studies indicate that, as inhabitants, women tend to show greater sensitivity to factors such as privacy, lighting, ventilation, functional organization and sense of security. In certain contexts, they also show greater physiological activation in environments perceived as demanding or difficult to control.
However, she emphasizes, “these differences are not universal nor biologically deterministic.” “They vary significantly depending on the level of social equality and the division of domestic responsibilities. Studies carried out in Nordic countries, for example, did not identify statistically relevant differences in satisfaction with the indoor environment between women and men (Psomas et al., 2024), suggesting that cultural factors play a decisive role,” the specialist says.
Teresa Ribeiro also explains that when we analyze the role of the home we realize that it is a “neurophysiological ecosystem,” and that designing for mental, physical, emotional and social health is imperative.
“The house and the brain merge: the house becomes a metaphor for the female inner world,” says artist Madalena Freitas, author of the illustration created specifically for this article. Sharing her creative process, the graphic designer says she started from the idea of the brain as an inner house.
“The miniature figure represents the capacity — and the need — for self-observation. She climbs a ladder to look inside her own brain, as a visual metaphor for female introspection. Each window represents a memory, an emotion, a concern, an expectation, a part of identity,” she explains.
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“A restorative home is made up of zones with distinct sensory identities and intuitive readability, for example entrance/transition, social area, focus area (remote work/study), rest area. This reduces constant ‘micro-decisions’ (cognitive load) and improves the sense of control. The brain needs clear ‘maps’ of different zones that must be perceptibly differentiated. This clarity reduces micro-decisions and continuous cognitive fatigue,” she explains.
Therefore, she says, “designing a home that helps the brain rest means combining natural light, biophilia, spatial coherence, acoustics, generative materials and opportunities for social interaction to create environments that restore attention, reduce stress and promote health. The application of neuroarchitecture is to transform the home into a health environment, which has different implications depending on gender, stage of life and how we use space.”
Spatial predictability is also crucial. “Research in neuroscience shows that the brain reacts negatively to constant uncertainty. Ambiguous, disorganized environments or those with unintuitive circulation (wayfinding) require greater cognitive processing and maintain high levels of vigilance. On the other hand, spaces with clear hierarchy and balanced proportions reduce environmental micro-tensions and facilitate self-regulation,” she adds.
Guide to a “happy home”
In this interview with idealista/news, the neuroarchitecture specialist also presents a kind of guide for designing homes that promote well-being:
Research shows that curved contours tend to be evaluated as more pleasant and less stressful than angular contours. In a study with photorealistic environments, images with curves received better “rest” ratings and lower stress ratings, and there was a stronger aesthetic preference for curves among women (Tawil et al., 2022).
Views of plants, patios, internal gardens or access to balconies with vegetation slow down the stress response, reducing cortisol and improving restored attention, which is crucial for those who work from home, take care of the house and children, and alternate constant cognitive demands.
Likewise, the home is no longer mono-functional and acoustics related to remote work have become one of the biggest determinants of focus, performance and well-being. A specific study on soundscapes in telework and relaxation shows that the perception of acoustic comfort drops significantly during work tasks and that noise from neighbors has a particularly negative impact on the adequacy of sound for work. In terms of mental health, noise (especially from neighbors) is associated with worse psychological well-being.
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Natural light regulates not only our circadian cycle (sleep, mood, energy) but also activates brain networks linked to well-being (serotonin). Homes that maximize morning light and allow light control at night create physiological states of alertness and relaxation at the right times.
Indoor air quality, humidity and temperature (the body decides before the mind) also have a significant impact on spatial experience. The brain “reads” comfort first through the body, through breathing, temperature and smells. The WHO has gathered strong evidence that humidity and mold are associated with physical and mental health problems, reinforcing that indoor air quality is a determining factor for well-being in housing.
Natural materials, texture, color and visual load (less stimulus does not mean less quality) — reducing “noise” and increasing sensory coherence improves the restorative qualities of space. Tactile surfaces, soft tones and materials that evoke nature reduce emotional tension and increase positive sensory connection, making a decisive contribution to emotional “homeostasis.”
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To conclude, Teresa Ribeiro emphasizes the importance of highlighting that the home is also a place of social exchange, family and friends. “A restorative home is not only private in nature; it must also acquire characteristics that support social bonds. Spaces that facilitate encounters, sharing and belonging — the sofa next to a window, the inviting kitchen, the patio where one can grow food or talk at dusk — are just as essential as areas of silence and rest,” she concludes.