Psychology of House Design: Theory in Architecture - Term Paper Example

Name Course Date Table of Contents Abstract 3 Introduction 3 Literature review 4 Personal Space in Architecture 5 Psychological Human Response 6 Perception and the environment 7 Colour, emotion and interior design 8 a)Interior space 8 b)The psychological response to colour in the interior space architecture 9 c)Colour in Psychology 11 Effect of interior design on health 12 Discussion 13 Conclusion 17 References 19 Psychology of house design (theory in architecture) Abstract The architectural design of our surroundings has a lot of influence on the behavior of human beings. Architectural design considers the effects of the interior or external environmental factors on the behaviour of an individual and the impact it has on the diffrent lifestyles. The interaction of the architectural space design such as the arrangement in space in the building structures with the psychological and social process affects the behavior of an individual. This study discusses the effect of architectural design of the interior physical space on the individual attitudes and behaviors. It covers the general principles of a place and factors like texture, the spatial arrangement in the room, color, and personality. Introduction Psychological response to the environment is a complex process of interaction between human beings and their environment (Taylor et al., 2008; Berntson et al., 2007). This is because everyone perceives the surrounding environment in different ways; however, there are basic rules which describe how people respond to their physical environment. Architectural design considers the effects of the interior or external environmental factors on the behaviour of an individual. The interior designer considers the environmental expectations, which is developed by an individual through experience and the interaction with the environment. On the other hand, personal space is perceived through the combination of sensations with the expectations of the environment (Berntson et al., 2007). Thus, the designers should understand how to design inner space to create happy and quality life.  This research studies the effect of architectural design of the interior physical space on the individual attitudes and behaviors. The general principles of a place and factors like texture, the spatial arrangement in the room, color, and personality affect the personal experience of a place was studied. The advantage of the study is that it provides information based on evidence and the psychological insight to the designers and the people using the space so as to design and create environments which can encourage the people to learn effectively, become more healthy, work effectively and live a happy life. Literature review Human beings have always taken interest in the environment; however, there has been more focus on the behavioral and social effects of our surrounding environment. The earliest research on the impact of the physical environment on human behavior focused on weather, climate and other natural aspects. It was found that the environment has a role in determining the social behavior (Berkowitz, 1979). Research such as Barker (1963), Wohlwill, (1968) and Craik (1970) studied on the interaction between the psychological, physical and social variables, found out that the environment has a lot of influence on human behavior (Berkowitz, 1979). This study focuses on the relationship between the architecture and the interior space environment. Architecture and social behavior Most of the architectural theories consist of simple reflexive and literacy criticism in which the building is treated as a kind of language where cultural history and values are discussed (Ferguson, 1996; Zapf, 2009). As a result, architectural discussion in most cases concentrate on the on the aesthetic aspects that relates to surface rather than spatial features of the social activities. Most architects have realized that there has been a widening gap between the architectural design and social science. A few architectural theories have incorporated the view from the social science, and in particular the behavioral science, to explain the environment design aspects (Ferguson, 1996). For example Lang (1987) found out that the built environment explains a lot about the present and the past concepts on the behavior. In other words, there is a circular relationship in which social behavior result in the features of the built type which then affect the social behavior, because the people change to adapt to a certain built environment and in their efforts to adapt they change the built environment (Lang, 1987; Ferguson, 1996). However, Lang does not describe the method used to quantify different variables or the mechanism involved in the process. Thus social behavior is considered in normative form. Considering the vital role of the architectural design as a description of the society, the relationship between the built environment and human society should be studied (Zapf, 2009). The effect of the architecture on the behavior of an individual can be explained in terms of the impact that the arrangement in space in the building structures where the people live. The arrangement of the buildings and their placement in relation to each other dictates the way in which the exterior space may be used. In similar way, the interior space of the buildings determines the way in which certain arrangements are used in the interior space. The internal space is partitioned so as to prevent disturbances and mutual interference from various roles and activities. The surrounding architectural design determines the behavior and limits the possibility of different lifestyles. In other words, the interaction of the architectural space design with the psychological and social process affects the behavior of an individual (Ferguson, 1996; Zapf, 2009). The environmental-behavioral relationships include how the physical environment fulfills the needs for territory and privacy, the way in which the people perceive their environment and how the built surrounding is understood. Most studies have recognized that the relationship between the environment and human behavior indicate that people react to their environment in different ways based on their physical and social features within the same culture (Mehta, 2006). Personal Space in Architecture Most people tend to spend most of their time indoors. A research study by Wallace (1987) shows that approximately 90 percent of the Americans spend their time inside the buildings; hence, the interactions and the feelings of the occupants are more related with the architectural features and elements of the building (Wallace, 1989). The built spaces provide an environment through which we live our lives. In other words, the built environment affects our lives, emotions, senses, our sense of community and lives in general. We usually read meanings from building environment as we encounter. On the other hand, the spaces can be created and shaped to fit certain qualities by the architectural designers. Thus, it is very important for the environmental designers like the architects to understand the meaning of the psychological behaviour related to the physical environment (Millon & Lerner, 2003). . Personal space is studied in terms of the distance and the angles of orientation from other people or elements (Triandis & Brislin, 1980). People behave differently in personal space depending on the environment. The designers should be more sensitive to personal space behavior in the office layout, furniture design, and others (Millon & Lerner, 2003). Figure 1: Face to face meeting and interpersonal space Source: http://www.dgp.utoronto.ca/OTP/papers/video.mediated.collaboration/ishii.html As the different people respond differently to specific environment, the designer need to know the extent in which the designed environment respond to different needs of the users. Different settings induce different personal space individual mechanism behavior (Millon & Lerner, 2003). The information here can be assessed to find out how different groups of people use personal space and how various settings can bring about personal relationships. Altman (1975) stated that there are different ways in which the environment can be designed such that personal space can change in respond to the changing circumstances. But the main issue that can be addressed is the extent through which the environment allows changes in personal space, and the environment setting that can lock the people in their personal space interactions. For example, the furniture arrangement in an office can be rearranged so that it allows for more interaction with the visitors as shown in the figure below (Altman, 1975; Millon & Lerner, 2003). a) b ) Figure 7: a) arrangement that does not allow more interaction, and b) the new arrangement which allows more interction. Source: http://graphics.stanford.edu/~pmerrell/furnitureLayout2.pdf Psychological Human Response Psychological response to the environment is a complex process which can categorized into three psychological stages of human behavior, which include spatial, cognitive and perception behavior (Berntson et al., 2007). Perception of the environment is the process of becoming aware of the environment by acquiring information through sensations of hearing, seeing, tasting, touching and smelling. According to Smith (2005) perception can create illusion in which physical object is perceived to be something other than it really is (Smith, 2005, 23). Figure 2: Interpersonal space as perceived by person A Source: http://www.dgp.utoronto.ca/OTP/papers/video.mediated.collaboration/ishii.html Cognitive behavior occurs due to the processing of sensory information by the brain. It involves the process of thinking, evaluating or remembering information. Spatial behavior can be defined as the reaction and response to the information in the environment which have been acquired through perception and cognition. A designer takes the environmental stimuli into account so as to direct these psychological processes and other processes of development, motivation and effect (Berntson et al., 2007). The interior designer also considers the environmental expectations, which is developed by an individual through experience and the interaction with the environment. Personal space is perceived through the combination of sensations with the expectations of the environment (Goldstein et al., 2005). Perception and the environment The experience of an individual in the environment is a complex phenomenon. A perception of the environment that lead to the aesthetic appeal of the same environment, entails acquiring of information through the five senses. The individual characteristics such as health, age, sex and other features are very vital in determining the behavioral response to the environment. Therefore, the architectural designer must take into account the specific requirements of individual occupants of the environment such as personal history and preferences (Mazzalovo, 2012). Colour is an important factor in the perception of the environment. A careful and skillful application can positively influence the behavior and the mood of an individual. Proper planning of the furniture, placement of mirrors and the interior elements can produce correct spacing, but lighting a colour can emphasize the space (Porter & Mikellides, 1977). The colour of light is also important, as certain light color tone can impact the subconscious judgment of the interior space. A mirror placement is a way of creating an illusion effect, where the room space is enlarged. This effect is caused by optical illusions and reflection. This is commonly used in small scale rooms such as halls, bathrooms and others (Stephanidis, 2011). The things which cause the room to be corrected may be the design, finishing materials and the interior elements. The effect can be due to the characteristics and features of the materials such as the texture, the colour or the pattern, or the type of material such as plastic, wood, glass, textile and metal (Stephanidis, 2011). Colour, emotion and interior design a) Interior space Interior spaces are structures or shell of buildings people shelter, and spend most of their time. The interior spaces are designed for different types of uses and experiences, based on the aesthetic qualities of space and how the people experience sensations and interaction within the space. The experiences of the people are subjective. The people get these experiences either through conscious or unconscious interaction with space or other people in space (Piotrowski, 2009). Most of the current research that focus on the interior space tend to put more emphasis on the interaction between the interior space that is being design and the material properties or relationship between the environment and the people is based on environmental behavior theories. It has been shown that the design space can increase the value of live which provides the designer with knowledge on the relationship between the environment and the behavior (Mazzalovo, 2012). Basavanthappa (2007) argued that a space is produced due to the perception of elements in a given field by humans. Creating a space requires numerous steps. When a material is placed on a given space, a visual relationship is formed. If another element is introduced into the space, a relationship is constituted between the elements and the space and among the elements themselves. Therefore, an individual senses enclosure and shelter on entering the building, because of the surrounding walls, columns, ceilings and floor of the interior space, which are the main elements of the interior space (Basavanthappa, 2007). The architectural elements draw the space boundaries, while the doors and windows provide the relationship with the exterior. In addition to the main architectural elements, furniture is also significant in design as it provides a connection between the architecture design and the people (Hochberg et al., 2007). Figure 3: Image showing a room with large windows which provide the connection with outside Source: http://www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com The main tasks of the interior design are select and design for the arrangement of furniture in the space, but the ceilings, doors, walls, floors and windows are determined when designing the architecture of the building (Piotrowski, 2009). b) The psychological response to colour in the interior space architecture Colour is a powerful and a flexible design element that plays a vital role in architectural design of the interior spaces. Colour serves as a communication tool between the objects and the people. The relationships between the people, environment and colour are important theoretical concepts for interior design (Stephanidis, 2011). For smith (2008), a more relevant and sensitive environmental design can be achieved through the integration of the theoretical concept of colour and personal environment. Thus, it is important to take into account how the people relate in various forms interaction with the surrounding environment when choosing the colour of the building and the neighbouring environment(s) (Smith, 2008). Colours break the monotony and enhance uniqueness of spaces with their respective colours. However, the colour selection should not control the overall environment. Proper colour design can produce a warm atmosphere than it really is, and the appropriate use may make produce the feeling of warmth even in a cool environment (Smith, 2008). In addition, the colour produces legible space in terms of spatial perception. The colour is used to convey the right messages to the people in the built environment. Colour has effects on the perception of the environment; a wide range of emotional and psychological effects can be realized through the use of colour. Thus, colour selection is an important stage in project design, and can include painting roofs or walls, floor covering installation, and selecting furniture, plants, art or graphics (Stephanidis, 2011). Most of the studies related with indoor spaces in relation to colours focus on the influence of colour on the performance of an individual and preferences of colours on the environment, but psychological effect through either conscious or unconscious response has rarely been studied. The study by Cawood et al., (2001) on the effect of the interior office colours on the mood and performance concluded that the colour has some effect on individuals. They found out that the participants made less proofreading errors in blue and red offices compared to white offices. It is also reported that the participants scored even higher in orange office and low in purple and blue offices. More errors were made in the less saturated office colours compared to the more saturated office colours. In overall, the individuals preferred the red and green colours to orange colour for the office (Cawood et al., 2001; Elliot et al., 2007). Elliot et al. (2007) studied the effect of office colour on gender. They found that the males liked the green, gray, white and blue colours the most, and purple, orange, and yellow colours scored the least; while the females preferred red, beige and green to orange and gray. In the performance context, the results were based on success and failure. The subjects who viewd the black or green colour performed better than those who viewed the red colour. The effect red colour on the performance was found to be evoking avoidance as it is associated with danger (Elliot et al., 2007). In a study by Manav (2007), the participants were required to match colour samples to different areas of residential units by giving the reason for their preference. The participants were required to select colour samples from the catalogue for painting different areas in the residential units. The pink colour was preferred for children’s room and sleeping room because it is associated with enjoyment, warmth and romance; the colours that were near white were selected for bathroom, stairs, kitchen and entrance, since they were related to hygiene and purity; the yellow colour was preferred for dining room, since it was related to plainness, simplicity and plain; the blue colour preferred for living room, since it was related to relaxation, peace, calmness and modernization (Manav, 2007). The perception of space appearance and relative sizes are related to colour. The following provide a summary of the human perception about colour. Certain colours have a stimulating effect, while others are relaxing. Colour clash may produce a feeling of uneasiness or irritation Some colours may cause spaces to appear larger than they really are, but other make spaces look smaller. Some colours make certain spaces to appear warm, but others make appear cold like as shown in the images below. Figure 4: The images showing colours associated with warm in living and bedroom Source: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://interiorgallerydesign.com c) Colour in Psychology From birth, human beings perceive and experience colour in every side of life, and thus become aware of them. Every day we see the sunlight colour rising and setting, and in between, various colours are experienced with different tones and shades. People design their spaces and feel sense of ownership as they use suitable and appropriate colours in their buildings. Each of the colour is associated with a given meaning, and evoke different feelings. Therefore, the colour may affect the psychology and the behavior of human being. It has been shown that colour provides visual and psychological information, and to provoke psychological response and psychological behavior in human beings (Anderson, 2006, 119). It means that colour have impact on all aspects of the people, the emotion, spirit, body and mind. Psychologists and psychiatrists have noted that people react to colour emotionally and involuntarily. It has strong impact on the emotions and mood. Red colour is associated with love passion; richness etc, while green is associated with calmness as it is restful to the eyes. Figure 5: A view of coloured living room Source: http://www.thesis.bilkent.edu.tr/0006316.pdf Emotional reaction occurs when light of different colours (wavelengths) enters the eye and affect the center of emotions in the brain, which affects the pituitary gland that controls the body endocrine system that include sex and thyroid glands. In other words, it controls the hormone level in the system, and the resulting mood (Fehrman & Fehrman, 2000). In the same line of reasoning, the medical practitioners are using colour to for treatment through the stimulation of psychological emotion with colour the psychological response to colour is associated with happiness, anxiety, and aggression (Merry, 1996) Effect of interior design on health Research has found out that the design and layout of the interior building environment affects the health of an individual. If large number of individual shares the same the same area together, it will result in increase in noise level and inefficiencies. It also increase stress level and increase in the negative health. Windows has also been found to be important factors that affect the health of an individual. Just like the interior design of the space, each of the above factors affect the behavior and perceptions which affect health. Windows are very vital such that big promotion include the move to offices with big windows. This means that the people with no windows are less interested with their job and are less satisfied with their job, and they are less positive about their work conditions (Brooker & Weinthal, 2013). Architectural features such as space, windows, and light affect the mood, the social behavior and the productivity, and it appears to be related to health. Although these features are very important to be included in design, they can easily be modified in the existing space. A partition has been found to decrease the social density but increase the special densities. Windows can be design to include natural view where a window faces another building, natural scenes can be simulated. The lighting can be used to maximize the full spectrum of the existing light. Lighting can be used in health care facilities to inspire confidence and comfort. The figure below shows how light can be used as one of the element that influences the patient, visitors and the staff perception of the hospital experience. Figure 6: It shows how light can be used to influence the perception Source: http://www.healthcarefacilitiestoday.com/posts/Healthcare-facilities-embracing-lighting-that-inspires-comfort-and-confidence--8998 Further research in the design and redesign of the interior space while taking into account these features, will provide more evidence of the effect of the design of the interior space as well as provide new insights into the complexity. However, the vital interactions of biological, environmental and behavioural variables will determine the wellbeing of an individual (Brooker & Weinthal, 2013). Discussion The psychological process of an individual when they are subjected to an artificial environment may provide solutions to the problems that affect the friendly behavior of the occupiers of the building. The built space plays a crucial role in the cognitive behavior of a person, and the knowledge of the relationship will assist in determining and predicting the behavior and the activities of the occupants. The development a friendly and lively behavior in the occupants of the building is one of the complex tasks. There are a number of factors that should be considered when designing a space to influence the occupants in a certain way; even if the many of the factors are taken into account, the desired bahaviour on individuals may not be achieved. The intentions and attitudes of individual vary greatly, and thus there may not be a general way on how to create a sustainable behavior in the occupants (Millon & Lerner, 2003). The study of the environmental psychology examines how the spatial layout affects how the people behave. The furniture arrangement affects how the people make conversation. The conversation is affected by the seat arrangement like the one that support normal speech and the eye contact. There should be more space for circulation as shown in the figure below. b) b ) Figure 7: a) typical furniture layout in a building, and b) the new arrangement by a professional individual. Source: http://graphics.stanford.edu/~pmerrell/furnitureLayout2.pdf In the first case (figure a), it shows the sitting arrangement where the people would have to raise their voices to have a conversation. In the sitting arrangement in figure b), the people would have a more comfortable conversation. The arrangement like the one shown in the figure below tend to encourage more formal interaction at the far end, and it is less formal at the closer end. Figure 8: The living room which has been organized based on social distance. Source: http://www.vrayworld.com/media/tutorials/interior-design-furniture-arrangement-and-function-part-I/7.jpg The psychological processes in the mind of an individual represent a crucial feature of the relationship between the interior design and the individual when analyzing the environmental behavior of individual through the architecture design. Each person is unique in his/her way, and may not be conclusive to present a single view to address all of the issues. On the other hand, the psychological processes in which individuals go through are almost similar, and thus by addressing the issues, the architectural designers can become more skillful in predicting as well as sustaining the required behavior in the occupants of an artificial environment (Brooker & Weinthal, 2013). The designer has to have a good understanding of the effect of light and colour on the perception of space in order to modify and shape the visual experience of the room. For example, the designer can manipulate the perceptual role of light to facilitate visual tasks and boundaries based on the activity, space and area. The psychological role of light can also be manipulated to produce a sense of mode such as cheerfulness, intimacy, somberness and privacy in the room (Goldstein et al., 2005). The colour in the interior design is selected based on the knowledge of perception of colour and its impact to the human being. The optical colour effects are produced through visual effect that comes about due to perception. They include different types of visual tricks and optical illusions. The psychological colour effect is felt through impressions, feelings and emotions (Stephanidis, 2011). These kinds architectural space that are created are not only friendly to the user, but they are also reduce the possibilities of stress to the user. Thus in a way the important concepts discussed above the include the interior space, emotions, colour, and the attitude behaviour are related to one another (Berkowitz, 1979). A lot of research has been conducted on the relationships between the environment and human behaviour. In most of the studies, individuals were asked to match certain emotions with specific features such as colour, light, texture etc. The difference between the behavioural responds of individual of different genders was also investigated. It was expected that males and females are associated with different environmental conditions. The studies done in the past about the role of gender indicated that gender plays a role in responds to different features. Saturation and brightness produce the identity of the spatial environment in which we live. These controlling variables are clarified and analyzed so as to address the user requirements and the design layout. The arrangement of a number of aspects in the environment contributes to the distribution of resources in architectural design. If in a space distribution a specific number of people are not given enough space to fulfill their needs, dissatisfaction and discomfort are more likely to occur. Thus someone living in a small apartment might feel that the apartment is too small and may see it as it is harder to socialize with other people. The arrangement of the internal space is significant. For example, if the apartment is too large and the elements are not arranged properly, some part of it may not be usable, and issues may come. In some cases, our belonging may not fit into small apartment, to achieve the effect we want, may have difficulty in decorating the design of poor to obtain the effects we want (Berkowitz, 1979). Figure 9: Proper arrangement and a mirror on the wall make a small room to appear large Source: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/5-perfect-ways-to-use-mirrors-in-small-spaces-168900 Conclusion Fewer studies have been carried out on the interior spaces. Therefore, there are less research dealing with the relationship between psychology and the interior space. This research discusses the combination of interior space, the psychological aspects and architectural design. The aim was to produce a discussion in relation to the psychological effect of the interior space, as well as to gain more understanding on the effects that the occupants will have when they are subjected to artificial environment. The architectural psychology plays occupy an important part in the people livestyle. People always experience such phenomenon either consciously or unconsciously; which affect the psychological and physiological aspects, therefore, the arrangement of physical environment such as texture and colour affect the quality of live (Brooker & Weinthal, 2013). There are basic rules which describe how people respond to their physical environment. Architectural design considers the effects of the interior or external environmental factors on the behaviour of an individual. The interior designer considers the environmental expectations, which is developed by an individual through experience and the interaction with the environment. On the other hand, personal space is perceived through the combination of sensations with the expectations of the environment. The interior design and the psychology are related to each other in the living space, and provide resting, and watching activity. Such research has been investigated. They study involved 5 individuals of varied ages. They were required to first watch a video movie in the living room with different walls with specific features. They were then required to match the features of the living room such as light, colour, and furniture arrangement, with their emotional response such as happiness, neutral, fear, anger, surprise and disgust. All research has the inherent setbacks. Such setbacks provide a room for future research on the relation between the architectural design and the behaviour. The sources of errors can be the selections of the interior space, sampling the research colour different features at the same time. Future research may concentrate only in one feature at a time so as to provide detailed information on different features. Such a study can be conducted in a different type of space. For example eating can be examined in different types of spaces. More spaces may be needed for some functions such as working or dining, thus offices and restaurants can be studied with respected to the unique features such as colours and furniture arrangement in relation to psychological behaviour. The studies so far show that there are fewer differences between psychological responds of different environment by individuals of different genders. On the other hand, future research can examine such differences. Future studies should also take into consideration. Thus, socio-cultural factors and education could be tested. In addition, the study was done with individuals who have no knowledge on design, so as to provide information the user view point. Future research can focus on individuals who have background information on design so that the possible difference can be studied. As the different people respond differently to specific environment, the designer need to know the extent in which the designed environment respond to different needs of the users. Different settings induce different personal space individual mechanism behavior. There are different ways in which the environment can be designed such that personal space can change in respond to the changing circumstances. But the main issue that can be addressed is the extent through which the environment allows changes in personal space, and the environment setting that can lock the people in their personal space interactions. For example, the furniture arrangement in an office can be rearranged so that it allows for more interaction with the visitors. References Anderson, F. E. (2006). Colour: How to use colour in art and design. London: Laurence King. 119 Altman, I. (1975). The environment and social behavior: Privacy, personal space, territory, crowding. Monterey, Calif: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co. 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