BODY IN SPACE

Coney Island – NYC

She’s tall enough for the ride!  According to someone, somewhere, she “fits” the amusement park ride.  It is interesting that there is not a height maximum, only the minimum, not to mention a maximum width.

Envee Salon – Astoria, Queens – NYC

Look comfortable?  The occupant is clearly happy under the heated dome.  I think the alcohol helps!  There is some bit of discomfort people are willing to endure for the reward of beauty.

Central Park – NYC

Feel small?  This monument is monumental! It may “fit” the context of the park but it definitely leaves the observer feeling small and insignificant.  Is this supposed to tell people that they are “beneath”, in more than the physical, the figure seated above them?

Seating at Priscilla: Queen of the Desert on Broadway, NYC.

The seats are positioned very close to one another.  Perhaps they were designed in a time when people were smaller or when producers cared more about how many bodies could fit rather than what was comfortable?

City Field – NYC – Baseball game

Here the seating is adequately sized and the aisle is wide enough to accommodate a large cross-section of people.  The sight lines allow for a comfortable view of the game.  Here, the fit was “like a glove”, no pun intended.

Annotated Bibliography II

Environment Behavior Research

Professor:  Nora Rubinstein, Ph.D.

Graduate Candidate: Christopher Parrish

September 25th, 2011

Works Cited

Panero, J., & Zelnik, M. (1979). Human Dimension and Interior Space: A Source Book of Design Reference Standards. Watson-Guptill.

Metrics that inform the designer about appropriate sizes for the wide range of human dimensions illustrate the diversity of human form and needs.

·         Global military forces provide much of the data available on anthropometrics due to the costly and laborious processes involved.

·         “… the ten most important dimensions to obtain are in order: height; sitting height; buttock-knee and buttock-popliteal lengths; breadths across elbows and hips, seated; knee and popliteal heights; and thigh clearance height.” (Damon et al)

·         There are no “average” dimensions for the human body; the hand, the leg, the arm length can all be different and not conform to a set scale.  The idea of an average human is not possible.

Since much of the data available is taken from military sources, the information, however useful, is limiting.  Human dimensionality should be considered per environment and work to providing the widest usage possible. 

Ulrich, R. S. (1992). How design impacts wellness. The Healthcare Forum Journal, 35(5), 20-25.

Sustainability of the physical environment impacts the sustainability of the social environment; if people are supported by their surroundings they will preform at an optimal level.  Supportive design can impact wellness through both psychological and physiological changes in the built environment. 

·         The benefits of instituting supportive design can reduce hospital stays, reduce pain medicine usage, foster a sense of control by patients, and create an optimal functionality for an aging population.

·         Aging populations require attention in: sign legibility (letter size and illumination), the use of subtle colors that may be affected by a yellowing of the lens in the eye (blues, greens, and neutrals), higher ambient illumination, reducing glare, uneven contrast of lighting, lighting control, sound absorption, noise reduction, appropriate furniture (with arms), and handrails.

·         Scenes of nature (view out window) and representative nature (artwork) appear to have a positive impact on patient recovery and reduce hospital stays. Abstract artwork has the opposite effect.     

         

Lang, J. (1987). Creating Architectural Theory: The Role of the Behavioral Sciences in Environmental Design. Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Connecting anthropometrics and ergonomics with cultural and psychological considerations creates a link between the physical and psychic.  There is evidence based both on science and conjecture connecting issues of anthropometrics, ergonomics, human metabolism, lighting levels, color perception, sound and noise, barriers, and personality with the built environment.

·         Anthropometrics, both static and dynamic, should be used to consider the range of motion and appropriate scale of the built environment.

·         Human metabolism influences the comfort range at different temperatures and humidity levels.  This can be addressed through both passive and technical instruments that effect indoor climate. “There has been a reaction to this, particularly when highly technical equipment has been used in lieu of the thoughtful design use of projecting surfaces, screens, vegetation, and other low-technology means of maintaining comfort levels.”

·         Illumination levels impact comfort and aid in the delineation of space.  Dappled sunlight with varying degrees of contrast may be more welcoming than sharp, high to low, illumination levels.  The use of contrasting light levels to delineate walkways from other work/display areas can be an effective use of illumination levels.

·         Color perception can be largely influenced by culture and personal psychology.  Responses to color through emotions, history, and physiology can all be subjective to change from one culture or group to another.  There exist consistencies of perceptions such as colors that recede or advance and that are warm or cold.

·         Sound and noise and their acoustical qualities can be used to enhance or agitate the ability to preform in spaces such as noise in an office can detract from the task at hand while the shape of a concert hall can support a musical performance.

·         Physical barriers exist for many people from lack of mobility, hearing, or sight.  Creating Barrier-Free environments through consideration of strength, mechanical apparatus, and visual/sound acuity are essential to supportive spaces for humans.

·         Personality may be influenced by body type and physical space / environment.  There is evidence to suggest that the physical parameters of the body may have psychological impacts such as skill development.

Ideas of comfort and perception are equally important matters in the built environment.  How much discomfort is acceptable to a given population?  Are there times when comfort can be sacrificed for aesthetics? How is personality influenced by body size (i.e. Michael Phelps, an Olympic gold medalist in swimming has a large torso that gives him an advantage or predisposition in the sport)?

Weber, R. N. (1997). Manufacturing Gender in Commercial and Military Cockpit Design. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 22(2), 235-253.

Cockpit design is limiting to the advancement of women in the aeronautics field due to a lack of anthropometric consideration and implementation. 

·         Both the U.S. military and the private sectors lack accommodations in the physical environment of the cockpit to allow a wide range of body types (particularly female body types) to operate aircraft.  The military has been more proactive in creating regulations that are inclusive of female anthropometrics than their commercial counterparts who may only be willing to change due to fear of litigation.

·         Women are denied access to career advancement not because of capability or aptitude but due to the poor design of the cockpit and a resistance of manufactures/clients to invest the capital in accommodating a range of human dimensions from seating heights to arm reaches.

·         Available anthropometric data for women is very old (1940 Department of Agriculture survey conducted for clothing dimensions) which is further evidence of a bias and neglect of the female body and its “fit” to the built environment.  Investment is required to make the future more equitable for female physiology.

It could be argued that there are other substantive reasons why cockpits are designed with the current size limitations beyond a gender bias.  It is clear that men who do not fall within the range of operational sizes are also disqualified from operating aircraft.  Is the cockpit design a type of discrimination against women or are there reasonable reasons (beyond time and economic reasons) that exclude certain body types from operating aircraft?

Epp, G. (1980). Furnishing the unit from the viewpoint of the elderly, the designer and hud.

In this article, amounts, types, and layouts of furniture in the elderly one bedroom public housing apartment are considered and explored through the different vantage points of interior designers, interior design students, HUD requirements, and actual survey data.

·         Elderly residents tended to arrange furniture along perimeter walls and in a manner that would display each piece.

·         Designers and students “floated” furniture to create zones of use in design explorations and studies.

·         The professionals, students, and HUD requirements fell short of anticipating the furniture needs of the elderly by approximately 50%.

·         This study points to the furniture needs of the elderly being unfulfilled by the current minimum requirements set forth by HUD.

An interesting question to consider with this reading is weather “good” design is achieved through responding to how the elderly are arranging furniture in their apartments.  The current arrangement of furniture within the dwelling may be the result of other factors than the needs of the residents.  The elderly residents are not trained professionals and may not “see” the benefits of alternative furniture arrangements.  It may be a simple view that a dining table should be next to the kitchen; that does not make it the best choice.  The table could “double” as a multi-use surface that separates perceived areas in the apartment and maximizes the effectiveness of the furniture and space.  It is important to consider what items are currently in use and what function they play in service to the occupants.

A problem with this study is that the professional and/or student designers did not consult the elderly users.  Through an information gathering session, the designers may have been able to determine which items were most important to the elderly and what aspects of their current layouts they liked or disliked.  Afterwards, the designers may have been able to suggest alternatives that the elderly would like and think of as a benefit to their living environment.  It is a flawed process to base the needs of the elderly solely on the current layouts of their apartments.

               

It is clear that a thorough evaluation of the elderly’s furniture needs is crucial to adequately providing square footage for bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens.  Architects and interior designers should consider furniture layouts in conjunction with apartment layouts in order to meet the needs of the populations they are providing for.

Monaghan, P. (2000, April 7). Modern Play Spaces May Be Safe, but They’re Stultifying, Some Experts Say. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Modern-Play-Spaces-May-Be/6750/

Play spaces allow children to form social, cultural, and political identities.

·         The “erosion of children’s autonomous play” does not enhance child development.

·         It is through transitional spaces (play) where children rationalize the external world.

·         Social reproduction, the passing along of social values, is diluted when play is institutionalized.

The settings in which children play today are very different from a generation ago.  With franchises like Chuck E. Cheese and corporate daycare facilities, today’s youth are receiving very different signals about their environment.  Does this change of place affect the recognition of self?  Technology and media are bombarding children daily with messages; are these messages diluting their sense of self?  Does this shift away from “autonomous play” to structured afterschool programs and recreational facilities remove children from their ancestral culture into a more globalized one? If children are no longer allowed to explore on their own, will they have weakened problem-solving skills, will they be able to ask the right questions? What does it say about our culture if we are moving children away from what we know and into an unknown?

Module #2

Anyone having difficulty downloading the readings in Module #2?

Environmental Autobiography - Grandma's Kitchen

Sunlight streamed through the window above the sink that looked out onto a cow pasture and a single willow tree.  Memories of the time my cousin was talked into touching the electric fence that skirted the property line still rise to the surface when I think about that kitchen.  It was a typical country kitchen in a bucolic area of Central Wisconsin.  Nestled between some low relief hills, a giant frog pond, my grandfather’s salvage yard, and the state bike trail, this kitchen had produced sweet and savory meals for generations of Wisconsinites before my family took ownership some time before my birth.  On any given day the aromas of bread baking in the oven, berry pies resting under the window, and all manner of casseroles could be smelled emanating from the back of the house.

My grandmother’s kitchen was located on the first floor of a small two story home with a pitched roof and broad flower covered porch.  In order to block the view of my grandfather’s salvage yard, which grandma despised, large peonies bushes were planted along the perimeter of the lawn and overflowing hanging flower baskets were always blowing in the breeze above the porch.  There were really two worlds that existed on this sundrenched landscape; that which was nurtured by my grandmother and that which was forced onto the land by my grandfather.  They each had their own worlds and new well enough not to stray into the other’s without permission. 

Upon entering off the porch, one had to navigate through the family room and dining room to reach the rear of the home.  My experience has taught me that the kitchen is the heart of any good home and that was definitely true here; even though it was located at the back, every major artery connected to the kitchen.  There was also a steeply inclined secret stair that led from one of the upstairs bedrooms straight down into the kitchen.  It was not necessarily a “secret” stair, since the whole family knew about it, but it was “secret “ to my youthful mind.  It could always be used as a quick getaway when being chased by cousins or when grandma asked for help with the dishes.  Opposite the stair was a covered backyard porch that housed a deep-freeze big enough to store herds of wild game.  My mouth would always begin to salivate like a Pavlovian dog when the great hinged lid would open to reveal buckets of ice-cream, sherbet push pops, Klondike bars, and popsicles in every color of the rainbow.

This magical realm was completely off-limits to my grandfather.  I never saw him enter the kitchen in all my life.  This was grandma’s world and he knew to leave well enough alone.  He would not even look in through the open doorway for fear of knowing too much about a woman’s work.  It was like the dresser drawer that housed her intimates; better left alone.  This was all right in my book because I never really cared for grandpa’s mean exterior.  He spent most of the time picking through piles of junk out in the salvage yard and only came in for lunch and dinner.  During those times that he was outside the house was free to roaming, exploring, and having fun.

Grandma always felt obliged to keep me busy and entertained whenever I was there and my cousins were not.  If we were not constructing crafts, we were in the kitchen.  There was a family of five to feed breakfast, lunch, and dinner to everyday.  When the whole family would travel in from far off places such as Alaska, New Mexico, Florida, or even Kentucky, there could be upwards of fifty people to feed but most days it was just the five of us.  We could spend most of the day in her small country kitchen.  My favorite thing in the whole world was piecrust; it was even good raw.  No one could make piecrust like my little Irish grandmother.  Years later, my aunt Wanda told me that it was just Betty Crocker’s recipe and could be made pretty easily by following the instruction but this is not true;  grandma perfected this combination of ingredients over the long decades of her life.  To this day, my crusts never turn out like hers did, even after watching and assisting her for years. 

With all her wisdom and grandmother senses, she knew that this little boy would tear into the pie as soon as it came out of the oven unless she had something else to give me as a distraction.  In a pie dish, she would bake the leftover curst sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar for me to devour right away.  There is nothing in this world like sitting in front of the oven door looking through the window at a warm bubbling concoction of butter and sugar.  Of course, my pie crust would be done before the entire pie and would satiate my craving for sugar long enough for the pie to cool and dinner to be served.

The marvels of the kitchen did not end with fresh baked bread and pies; there were all sorts of gadgets to stretch the imagination of a young boy.  There was a hand cranked meat grinder permanently attached to the counter on the far end of the kitchen.  It was fastened in place by a vice and the surface of the metal was burnished and scraped by many years of use.  Although it was rarely used these days, it was always there.  In the nook under the secret stair was the most unusual drawer; it was shaped like a quarter of a barrel and hinged on one side.  When it was open, it revealed this large half rounded space for storage.  It must have been originally intended for loose grains or perhaps potatoes but grandma used it to house lots of containers of white sugar, brown sugar, oatmeal, flour, and salt.  It was comical to see her reach in and dig for contents on the bottom because half her body could fit in this thing before she got what she wanted.  The drawer-thing was not very practical but seemed to fit the kitchen in some odd way.

My grandmother was born during the great depression and was brought up with a mindset that nothing should be wasted or thrown out unless it no longer had any use.  She would keep every plastic tub from the margarine and buckets of ice-cream; all of the uneaten food scraps went to feed the feral cats in the backyard and the paper towels were treated like a precious commodity.  Grandma kept a close eye on those paper towels.  Since they could not be washed and reused, they were only to be used in rare occasions.  Back then it seemed odd to me that she would get so worked up about the paper towels but now it is as clear as rain.  She was cognizant of the resources that she used and did not take their existence lightly.

Those empty tubs of margarine made their way all over the region.  They probably made it all the way to Alaska where my aunt and cousins lived on a remote island.  The mostly yellow plastic tubs with semi-transparent lids housed all sorts of edible delights that grandma would send off with visitors.  Sometimes they would have peanut butter cookies or blackberry dumplings; at Christmas they would be filled with fudge and decorated ice-box candies.  Most of the time there would be leftovers from dinner that I would take back to my mother’s house when I was done visiting my father.  Besides food storage, Grandma used the tubs to hold her vast collection of fingernail polish under the cupboard in the bathroom.  We kids spent hours in the bathroom painting toe and fingernails when our parents were not looking.

It is hard to imagine a time when grandma wasn’t looking out for us.  She may have been in the kitchen most of the day but she knew what was going on in our little corner of the world.  The sirens could be heard twice a day from the nearby village just on the other side of the hill; they gave order to our days.  At noon the siren would sound letting everyone know that it was time for lunch and again at six o’clock for dinner.   If I was not in the kitchen when the alarm sounded, I came running shortly after.  There was a beautiful rhythm to the world that echoes in my mind.  The high wine of the siren blowing over the hill meant that food would be served and hopefully some pie too.

Grandma was almost always busy in the kitchen fussing over something.  She would be wearing an apron over her day clothes and her meticulously painted toes would be exposed as she was usually barefoot.  She was a small Irish woman that barely stood five feet from the linoleum floor of the kitchen.  Her auburn colored hair was always styled perfectly and even in the kitchen she tried to look her best.  On Sunday’s she would put on her best garments and jewelry before heading to Mass in the morning.  Sometimes she would bring me along but most of the time she worshiped alone.  She had a personal connection with her God and that was good enough for her.  After saying her prayers before the altar, she would quickly return home to finish up lunch for everyone.

Not much about my grandmother was very modern and either was the kitchen.  She had a microwave and coffee maker but most of the appliances were old fashioned and needed some elbow grease to work.  That is what made everything taste so good; nothing came easily; it was created with intention and hard work.  These are values that were communicated to me in an unconscious way.  It is only now, through this reflection that I see grandma was cooking up more than just food in that kitchen.  She laid out the ingredients for a good life; the things that really taste good like hard work, common sense, and simplicity.  Even though grandma is no longer cooking in that kitchen, the heart of that house, she is always cooking something good in my heart.