Your Building Might Look Beautiful — But Does It Actually Make You Feel Good? — Episode 159 with Eliza Engle
In this episode of Better Buildings for Humans, host Joe Menchefski sits down with architect Eliza Engle of MTFA Architecture for a fascinating conversation about how the spaces we inhabit influence our comfort, emotions, and overall well-being. With a background in sociology, mental health, and sustainable architecture, Eliza brings a uniquely human perspective to design—one that looks beyond aesthetics to consider how buildings make people feel and how thoughtful design can support healthier, more comfortable everyday experiences.
The conversation explores the connection between architecture and emotional well-being, including how temperature, acoustics, lighting, materials, and colour can influence our experience of a space. Joe and Eliza discuss why some environments leave us feeling stressed or uncomfortable while others create an almost immediate sense of calm. They also examine the importance of designing for different human needs and why the smallest details can sometimes have the greatest impact on how people experience a building.
Joe and Eliza also dig into trauma-informed design, exploring Eliza's work on a juvenile and domestic relations courtroom designed to create a more welcoming and supportive environment for people navigating difficult circumstances. From softer materials and calming colours to acoustics, daylight, and thoughtfully designed spaces for children, the project raises interesting questions about how architecture can change the experience of traditionally intimidating environments. Along the way, they discuss sustainable materials, healthy building practices, and the subtle design decisions that can make a space feel truly special.
Ultimately, the episode challenges the idea that great architecture is defined primarily by appearance. Eliza shares her perspective on creating spaces that respond to people's needs, including those they may not even know how to articulate. It's a conversation about comfort, empathy, sustainability, and the often-invisible qualities that turn an ordinary building into a place people genuinely enjoy being in.
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More About Eliza Engle
Eliza brings her light and a smile to all her projects, along with her over 25 years of experience in a wide variety of project types and clients. She enjoys taking projects from inception (interview) to fruition (construction administration)—learning and teaching along the way. Managing various architectural project types for government, institutional, and commercial clients—and providing personalized client services to meet and exceed their needs—is her idea of fun. She works collaboratively with clients, consultants, and colleagues to design solutions to architectural problems while creating high-performing, healthy, and sustainable environments to work, play, and grow; she creates communities of the future one project at a time. Eliza serves as the Political Action Committee trustee chair for AIA Virginia.
Eliza lives in Del Ray with her architect husband and very artistic son, volunteering with the Boy Scout troop. When there is time, she likes training for Aqua Bikes, baking, and making mosaics.
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