Julio Bermudez: Building for Transcendence

Julio is president of the Architecture, Culture and Spirituality Forum, that he cofounded in 2007. His interests focus on the relationship between architecture, culture, and spirituality through the lens of phenomenology and neuroscience. Julio has widely lectured, led symposia, taught, published, or appeared in the media covering these areas. Current projects include three neuro-phenomenological studies of sacred vs. secular architecture. He has received several national and international recognitions.

​In this conversation, Julio and I look at how sacred spaces are designed to evoke transcendental experiences. We discuss various architectural principles that contribute to the creation of these spaces, the scientific studies that analyze human responses to sacred architecture, and the differences between Catholic and Protestant church designs. Our talk also covered the importance of community in church architecture and the tension between modern and traditional forms of church architecture. Additionally, we considered the challenges posed by consumerism on the design of contemporary worship environments.