Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture

336 Pages·2009·4.38 MB·English

by  Sally Augustin

Table of Contents
Cover
Title
Copyright
Dedication
FOREWORD
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
1: OVERVIEW OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPERIENCE OF SPACE
PLAN OF THE BOOK
APPLYING PLACE SCIENCE
2: FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR PHYSICAL WORLD
PLACE SCIENCE IN ACTION
SOUVENIRS FROM OUR LIVES ON THE SAVANNA
DESIGN EXPERIENCE AND RESPONSES TO PLACES
3: BASIC HUMAN NEEDS SATISFIED THROUGH PLACE DESIGN
4: UNIVERSAL FEATURES OF WELL-DESIGNED SPACES
COMPLYING
COMMUNICATING
COMFORTING
CHALLENGING
CONTINUING
5: EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE RESPONSES TO SENSORY INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
SMELLING: MAGICAL, MYSTERIOUS, AND POWERFUL
HEARING: PRIMAL, DEPENDABLE, AND ENDURING
SEEING: VITAL, FOCAL, AND INFLUENTIAL
TOUCHING: SUBTLE, SENSUAL, AND UNDENIABLE
TASTING
FUTURE SENSATIONS
CONCLUSION
6: HUMANRE ACTIONS TO STATIC ELEMENTS
ENTRYWAYS
CEILINGS
SEAT PLACEMENT
PERSONAL SPACE
SEENOR NOT SEEN
CROWDING
TERRITORIES
DESIGNING WITH NATURE
7: PLACE DESIGN THAT REFLECTS INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITY AND
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
PERSONALITY AND PLACE
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND PLACE
8: NATIONAL CULTURE AND PLACE EXPERIENCE
DIFFERENT WAYS TO PERCEIVE THE WORLD
DIFFERENT WAYS TO USE SPACE
CONCLUSION
9: PREDOMINANT ACTIVITY AND THE DESIGN OF PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS
10: INTEGRATED APPLICATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY-BASED PLACE DESIGN
PRINCIPLES
INTELLECTUAL LIVING
ARTISAN LIVING
TEAMMATE LIFE
SOPHISTICATE LIVING
RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
11: RESEARCH METHODS FOR PLACE DESIGNERS
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
WRITTEN SURVEYS
INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
OBSERVATION
12: SPECIAL FOCUS: HOMES
COMFORTING
COMMUNICATING
COMPLYING
CHALLENGING
CONTINUING
13: SPECIAL FOCUS: WORK PLACES
COMMUNICATING
COMFORTING
COMPLYING
CHALLENGING
CONTINUING
14: SPECIAL FOCUS: RETAILS PACES
COMPLYING
COMMUNICATING
COMFORTING
15: SPECIAL FOCUS: LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
COMMUNICATING
COMPLYING
COMFORTING
CREATING GREAT PLACES FOR TEACHERS TO WORK
16: SPECIAL FOCUS: HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
COMMUNICATING
COMFORTING
COMPLYING
17: PLACE DESIGNERS’ VITAL INFLUENCE ON HUMAN WELL-BEING
IMPORTANT SOURCES/RELATEDRE ADINGS
INDEX
End User License Agreement
List of Illustrations
2: FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR PHYSICAL WORLD
FIGURE 2-1 The Parthenon, an early achievement of “place scientists.” The
symmetrical arrangement of the columns and the scale of the elements, for example,
create a serene and awe-inspiring space for religious and civic events. Copyright ©
iStockPhoto/Keith Binns.
FIGURE 2-2 Many of our current environmental responses are related to our ancestors’
experiences while they scrambled to survive without the tools and technologies that we
currently find so useful. Being near a tree was very desirable in the old, old days—it
regulated air temperature and provided protection from at least some of the animals that
preyed upon them. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Eliza Snow.
FIGURE 2-3 Humans enjoy dappled light inside and outside. The sun passing through a
leafy canopy on a sunny day distributes dollops of sunlight on the ground, and our
ancestors would have associated this splotchy light with good things (pleasant weather
and nearby escape into the tree). Copyright © iStockPhoto/John Goldie.
4: UNIVERSAL FEATURES OF WELL-DESIGNED SPACES
FIGURE 4-1 Kitchens have functional zones that help us achieve concrete objectives.
This space contains a stove for cooking and a sink for washing, for example. Copyright
© iStockPhoto/Emre Arican.
FIGURE 4-2 This hospital room is zoned to promote healing. Patients can rest in one
part of the space, bathe in a second area, and socialize with others, work, or relax on
the balcony or in the nook with the couch and desk. Caregivers have workstations
within the space, and patients’ visitors can also use these spaces in various ways.
Image courtesy of Anshen+Allen, © 2008.
FIGURE 4-3 Even though we are social animals, sometimes humans need to be alone.
When we are alone, we can mull over recent events or concentrate to solve difficult
problems. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Nikada.
FIGURE 4-4 The blinds on the windows in these offices allow people to regulate their
interactions with others. All human beings need to be able to control when and how
they socialize with their colleagues, family members, friends, and strangers. Copyright
© iStockPhoto/Andrey Popov.
FIGURE 4-5 This view is restorative. The water, open spaces, and bordering trees
capture our attention, and we can effortlessly review the information presented to us
through these windows—which is mentally refreshing. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Feng
Yu.
FIGURE 4-6 Humans find it refreshing to look out over this sort of scene. Landscape
paintings often capture similar vistas. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Nikada.
FIGURE 4-7 Good spaces provide the support we need to challenge ourselves in ways
that we find personally meaningful. Copyright © iStockPhoto/bibi57.
FIGURE 4-8 Spaces must evolve over time to reflect evolving sociological and
technological situations. Copyright © iStockPhoto/jacus.
5: EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE RESPONSES TO SENSORY INFORMATION
FIGURE 5-1 Sensory experiences that originate in our visual, auditory, tactile, and
olfactory systems influence us psychologically. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Chin Soon
Heng.
FIGURE 5-2 Many spices have scents that powerfully affect our emotional state. The
influences of rosemary, marjoram, and others are reviewed in the text. Copyright ©
iStockPhoto/sasimoto.
FIGURE 5-3 The scent of lavender is relaxing and has been shown to reduce tension.
Copyright © iStockPhoto/Scott Waite.
FIGURE 5-4 A very ordered space—it is carefully organized and the overall effect is
calming, inviting reflection. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Nikada.
FIGURE 5-5 Rhythm leads users through a space that also provides prospect and
refuge to visitors. Copyright © 2007 Farshid Assassi, courtesy of BNIM.
FIGURE 5-6 The rhythm in the arches at this airport is calming, and the sunshine that
pours through the windows reduces stress. Copyright © iStockPhoto/byllwill.
FIGURE 5-7 The timbers in this old wooden roof are in a complex but symmetrical
arrangement that captures our attention and invites visual exploration. Copyright ©
iStockPhoto/resonants.
FIGURE 5-8 Informal balance captures our attention and interjects energy into spaces
where it is used. Copyright © iStockPhoto/FreezeFrame.
FIGURE 5-9 People walk near lights and lighted surfaces. Placing lights along walls in
a hallway organizes travel in that space and ensures that people can efficiently move
through it. Copyright © iStockPhoto/xyno.
FIGURE 5-10 The light from this warm incandescent bulb is relaxing and invites
people to linger in this comfortable space. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Rick Rhay.
6: HUMANRE ACTIONS TO STATIC ELEMENTS
FIGURE 6-1 Diners will feel comfortable in these booths because nothing can sneak up
behind them and turn them into lunch. The most prized spaces in restaurants are booths
or chairs against walls that shield patrons’ backs. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Ivo
Gretener.
FIGURE 6-2 Few people will be comfortable sitting in this bank lobby. The backs of
people in these chairs are against a wall, but it is made of visually permeable glass.
Courtesy of Sally Augustin.
FIGURE 6-3 Seats can be arranged to encourage people not to talk by keeping them all
facing the same direction. In certain situations, conversation among people in a space is
counterproductive. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Andrew Horwitz.
FIGURE 6-4 The members of the Dutch parliament, who use this space, can easily
engage each other in conversation. This sort of interaction between legislators is
desirable. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Jan Kranendonk.
FIGURE 6-5 Cross-corner seating can be useful in many situations, particularly during
conversations that may cover difficult topics—participants can gracefully break eye
contact. Copyright © iStockPhoto/bubbalove.
FIGURE 6-6 This bench provides passersby with many seating and orientation options.
They can sit so that it is easy for them to make eye contact with other people or on parts
of the bench where comfortable seating postures preclude direct visual contact—all of
which leads to different levels of intimacy, cooperation, etc. Courtesy of Sally
Augustin.
FIGURE 6-7 The executive assigned to this desk can choose to sit across the desk from
guests or beside them at the conference table, as appropriate. Each of these seating
configurations is useful in particular social situations. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Don
Bayley.
FIGURE 6-8 Calm water has a soothing psychological influence on people, which may
be useful where this pool is located, directly outside a hospital. Community Hospital of
the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey, CA. Photo by Lawrence Anderson/Courtesy of
HOK.
FIGURE 6-9 This hospital lobby incorporates many natural materials, which is a
biophilic design strategy. Biophilic design recognizes the important relationship
between human beings and their natural environment. Curt Knoke Photography,
Shawano Medical Center, Copyright 2007, courtesy of Kahler Slater.
FIGURE 6-10 The natural forms in this church form a stark contrast to the lines of the
modern office tower behind it. Use of shapes and other design elements that are
reminiscent of the natural world is a principle of biophilic design. Copyright ©
iStockPhoto/Daniel Stein.
FIGURE 6-11 This mobile adds a moving element to its indoor environment, which is
consistent with biophilic design. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Paul Giamou.
FIGURE 6-12 These windows have the sort of detailing suggested by Bloomer (2008).
That detailing links people inside the spaces with the world they are surveying.
Courtesy of Sally Augustin.
7: PLACE DESIGN THAT REFLECTS INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITY AND
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
FIGURE 7-1 This home has an open floor plan of the sort that would appeal to an
extravert. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Jorge Salcedo.
FIGURE 7-2 This sort of rectilinear environment would appeal to people who feel that
they control their own fate. HCA Stone Oak Hospital, San Antonio, TX. Courtesy of
HOK.
FIGURE 7-3 This space, with its many curved elements, would appeal to people who
feel that their lives are controlled by fate. Copyright © iStockPhoto/laughingmango.
8: NATIONAL CULTURE AND PLACE EXPERIENCE
FIGURES 8-1 A TO D People from very different national cultures will be
comfortable in each of these rooms. Each space uses structural elements and sensory
stimuli (such as colors) in ways that are consistent with the national cultures of their
primary users. Without that consistency, people are tense and distracted; they cannot
thrive. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Alain Couillaud, Andrey Rodionov, atbaei, and Imre
Cikajlo, respectively.
FIGURE 8-2 Physical barriers are associated with privacy in Western societies;
behaviors can play a similar role in Eastern societies. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Gill
Henshall.
9: PREDOMINANT ACTIVITY AND THE DESIGN OF PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS
FIGURE 9-1 This person is regulating her stimulation level by isolating herself in a
meeting room. She has turned her back to passersby to avoid interactions with others
and partially closed the blinds so that people can see the room is occupied, but the
person in it prefers to be alone. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Nilgun Bostanci.
12: SPECIAL FOCUS: HOMES
FIGURE 12-1 Territories are not necessarily private. This balcony is clearly visible to
passersby, but only the residents of the space through which it is entered can use it.
More public territories give people who control them the opportunity to express who
they are to a wider range of other people. Copyright © iStockPhoto/red_moon_rise.
FIGURE 12-2 This is a calming residential space. The colors, furniture arrangement,
and views help people restock their mental energy and relax. Copyright ©
iStockPhoto/Galina Barskaya.
13: SPECIAL FOCUS: WORK PLACES
FIGURE 13-1 It’s hard to concentrate in this office; there is not acoustic or visual
shielding from other workers. This office design is not unusual. Copyright ©
iStockPhoto/Igor Terekhov.
FIGURE 13-2 Sunlit work areas have been linked to worker satisfaction. Copyright ©
2008 Farshid Assassi, courtesy of BNIM.
FIGURE 13-3 This pleasantly mysterious walkway spurs people to move forward.
Copyright © iStockPhoto/pdtnc.
FIGURE 13-4 This stairway is a pleasant place to be, which motivates people to use it
to travel between floors instead of an elevator. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Konstantin
Sukhinin.
FIGURE 13-5 Task lighting provides some environmental control to workers.
Environmental control has important implications for worker satisfaction and
performance. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Alenjandro Raymond.
FIGURE 13-6 The doors on these workstations provide visual privacy to workers and
also eliminate visual distractions. Jim Brozek Photography, Miller Brewing—Chicago
Workstations, Copyright 2006, courtesy of Kahler Slater.
FIGURE 13-7 Workers traveling between floors on open, central staircases can see
into the workspaces of other teams, which can spur communication and knowledge
sharing (Allen and Henn 2007). Copyright © 2008 Farshid Assassi, courtesy of BNIM.
14: SPECIAL FOCUS: RETAILS PACES
FIGURE 14-1 The movement and sound of the water in this fountain will calm
shoppers. That calming helps them to concentrate, which is desirable when certain
goods (generally more expensive ones) are being purchased, but is not desirable at
other times (when impulse purchases are important). Courtesy of Sally Augustin.
FIGURE 14-2 Music tempo influences how quickly shoppers move through a store;
faster tempos lead to faster traveling. Copyright © iStockPhoto/ALEAIMAGE.
FIGURE 14-3 The lamps on these restaurant tables create tiny territories for each pair
of diners. Those territories can inspire people to linger, which is desirable in
restaurants that serve after-dinner drinks and desserts. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Xavi
Arnau.
15: SPECIAL FOCUS: LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
FIGURE 15-1 Pupils learn better in classrooms with more sunlight. Photo provided by
Fielding Nair International, Architects and Change Agents for Education
(www.fieldingnair.com).
FIGURE 15-2 Flexible seating allows meetings of different types to occur in the same
space. Using the same space for multiple purposes can better serve user needs while
reducing the assortment of spaces that must be constructed. Photo provided by Fielding
Nair International, Architects and Change Agents for Education
(www.fieldingnair.com).
FIGURE 15-3 Nature views at school help both students and teachers restock their
mental energy levels. Photo provided by Fielding Nair International, Architects and
Change Agents for Education (www.fieldingnair.com).
16: SPECIAL FOCUS: HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
FIGURE 16-1 This waiting area uses homelike furniture and has a dropped ceiling,
which differentiates this space from the rest of the lobby. These effects combine to
make this a more desirable space for visitors to linger. BJC Progress West, O’Fallon,
MO. Courtesy of HOK.
FIGURE 16-2 This patient room has a restorative nature view and a nature video on the
monitor, all drenched in healing sunshine. These interactions with the natural world
promote psychological and physical health. Image Courtesy of Anshen+Allen, © 2008.
FIGURE 16-3 This waiting area has a stress-reducing nature view. Jim Brozek
Photography, St. Clare Hospital and Health Services—Lake Delton Clinic Waiting
Room. Copyright © 2006, courtesy of Kahler Slater.
FIGURES 16-4 AND 16-5 Two easy-to-use signs—one in a hospital and one at the
entry to a transit line stop. Both make it clear where travelers should go. The subway
signs, which are also color coded, are placed so that it is impossible for people not to
see them and read them clearly (except during extremely busy travel periods). Figure
16-4 Copyright © iStock-Photo/Brandon Gunem. Figure 16-5 Courtesy of Sally
Augustin.
17: PLACE DESIGNERS’ VITAL INFLUENCE ON HUMAN WELL-BEING
FIGURE 17-1 Applying principles from place science, you will create spaces in which
people thrive. Copyright © iStockPhoto/Mark Evans.