Phenomenology is the philosophical study of the structures of consciousness from a first-person perspective. In terms of architecture and design, phenomenology is the study and exploration of the physical experience of buildings, building material, and their sensory properties.

The phenomenology of architecture is the philosophical study of architecture. In contrast, architectural phenomenology is a movement within architecture beginning in the 1950s, reaching a wide audience in the late 1970s and 1980s, and continuing until today.