DESIGN ARCHITECTURE AND

HUMAN BEHAVIOUR WITH

BUILDINGS
 INTRODUCTION
 In this topic the emphasis is on the applications of behavioral
science to problems of design and engineering.

 In previous topic we read how to create legible environments

that minimize the effects of stressors such as noise and air
pollution and that maximize spatial or social comfort.
 Nevertheless we have not systematically investigated the
relationship between the behavioral sciences and architects and
other design professionals, or the small scale interactions
between people and machines or workspaces.
 Much of the emphasis is devoted to establishing and
understanding of how humans are affected by different
environmental experiences.
 As we proceed we may find it worthwhile to examine how our
eclectic model applies to our discussion of design.
 We may perceive specific design elements such as color,
lightning, noise or floor plan as facilitating or impairing our
functioning in a specific setting.
 To the extent the design features impede our functioning.
 We cope through behavioral or cognitive changes.
 We can also use environment behavior principles to modify the
design so that we construct a setting more likely to yeild a
favorable outcome.
 HISTORY CULTURE AND
DESIGN PROCEDURES
 The most important five things of buildings we associate from
the history are the most impressive and relatively permanent
examples of design achievement are.
1. From the ancient Egypt (Pyramids or the Sphinx)
2. From ancient Greece (Parthenon temple)
3. Symbols of modern Paris (Notre Dame, Arch D’ Triumph and
Eiffel Tower)
 Rapoport (1969) notes that monuments and other important
buildings represent a self conscious attempt by the designers.
 These constructions are unusual, specialized and not
representative of the variety of environments experienced by
the common person.
 On the other hand, the folk design tradition is a more direct
expression of the day to day world of people as they live, shop
and work .
 Environmental psychology should concern itself with both
monumental architecture of public buildings and the more
personal design of individual dwellings.
 Within the folk tradition Rapoport distinguish between
1. Primitive
2. Pre industrial vernacular design
Primitive:
 In so called primitive societies there is a little specialization
and nearly everyone is capable of building his or her own
shelter according to time honored techniques.
 The term primitive does not imply unsophisticated.
 Given the resource and cultural constraints, a modern designer
would be hard to pressed to create a more durable and portable
dwelling for a family.
 Furthermore the examples of primitive architecture are sensitive
adaptations to climatic conditions such as temperature, wind
direction and moisture rather than attempts at overcoming them
with huge energy expenditures.
Pre Industrial Vernacular architecture:
 As construction methods become more complex, a society may
begin to rely on the knowledge and assistance of specialists.
 Rapoport refers to this as preindustrial vernacular architecture
characterized by slightly more individual variation in the design
of individual buildings and by the addition of tradesperson who
has specific building knowledge.
 Again however design in these societies is based on an evolved
variation on an established and modern time theme
 THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT:
EXTENT OF INFLUENCE
In the physical environment we will discussed the three basic
perspectives.
1. Architectural Determinism
2. Environmental Possibilism
3. Environmental Probabilism
Architectural Determinism:
 One of the early conceptualizations of architectural influence on
behavior was architectural determinism.
 Briefly architectural determinism holds that the built
environment directly shapes the behavior of the people with in
it
 Frank (1984) criticizes this extreme determinism on several
counts.
1. This view exaggerates the importance of physical environment
by underestimating the importance of social and cultural
factors.
2. Secondly determinism overlooks the importance of indirect
environmental effects and interactions between several
environmental variables acting in combination.
Thus design influences the behavior, but our needs, ongoing
activities and relationships modify these effects.
Environmental Possibilism:
 Porteus (1977) defined environmental possibilism as the
environment as presenting us with opportunities as well as
setting potential limits on behavior .
 Environmental possibilism views the environment as a context
in which behaviour occurs
 For instance several very different designs might be almost
equally successful in meeting your needs for shelter.
Environmental Probabilism:
 Determinism assumes that the environment determines
behavior.
 And possibilism ascribes such a large role to individual choice.
 Probabilism is a compromise. It assumes that while an organism
may choose a variety of responses in any environmental
situation.
 There are probabilities associated with specific instances of
design and behavior . These probabilities reflect the influence of
both non architectural factors and design variables on
behaviour.
 THE PROCESS OF DESIGN
 The architect is faced with quite a challenge in attempting to
design structures that address the needs of his or her clients.
 Our society believes on originality of design and the explosion
of building technology.
 One of the psychology’s most important contributions may be
insights into the complex process of information gathering and
decision making that occurs in the design process.
 Designs that support or facilitate the desires and needs of the
people using them are said to be congruent.
 Congruence is also referred to as habitability ,particularly in
residential settings.
 Habitability refers to how well a particular environment fits the
needs of those who live with in it.
 One way to achieve greater habitability is to design flexibility.
 For instance, with in a building, flexibility might be enhanced
with flexible partitions, adjustable lighting and movable
furniture
 On the small scale flexibility might be achieved to adjust the
personal space for example in an office one can adjust his work
place , or furniture to create flexibility. Such personal
adjustments allow the individual to fine tune his or her
environment
The Gap:
 The term “The gap” refers to a failure of communication.
 In fact, there are several gaps but the one most commonly
discussed is based on the discontinuity between designers and
those who will eventually live and work in their buildings.
 Often the architect only has direct contact with the paying client
 The only reason to hire a designer in the first place is because
the owner is incapable to the design alone
 On the other hand, it may be that design education and training
shapes and changes the experts perceptions of the environment
Fostering participation:
 There are several ways to improve the chances that the needs
and wants of the using client are incorporated into a new
design.
 One way to close the gap would be to train experts to be more
sensitive to people’s concern. Even the users could be included
in the actual design process
 Several themes that seem to characterize instances of successful
participation were suggested by Kaplan and Kaplan (1982)
1. Involving the client at a early stage in design so that their
suggestions can be fairly integrated into designs.
2. The designers can demonstrate the scope of design alternatives
and present options.
3. The use of visual or spatial material can make it possible for
lay persons to visualize design alternatives.
 SUBSTANTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS
 The emphasized is on the importance of communication for
gathering information about user needs and wants.
 In order to support commodity, firmness and delight, designers
must match the program to materials, construction, techniques
and spaces that support it.
 Firmness is very desirable characteristics of buildings, since it
prevents the roof from falling on our heads.
 Another gap is Applicability gap is a name given to the
miscommunication between psychologists trying to understand
the needs of architects and designers.
 It may include:
1. Privacy
2. Materials and color
3. Illumination
4. Windows
5. Furnishings
6. Architectural aesthetics
Privacy:
 One of the most important aspects of the design of interior
space is the amount of privacy it provides.
 Altman has defined privacy as the selective control of access to
the self or ones group. This definition has two parts.
 The first is notion of privacy as an ability to separate ourselves
from other people and the second is the important aspect of
privacy the ability to personalize spaces
 Thus privacy represents a dynamic process of openness and
closedness to others.
 The use of barriers around ones work area may increase the
sense of privacy
 One way in which an environment can directly affect feelings of
privacy is by increasing or decreasing the possibility of seeing
and being seen by other people.
 When an environment does not provide enough privacy for
those using it problems develop.
 For example Vinsel et al. (1980) found that students who
dropped out of college for non academic reasons were less
likely to have been able to achieve adequate privacy than those
who stayed in school having more privacy.
Material and Color:
 More interest to us are evaluative differences between different
types of building materials.
 On the other hand as Heimstra and Mc Farling (1978) noted
some time ago that color is one of the most easily manipulated
dimensions of environmental surfaces. For example a coat of
paint is far less costly than structural remodeling
 A number of investigators have examined the possibility of a
relationship between color and temperature. Early reports
suggest that warm temperatures were most often associated with
reds and oranges whereas coolness was associated with blues
and greens
Illumination:
 Different lighting conditions may also have subtle effects on
social behaviour and mood.
 Common beliefs are that low level of lights lead to both greater
intimacy and to reduce conversation.
 Having the proper lightning level was rated as most important
instances in which individuals reported preferences for either or
rather dark during intimacy or very bright when cutting
vegetables with knife
 Dark spaces in the inner city may be depressing or frightening
while in other settings they can be quite romantic and creating
fantacies
Furnishings:
 Furniture, its arrangement and other aspects of the interior
environment are also important determinants of behaviour.
 In classroom settings for example it appears that the use of non
traditional seating patterns can influence student performance.
Horse shoe arrangements, circular patterns or other less formal
departures from the standard rows of desks facing the teacher
seem to generate more student interest and participation.
 Some arrangements of furniture which are called sociopetal are
open and welcome interactions while others called sociofugal
are closed and discourage social contact.
 Sommer and Ross describe the relation between furniture
arrangement and behaviour in a hospital.
 When chairs were arranged in rows along the walls, patients did
not interact very much. It did not suggest that interaction was
appropriate.
 When Somer and Ross changed the arrangement clustering the
chairs in small groups people began to talk to each other.
 Ultimately any decision about furnishings will be based on
several criteria, including cost, aesthetics and the function of the
setting.
Architectural Aesthetics:
 One of the primary goals of a design is to have a pleasurable
response from people viewing the finished settings.
 The study of aesthetics in architecture is an attempt to identify,
understand and eventually to learn, to create those features of an
environment that lead to pleasurable responses.
 However one cannot simply dismiss the aesthetic quality as less
relevant than the behavioral effects of design.
 Some authors differentiate between two kinds of aesthetic
desigs.
1. Formal aesthetics include dimensions such as shape,
proportion, scale, complexity and illumination.
2. Symbolic aesthetics are affected by different sorts of meanings.
Some meanings are denotative for example a buildings
function or style
 CONCLUSION

 Attractive environments make people feel better.

 Research has shown that decorated spaces make people feel
more comfortable than ones which have not been decorated.
 Also the good moods that are associated with pleasant
environments seem to increase people’s willingness to help
each other