Language of Space

by Lawson

• ISBN13: 9780750652469
• ISBN10: 0750652462
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-11-13
• Publisher: Elsevier Science

Summary

This unique guide provides a systematic overview of the idea of architectural space. Bryan Lawson provides an ideal introduction to the topic, breaking down the complex and abstract terms used by many design theoreticians when writing about architectural space. Instead, our everyday knowledge is reintroduced to the language of design. Design values of 'space' are challenged and informed to stimulate a new theoretical and practical approach to design. This book views architectural and urban spaces as psychological, social and partly cultural phenomena. They accommodate, separate, structure, facilitate, heighten and even celebrate human spatial behaviour. * Helps to reconnect your everyday implicit knowledge with your professional conceptual knowledge* Gain a greater understanding of clients by questioning the values you commonly hold* Promotes easier communication by taking the abstract idea of 'space' and placing it in real terms

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vii
Space as language	1	(13)
Why a language?	1	(1)
The art of architecture	2	(2)
The social art	4	(2)
The language of space	6	(2)
Reading the language	8	(3)
Behavioural settings	11	(1)
How this book works	12	(2)
Space and the human dimension	14	(28)
The human basis of the language	14	(1)
The human psyche	15	(1)
Motivation and need	16	(2)
Spatial needs	18	(1)
Stimulation	18	(3)
Security	21	(2)
Behavioural settings	23	(6)
The security of the passage of time	29	(2)
Identity	31	(4)
The balance of needs	35	(7)
Mechanisms of perceiving space	42	(27)
Sensation and perception	42	(2)
Size and distance	44	(1)
Scale	44	(11)
Scale of movement	55	(4)
Scale and the social order	59	(1)
Foreground and background	60	(2)
Verticality	62	(1)
Symmetry	62	(1)
Colour	63	(1)
Number	63	(1)
Meaning	64	(3)
Context	67	(2)
Ways of perceiving space	69	(31)
The classical rulebook	69	(2)
Perception as an active process	71	(1)
Order, pattern and redundancy	72	(4)
The good and bad side of being redundant!	76	(5)
The expression of romanticism	81	(2)
How buildings can signify	83	(5)
Internal and external meaning	88	(4)
Back to architecture!	92	(5)
The language of modern architecture	97	(3)
Space and distance	100	(28)
Abstract and meaningful distance	100	(1)
Too close for comfort!	101	(1)
Flight and fight	102	(3)
`I need my space'	105	(1)
`Keep in touch'	106	(3)
Human distances	109	(6)
Intimate distance	115	(2)
Personal distance	117	(1)
Social distance	118	(1)
Public distance	119	(1)
Multiple distances in a space	120	(2)
Personality and context variation	122	(3)
Cultural variation	125	(3)
Proxemics	128	(36)
Non-verbal communication	128	(3)
Spatially defined roles	131	(2)
Spatial roles	133	(7)
Sociofugal and sociopetal space	140	(4)
Non-reciprocal relationships	144	(1)
Waiting spaces	145	(2)
Furniture	147	(5)
`Front of house', `back of house'	152	(4)
Variations	156	(4)
Movable and fixed furniture	160	(4)
The territory	164	(30)
Are we really territorial?	164	(3)
The nature and purpose of territory	167	(2)
The national territory	169	(3)
The borders and the heartland	172	(1)
The city territory	173	(2)
The family territory	175	(3)
Trouble with the neighbours!	178	(4)
Defending the territory and beyond	182	(1)
The territory invaded	183	(7)
The collapse of the territory	190	(1)
The territory as social reinforcement	191	(3)
Space and time	194	(36)
Predictions	194	(1)
Design strategies for uncertainty	194	(1)
The span of time in space	195	(3)
Identifying levels of uncertainty	198	(1)
`Designer' knowledge versus `ordinary' knowledge	198	(2)
One-way prediction	200	(1)
Confidence of prediction and rates of change	201	(2)
Purposeful and non-purposeful behaviour (apparently!)	203	(4)
Learning from children	207	(3)
Individuals, groups and crowds	210	(8)
Movement	218	(3)
The tyranny of functionalist space	221	(3)
Invitational space	224	(1)
Patterns of settings	225	(5)
Recording space	230	(1)
Measuring place	230	(2)
Semantic differentials	232	(2)
Problems with the semantic differential	234	(2)
But what does it mean?	236	(1)
Attention and focus	237	(4)
Measuring geometry	241	(5)
Divide and conquer	246