Extra Thoughts on Identity Through Possessions

According to Lawrence, house forms, interior decorations and personal possessions are mediums enabling people to articulate their interpretations of their identity and how they relate to others in the same household and to friends and strangers.  If this is true, how then does a blind-person perceive these interpretations?  Furthermore, how would a blind person’s home have been utilized to show his/her visitors their identity through their personal possessions, etc.? Would there be any significant difference?  Would a blind person rely on their other senses to draw information about a particular person – what they hear, smell, and taste would be the information they digested about their identity.  And, if that is the case, would they rely on those senses to help convey their identity to visitors of their own home?  Instead of making sure they had a wonderful arrangement of photographs on their wall, for instance, would they instead rely on fragrant flowers?

Sources:

Lawrence, R.J. (1987). Social, Spatial and Temporal Factors.  In M. Taylor and J. Preston (Eds.) (2006) Intimus: Interior Design Theory Reader. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Click image to reach source.

Filed under: Theory, object attachment, object meaning, possessions, the value of things

Place Attachment and the Value of Things

During class today two of my classmates presented on the topic of Place Attachment and the Value of Things.  It was an intriguing presentation and I really enjoyed our class discussion today.

According to our lesson, place attachment “is a set of feelings about a geographic location that emotionally binds a person to that place as a function of its role as a setting for experience.” Many of us are attached to places that have meaning to us.   Some of my places, past and present, for example are my parent’s home in Augusta, GA, the dogwood tree in the front yard that I could be found in almost every single day until the sun came down, and the back bar of my favorite pub.

Factors of Place Attachment:

• Time spent in the space with family/friends
• Familiarity (ex. finding light switches in the dark; it’s second nature)
• Routines and Rituals anchors people to their environments.
• Privacy allows us to be at ease
• Territoriality provides freedom for expression
• Personalization allows us to express our own style
• Possessions represent memories and can provide a sense of belonging

Do any of you have a routine unique to a certain place? Where I’m currently living temporarily, I have a few small routines.  For example, when I come home… I unlock the door, immediately place my keys in the basket right next to the door, close the door behind me and lock it. Then I take my purse or bag and place it on the same chair in the dining area.  After I do this, I walk towards the back of the condo, taking my coat off if I am wearing one and if I am I lay it on the bed, and then I come back to the front of the condo to get a drink from the kitchen.  I’ve noticed this that I usually do this without fail.  I imagine once I move into a place of my own that I will develop stronger routines – I will also have the benefit of several other factors!

Object attachment is an emotional attachment to someone or something in the environment.  Objects can have no meaning to somebody and be very meaningful to another.  Objects obtain meaning by several means including acquiring (a gift), associating (it’s associated with a person, place, event, etc.), perceiving, making,and self-presenting.  It’s interesting to note that possessions are not only utilitarian but are also a means of communication with oneself or others because they can convey information.  This information may be read as either positive or negative.  House forms, interior decoration and personal possessions are mediums enabling people to articulate their interpretation of their identity.

And what’s with the picture from Pixar’s movie “Up?” Well, during class today we watched a small clip from the movie that helped reinforce what we learned about the factors of place attachment.  It was so interesting to see it included in the movie – it was also torturous, too, because I’ve never seen the whole movie.  I plan to rent it very soon though!

Sources:

Caplan, R. (2005) The Way Things Mean. By Design: Why there are no locks on the bathroom doors in the Hotel Louis XIV and other object lessons, 2nd Edition. New York: Fairchild Publications. 51-79.

Herring-Dar, B. (1993) A Preliminary Study of the Process of Object Meaning, EDRA 24 Proceedings. Edmonton, OK: Environmental Design Research Association.

Lawrence, R.J. (1987). Social, Spatial and Temporal Factors. In M. Taylor and J. Preston (Eds.) (2006) Intimus: Interior Design Theory Reader. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Up movie (image)

Filed under: Theory, interior design, object attachment, object meaning, place attachment, possessions, the value of things

Gaia Theory and Mathematical Theories

Gaia Theory was created by James Lovelock in 1972. Lovelock’s idea was named by his neighbour, the novelist William Golding, after the Greek Earth Goddess.   The idea that Earth was alive gained special resonance after the 1960s when space flights allowed Earth to be viewed as a complete entity for the first time.  The theory suggests a holistic view of the world, where all life on Earth interacts with the physical environment to form a complex system that can be thought of as a single super-organism.

Overall, the Gaia Theory is a compelling new way of understanding life on our planet. It argues that we are far more than just the “Third Rock from the Sun,” situated precariously between freezing and burning up. The theory asserts that living organisms and their inorganic surroundings have evolved together as a single living system that greatly affects the chemistry and conditions of Earth’s surface. Some scientists believe that this “Gaian system” self-regulates global temperature, atmospheric content, ocean salinity, and other factors in an “automatic” manner. Earth’s living system appears to keep conditions on our planet just right for life to persist!

Fractals and Architecture

Until a short time ago scientists described nature through so called “smooth” continuous mathematics, which is the mathematics of smooth forms such as lines, curves and planes and which is expressed in the language of Euclidean geometry. The “new” science of complexity does not try to simulate any more the rugged character of nature through smooth forms but it deals with the raggedness of the structure itself – this field of mathematics is expressed in the language of fractal geometry: “The whole is more than its parts.”

Architectural composition is concerned with the progression of interesting forms from the distant view of the facade to the intimate details. As one approaches and enters a building, there should be another smaller scale, interesting detail that expresses the overall intent of the composition, which is the fractal conception. Thus fractal geometry is the formal study of this progression of self-similar detail from large to small scales.

Source:

The Gaia Theory <http://www.gaiatheory.org/index.html&gt;

Making the Modern World <http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/stories/the_age_of_ambivalence/02.ST.06/?scene=3&gt;

Fractals and Fractal Architecture <http://www.iemar.tuwien.ac.at/fractal_architecture/subpages/05Architecture.html&gt;

Filed under: Theory, Fractals in Architecture, Gaia Philosophies, gaia theory, Mathematical Theories

Ecological & Restorative Theory

For class, my classmate Ashley and I partnered up to discuss Ecological and Restorative Theory.  I was happy to present on the topic because I honestly didn’t know much about it.  I’d like to present some of the topics we presented to our class and what I found particularly interesting.

Despite the fact that we are facing increasing environmental problems, we continue to behave in ways that are damaging to our own health and to the planet.  It is argued by many that our disconnection with the natural world may be contributing to our planet’s destruction. Global warming, pollution, species extinction and other environmental problems do not just happen.  Arguments of Global Warming aside, the point is this: human beings release chemicals into the land, air, and water every minute of the day and most of us do it without any thought of possible consequences.

The fact that people do not always behave environmentally does not necessarily mean they are not concerned. Although many people are aware of and care about environmental problems, this just isn’t always reflected in their behavior.  In an effort to understand this discrepancy, psychologists have examined the…

• Motivation,
• Attitudes
• Values
• and Beliefs

…of why some people engage in environmentally responsible behavior and why others do not.

Arguments exist stating that humans possess an innate need to affiliate with other living things. The biophilia hypothesis attempts to explain the human desire to relate to the natural environment. Humans began living in cities, separated from the natural world, relatively late in our history.  It is considered unlikely that we have erased all the learning about nature’s value embedded in our biology.  Evidence of the biophilia hypothesis lies in the popularity of outdoor wilderness activities and our fondness for natural scenery. Despite this evident attraction, there is considerable variability in the extent to which individuals are drawn to nature.

The understanding of our interconnectedness with the earth and sense of inclusion in nature is often referred to as our ecological identity or ecological self.  The easiest way to explain this is that damage to the planet is seen as damage to the self.

The Importance of Nature

Benefits of nature date back centuries and crosses all cultures.  The use of nature as a healing mechanism has only recently been applied to the healthcare environment because healthcare is becoming much more patient centered.  Researchers have discovered that environmental features can play a significant role in health outcomes by:

• Reducing anxiety
• Lowering blood pressure
• Lessening pain
• Shortening hospital stays

Ecological restorative theory is an emerging study, so researchers are searching for sound and credible information that proves gardens as an efficient and cost effective way to improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction.  However, it is believed that nature helps health outcomes by providing restoration from stress.  Stress is typically an outcome itself and can affect other outcomes as well.

Unfortunately, stress is considered a major problem in healthcare.  Patients, visitors and staff can all suffer from stress, sometimes due to the physical environment itself.  Hospitals are usually thought of as uncomfortable and unpleasant, which can add additional stress.  How many of you feel that hospitals are unpleasant?  I’ll admit that I typically find the environment within a hospital uncomfortable and bland aesthetically.  Typically I’m overwhelmed by how dreary and dated the environment feels… and that only makes me want to get out of there as soon as possible!

Sources:

Dancoff, J. (2000) Healthy Seniors: Gardening for Health. Retrieved from <http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/1738.50891&gt;

Marcus, C. C., Barnes, M., & Ulrich, R. (1999). Effects of Gardens on Health Outcomes: Theory and Research. In Healing gardens. John Wiley and Sons.

Nisbet, Elizabeth K., John M. Zelenski, and Steven A. Murphy. “The Nature Relatedness Scale: Linking Individuals’ Connection With Nature to Environmental Concern and Behavior.” Environment and Behavior 41.5 (2008): 715-40. SAGE Publications. Web. <http://online.sagepub.com&gt;.

Zeisel, John. “Treatment Effects of Healing Gardens for Alzheimer’s: A Difficult Thing to Prove.” Edinburgh Garden Paper: 1-6. Print.

Filed under: Environment, Theory, Architecture, biophilia hypothesis, ecological theory, healing gardens, interior design, landscape design, restorative theory

Community, Interaction, and Gathering Spaces

Truth be told that I didn’t really know much about Social Justice before covering it in our class.  I found the topic really interesting and thought Ashley and Ashley (yes, there’s two of them!) did a good job presenting the topic.

Defining Social Theory

Social theory is the use of a theoretical framework to study and interpret social phenomena and social relationships.  Social justice and interior design focuses on the ways in which social exclusions are performed in relationship to the built environment and works to create interior spaces that enhance the qualities of spatial experience for all people.

Incorporating social justice into the design process may seem like one more item on an already lengthy to-do list, but the reality is that most projects already involve social components.  Accomplishing social justice isn’t a matter of changing everything about a design but rather adjusting the way we look at the design decisions we make.

Ways to incorporate Social Justice into Interior Design

• Getting the community’s opinion
• Choosing the right location
• Considering the physical form and shape of the building
• Considering exterior elements added (tree, benches, etc.)
• Specifying sustainable materials with social equity values
• Building the project and increasing local jobs

I found it really interesting that in American culture, in contrast to European culture, does not emphasize community.  I’ve never really noticed before, but after thinking on it for a little bit, I think that that’s a fairly accurate statement.  Evidence is cited in our new urban developments and suburbs that are fragmented and disconnected from our neighbors and the the rest of the community.  “Suburban dwellers are bored, isolated, preoccupied with material things: large homes, yards, and cars.”

One solution is the Third Place (something Starbucks strives to be for almost every human being it seems).  These places support and provide for social interaction and celebration of community – which is considered an integral part o a healthy and full life.

Sources:

McMillan, D., & Chavis, D. (1986). Sense of Community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14 (1), 6-23.

Oldenburg, R., & Ph.D, R.O. (1999). The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community (3rd ed.). Da Capo Press.

Sarason, S.B. (1974). Psychological Sense of Community: Prospects for a Community Psychology. Proquest Info & Learning.

Filed under: Theory, community, gathering spaces, interior design, social justice

Applying Queer Theory + Feminist Theory to Environments

Queer Theory is relatively new (within the past 20 years or so) and, in my opinion, quite the complex subject. What I basically gathered from our readings in class is that we don’t fully know what queer theory is.  As designers we understand that it these difference make an impact on how a person perceives an environment, but there isn’t a pattern or prescriptive design titled “queer” because it doesn’t exist (nor should it).

“Queer theory is a set of ideas based around the idea that identities are not fixed and do not determine who we are. It suggests that it is meaningless to talk in general about ‘women’ or any other group, as identities consist of so many elements that to assume that people can be seen collectively on the basis of one shared characteristic is wrong. Indeed, it proposes that we deliberately challenge all notions of fixed identity, in varied and non-predictable ways.”

The appeal of “queer theory” has outstripped anyone’s sense of what exactly it means.  The term “queer” focuses on mismatches between sex, gender and desire.  Institutionally, queer has been associated with most prominently with lesbian and gay subjects, but its analytic framework also includes such topics as cross-dressing, hermaphroditism, gender ambiguity and gender-corrective surgery.

“Queer is always an identity under construction, a site of permanent becoming: utopic in its negativity, queer theory curves endlessly toward a realization that its realization remains impossible…. Queer is not outside the magnetic field of identity.  Like some postmodern architecture, it turns identity inside out, and displays its supports exoskeletally.” (Jagose 1996)

(Pompidou)

We can no longer says that women need “x,y,z” and men need “1,2,3” – there are no rules.  Our designs should be based off of user-based needs which are unique to each individual.

Sources:

Agrest, D.; Conway, P.; and Weisman, L.K. (1996) Introduction. The Sex of Architecture. New York: Harry Abrams. 11-13.

Jagose, A. (1996) Queer Theory. Australian Humanities Review. Retrieved from http://www.australianhumanitiesreview.org/archive/Issue-Dec-1996/jagose.html

Filed under: Theory, feminist, gay, homosexual, interior design, lesbian, queer theory

Cultural Approaches to Environmental Design

What is culture?

Culture is a term used by social scientists to describe a people’s whole way of life.  To social scientists a people’s culture consists of all the ideas, objects, and ways of doing things created by the group.  Culture consists of learned ways of acting, feeling, and thinking, rather than biologically determined ways.

Cultural Studies of Space

Consider types of environments.  The examples used are usually of housing (in the broad sense of systems of settings for living, including neighborhoods, their urban spaces, other setting types, etc.).   This is because the role of culture there is particularly strong.  Moreover, a large number of these examples tend to be of traditional and vernacular where the role of culture is stronger still.  In this sense, these become model systems for studying culture-environment interaction.

But does culture play a potential role in other types of environments, i.e. the non-residential environment?  In the case of universities, airports, scientific laboratories or even office buildings, the role of culture may be minimal or even non-existent.  According to Amos Rapoport, this raises another issue.  If, for some reason, one wants non-residential environments to express cultural identity, what physical elements would do so?

In non-residential environments, culture plays less of an important role in design.  Whereas in residential environments, culture becomes increasingly more important as the environment becomes more intimate.

“Travel, for me, is an adventure,” Wolf says. “I like very primitive places, I love the sense of exploring cultures that are very different from ours. It’s a way that I have expanded my vision of design by experiencing and understanding how other people live and communicating with them. If you don’t know or you haven’t experienced something, it’s difficult to work with materials and items that have come from those places. It’s very foreign because you don’t feel the dirt, you don’t feel its origin. You have to be immersed  in the culture so you can add to your personality, your range of vision.”

There is another statement that interior designer Vicente Wolf made once about his inspiration for his interiors. He remarked that he wasn’t inspired by cities from all over the world, with globalization in place, he said, “they all look the same.”

Is it possible that culture is disappearing?  During class we discussed several reasons why and how this could be possible.  First,the modern architecture movement brought interiors and buildings that embraced the removal of ornament and detail in favor of a stark aesthetic.  My classmate, Ashley, says it really well in her journal entry:

“Color, a large communicator of culture was also removed, in place of white, which spoke of order and cleanliness. Culture was replaced with the International Style, a modern style of architecture which could be found anywhere, as it speaks of no particular culture or style, which it was said to transcend. Though this stark modern style did not take over, many elements of this style still exist today. It supplies somewhat of a blank canvas, appealing to all, as it speaks of none in particular; a removal of cultural identity.”

Second, we travel much more than we used to and are able to easily move from place to place.  As a result, cultures have begun to merge or blend together – a prime example of this is the United States of America long nicknamed “the melting pot” because of the many varieties of cultures that exist here.  However, some say that the USofA, in fact, has no culture.

Sources:

Vicente Wolf Quote found here.

Day, K. and Cohen, U. (2000, May) The Role of Culture in Designing Environments for People with Dementia: A Study of Russian Jewish Immigrants. Environment and Behavior, 23 (3), 361-400.

Pultar, M. (1997) A Structured Approach to Cultural Studies of Architectural Space.  In S.M. Unugur, O. Hacihasanoglu and H. Turgut, Eds. Culture and Space in the Home Environment: Critical Evaluations and New Paradigms. Istanbul: Istanbul Technical University, 27-32.

Rapoport, A. (2008, March) Some Further Thoughts on Culture and Environment. Archnet-IJAR, International Journal of Architectural Research (2) 1: 16-39.

Filed under: Theory, Architecture, culture, interior design, vicente wolf

Proxemics, Personal Space and Territory

[To Enlarge Image: Right Click + View Image]

Proxemics

I’ve always found the study of proxemics rather interesting.  The idea that body spacing and posture acting as unintentional reactions to sensory fluctuations or shifts is intriguing from a design standpoint. According to Edward T. Hall, the man who coined the term “proxemics,” social distance between people is reliably correlated with physical distance, as are intimate and personal distance, according to the following delineations:

• Intimate distance for embracing, touching or whispering ranges anywhere between 6 to 18 inches or even closer.

• Personal distance for interactions among good friends or family memebers ranges anywhere from 1.5 feet to 4 feet.

• Social distance for interactions among acquaintances ranges anywhere from 4 to 12 feet.

• Public distance used for public speaking ranges anywhere from 12 to 25 feet.

However, it’s important to note that different cultures maintain different standards of personal space. Comfortable personal distances depend not only on culture, but also the social situation, gender, and individual preference.  Realizing and recognizing these cultural differences improves cross-cultural understanding, and helps eliminate discomfort people may feel if the interpersonal distance is too large (“stand-offish”) or too small (intrusive).

Personal Space

Personal Space should not be confused with personalization, which is the marking of places.  Personal space changes depending on culture, upbringing, relationship to the individual and expectations.  Essentially, we have an invisible boundary that allows us to be comfortable because intruders may not enter.  Oftentimes this invisible boundary is perceived to be similar to an aura, but it’s not necessarily spherical in shape, nor does it extend equally in all directions. (Which makes perfect sense when you think about it.)

Territory

Human beings are territorial animals and like to protect and control their space. Have you ever felt angry when you re-entered a room and found “your” seat taken by someone else? Have you felt offended when a relative or friend entered your room without knocking or when you discovered them pawing through your cabinets? The territories we stake a claim to  give us a sense of permanence and control. When that territory is invaded without permission, feelings of loss and anger are typically the result. People value their privacy and personal territory.  I don’t know about you, but if I were to find someone going through my desk, I’d freak out.  Depending on the situation, I may be angry, frustrated, or even hurt that my privacy was invaded.  Also, I do get annoyed when some takes “my seat” when I only left for a few minutes to throw something away or use the restroom.

The 4 Basic Characteristics of Territory include:

1. The ownership or of rights to a place
2. Personalization – the marking of an area; through photographs or objects
3. The right to defend against intrusion
4. The service of several functions ranging from the meeting of physiological needs

For us, territorial control is important because it fulfills several basic human needs: identity, stimulation, security, and provides a frame of reference.

– – – – – – – – –

Also, on a side note, with all this talk about proxemics I have “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” by The Police stuck in my head!

Sources:

Lang, J. (1987). Privacy, Territoriality and Personal Space – Proxemic Thoery.  Creating Architectural Theory: The role of the behavioral sciences in design.  New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. 145-156.

Wikipedia

[Image: Wikipedia]

Filed under: Environment, Theory, defensible space, interior design, privacy, territoriality

Evironmental Perception and Cognition: Cognitive Maps

Until this class I hadn’t put much thought on the subject of Cognitive Mapping, but now I realize how interesting it really is.  According to Jon Lang in Cognitive Maps and Spatial Behavior, “people’s spatial behavior depends partially on the images they have of the structure of the environment.”  Lang goes on to say that cognitive maps are a method we use to construct and accumulate spatial knowledge, allowing the “mind’s eye” to visualize images.  This is extremely useful in recall and the learning of information.

Through cognitive mapping, we acquire, code, store, recall and decode information about our physical environment.  The images so formed include elements obtained from direct experience, from what one has heard about a place, and from imagined information.  They included impressions about the structure or appearance of a place, its relative location, its use, and its values.

Just as we are all different people, we each structure the environment differently.   For instance, some people perceive themselves as the center of the universe, some people give directions with reference to the cardinal points of the compass and some may orient themselves with reference to their home territories (much like the picture above).

For example, when people draw the city as they remember it, they’ll piece together how they perceive space. Particularly when thinking about urban planning, and what makes a good landmark, edge, or paths, these kinds of maps can be really interesting. Think for a moment: what are the landmarks in your life? When you give directions, what do you remember?Do you think the distance from Midtown Altanta to Buckhead is really far, or really close? Maybe certain areas on your “mental map” are larger than other because you spend so much time there and you are more familiar with it.

Source: Lang, Jon (1987) Cognitive Maps and Spatial Behavior. In Jon Lang, ed. Creating Architectural Theory: The Role of the Behavioral Sciences in Environmental Design. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. p135-144.

[Image: Children’s Views of Tukwila]

Filed under: Environment, Theory, cognitive map, cognitive mapping, spatial behavior

Phenom-what? Phenomenology?

I confess that when I first read the word “phenomenology” I glazed over a bit.

“Yikes!” I thought,”…that‘s a big word.”

Even after dutifully reading my assignment, I’m sad to say I wasn’t any less confused.  For me, phenomenology started as one of those things that go in one ear and out the other.  Take the definition of phenomenology itself for example:

“Phenomenology is a philosophical doctrine proposed by Edmund Husserl based on the study of human experience in which considerations of objective reality are not taken into account.  It is based on the premise that reality consists of objects and events as they are perceived or understood in human consciousness and not of anything independent of human consciousness.”

See what I’m talking about? That was a lot of information, huh? Maybe you glazed over a little bit, maybe you got confused, or maybe you understood every word.  Phenomenology is a complex subject, especially for someone who’s never seen the word before (like me).  Let’s break it down so we can make sense of it and absorb it.  Hopefully I can grab your attention, because I’ve learned Phenomenology is actually quite interesting!

Phenomenology:

• A phenomenon is an observable event; it is not abstract.  Let’s use my professor’s example of numbers.  Can we observe numbers?  If I have 4 apples sitting on my desk, am I seeing apples? Or am I seeing 4?  No, I am only seeing apples.
• It’s about description more than it’s about explanation
• Epoché – approaching an investigation without preconceived assumptions. Describes the theoretical moment where all judgments about the existence of the external world, and consequently all action in the world, are suspended.
• Phenomenology is concerned with self-identity.

Phenomenlogy is important to interior design because as designers we often assume how people are experiencing, or will experience, a space.  Instead, we should ask our clients questions about their experiences and design with this information in hand.

I feel these videos really shine a light on the topic.  We watched them in class and they worked wonders with helping me wrap my brain around the concept.  Perhaps they will help you, too!

The Phenomenological Perspective (Part 1)

The Phenomenological Perspective (Part 2)

Internet Sources:

Answers.com

Phenomenology Word Net

Wikipedia

You Tube Videos

Additional Sources:

Seamon, D. (1987) Phenomenology and Environment-Behavior Research. In E.H. Zube and G.T. Moore (Eds.) Advances in Environment, Behavior and Design, Volume 1. New York: Plenum.

Filed under: Theory, interior design, Phenomenology