Anja Humljan is an architect, artist, and sensory strategist whose work explores how architecture shapes emotion, behaviour, and wellbeing through the senses. She is the founder of Return to Senses, a design methodology for creating spaces and brands that foster emotional connection and embodied presence. Her artistic work, The Urban Yoga, has been exhibited internationally and featured in over 250 media outlets across 50 countries.
Together with Danish colleagues, she co-created an interactive pavilion exhibited at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Anja has served as Academic Fellow at the National University of Singapore School of Medicine, linking architecture, neuroscience, and wellbeing. She has delivered keynotes at international design conventions, including the India Interior Design Convention for 1,000+ attendees. Working between Europe and Asia, her cross-disciplinary practice integrates art, science, and sensory design to create environments that restore calm, clarity, and connection.
Arwards:
I view architecture as an instrument for emotional connection — a way to shape atmospheres that people not only see but feel. My work explores how sensory intelligence—sound, light, scent, texture, and movement—can create spaces that help the body exhale and the mind find clarity.
As founder of Return to Senses, I develop sensory strategies for brands, hospitality, and wellness environments that seek to engage people on a deeper, more instinctive level. Through architecture, art, and embodied practice, I translate the invisible — emotion, sensation and rhythm— into spatial form.
My practice bridges neuroscience, mindfulness, and design to restore presence and belonging in a world that often moves too fast. Whether through spatial consulting, brand storytelling, or fine-art photography, I aim to create atmospheres that evoke calm, connection, and trust — spaces that feel as good as they look.
Previously an Academic Fellow at the National University of Singapore School of Medicine, I worked between Europe and Asia on projects linking architecture and wellbeing. I am also the creator of The Urban Yoga, a globally exhibited art series that explores the relationship between the human body and the built environment.
When not creating, I dance ballet — returning to the embodied joy I design for.
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