Aye, this was a question raised on another forum, some time ago, and my thoughts. Whether 'Passive House Design should or would spawn spatially exciting architecture?' To my mind passive house design can end up with too much glass, which seems to be trend in new houses. That in itself provoked an inconclusive discussion, mainly based on heat loss versus heat gain...To be honest the jury seemed to be out on that one, without active participation of occupants to open and close external shutters and the attempt to store heat gain in the heavy structure. A digression from spatial interest I know.

Anyway it did get me thinking about the whole notion of 'Spatial Interest and Excitement...well does it give pleasure and make you smile'

It does open up a vast area for discussion as, perhaps, why all buildings, to a lesser or greater degree, aren't spatially exciting. Plainly there is the impact of walking through a small door into a vast, decorated Cathedral or Minster, or the main stair of St Pancras Chambers, which is awe inspiring...All the senses are bombarded at once. As I haven't written a book on the subject (yet) I'll leave you to ponder on that one. Similarly, a concert hall or theatre can have that effect, especially some of the twentieth century ones: I'm thinking of the Berlin Philharmonie  by Hans Scharoun (Post second World War), which appears to have an extra dimension in that the interior is impossible to understand or photograph...Acoustically it is reputed to be one of the finest in the world.

However, these examples are rather a long way from domestic expectations.

I cited, in said forum, the Petersham Nurseries near Richmond in Surrey, which are a surprise and a delight...an expensive culinary delight but a delight none the less. They are just normal timber commercial greenhouses, still selling plants, but also serving as a restaurant. As you can imagine, glare and overheating can be an issue (I guess the place is heated with large blow heaters or gas radiants) so the roof and side walls are randomly shaded with rush matting, and climbers, all with a sort of post-hippy relaxed ease. Marvellous. I may say that the place is also full of distressed  furniture and assorted paintings, rusting urns and statuary; but it works: Walking in through the small door is as delightful and surprising as a visit to Durham Cathedral and the Berlin Philharmonie.

Full of digressions I know but there is a lesson from Petersham: from the outside it's just a dilapidated greenhouse, the Philharmonie hall from the outside is frankly unusual, and some might say somewhat ungainly, (though 40+ years ahead of its time in that respect!...getting architecturally controversial there, but that's just fashion and expectations, and it was fittingly designed from the inside out according to acoustic needs.

As someone on the other forum said, any spatial excitement, at least in 20th buildings, will come entirely from the people who want it. as in any house, if you put your mind to it! Of course it may just come from decoration, but I think that the control of light and shade, surface finish, glimpses to other ares and activities, vistas and awareness of the senses, will all naturally, and by design, work towards a fascinating goal...of course it may be like a model railways, it's never really finished!