alt Hacker NewsCognitive Architecture by Ann Sussman is probably the best single book about this topic that I've found.
You may find this lecture of interest. I'm sorry I don't have anything shorter to read offhand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPjezxPl3FA
-edit- This might get you closer though to the general theory:
https://asla-ncc.org/the-built-environment-impacts-our-healt...
Thank you! I read the article in your edit, and the point about symmetry seems unrelated to the rest of the article, and doesn't mention any science. I'll have to research further.
Intuitively it doesn't resonate with me. The environment humans evolved in (the natural world) doesn't have much of anything symmetrical, unless it was built by humans.