Through Architecture and Arts

Cities’ Identity

Through Architecture and Arts

(CITAA) conference

Interior Architecture Elements Affect

HumanPsychology and Behavior

4th Axis: City as a Subject

Topic: Cities and their Psychology1th

By

Heba-Talla Hamdy Mahmoud

Lecturer of interior architecture

Decor department

Faculty of Fine Arts

Mansoura University

Interior Architecture Elements Affect

HumanPsychology and Behavior

INTRODUCTION

The design of interior architecture affects the psychological condition of human being with various ways and levels, we can say that every parameter of interior architecture affect the psychological condition of peoples with one way or another. The variations of psychological condition depend on many factors. The most dominant factorsthat shaping the relation between interior architecture and psychological condition come fromdual aspect, thefirst belonged to humanitarian side(culture, physicalstatus, age, education level, gender,socioeconomic class, dreams of the future). The second belonged to the architecturalpurpose of the spacewhether agricultural, residential, medical,educational, industrial, government, and transport buildings or others. Due to the numerous characteristics involved in the relation between psychology and interior architecture design the research will restrict the domain of the study to focus on what are the main psychologicalimpacts andwhat are the significantinterior architecture design considerations should be taken into account to manipulate these factors. Eventually we can notice that many factors of interior architecture have parallel impact on psychological status such as the impact of light on both health concerns and aesthetic aspects.

THE PYCOLOGICAL IMPACT OF IDENTITY:

The sense of psychological identity about space architectural grows when we start to identify ourselves with places. This meaning is applicable for Interior architectural as vital part of space architectural. Psychological identity sense and interaction occurs in both larger scale domains such as culture, countries, religion, nation, city, gender,social roles or social classand in smaller domains such as neighborhood, family, homes or rooms. Generally, we can say that human has always showed his dedication to his roots.It can said that every civilization or ethnic groups offers specific architecture in accordance with their cultures andtraditions at different times. The psychological identity about space,similarly effected with the international architectural trends due to globalization and its nature as standardizing force in economics, politics, culture, and consequently in architecture. The entire factors together constitute the total impact to the identity of interior architecture design as focal part of the overall architecture design of place.

ITERIOR ARCHITECTURE CONSIDRATION FOR IDENTITY:

Place interior architectural setting should match the overall pillars of identity, especiallythe factors that have dominant characteristics for shaping personality of individuals and groups like background of people, past experience and motives, and daily routine of life type.This lead to the responsibility of interior architecture designer to understand the history of what experiencepeople gain in the past about the interior of their spaces and applying them in an appropriate interpretation, through designto achieve the present needs of users, also making it suitable for future generations. The interior architecture design should characterized by thoughtful aim and philosophy on the part of the architect to make a purposeful architecture, which has meaning for its users. There is more than one form of identity need to considered, self-identity, regionalidentity, and national identity besides the international consideration. The total concept involves according to the evaluation of each case nature, whatever the case belongs to public, semi-public and private. There are numerous factors shaping identity, self-expression such as structure of family and relatives, child-raising methods. Fundamentally,the interior architecture designer depends onhis clevernessof usingelements of Design (Space -Line –Shape –Texture-Color – Pattern) and Principles of Design (Proportion – Scale – Balance – Emphasis- Rhythm- Harmony Unity /Variety) to match the identity of both individuals and groups.

THE PYCOLOGICAL IMPACT OF PRIVACY:

Privacy in general is the right of individuals, groups, organization,and institutions to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent information about them is communicated to others. Space privacy consider one of the most important type of overall privacy. People deal with the concept of space privacy with special concern, they feel discomfort, anger and anxiety when their space privacy exposed outside their desires. There are four categories (figure 1) of space in term of privacy:The intimate; space the area immediately surrounding the individual’s body with extremely privacy concern.Personal space; normally it permitted for interactions among family members, friends and fellows. Social spaceindicates to the place where people with any type of relation gather and interact.Public space; is the area used for public speaking and treatment. The central aspect of space privacyis how to make balance between privacy and social relationship.Visual privacy is main component of space privacy. Visual privacyprevent the situations in whichother persons can watch us without awareness of who is watching.Acoustic privacy the other main components of space privacy that create the protection of sound and speech privacy to be unheard beyond participants.

Figure1: The main four categories of space in term of privacy

The hidden dimension 1990

ITERIOR ARCHITECTURE CONSIDRATION FOR PRIVACY:

The interior architectural consideration of space that control visual and acoustic privacy to fulfill the users' requirements in living, working, and other types of space environments take place through physical means in both inside and outside domains. Visual privacy performed byusing means of space sizing and organizing, managing and controlling space with directand indirect lighting, the characteristics of visual control material like special types of glass, adjusting any type of opening in which a space is directly or indirectly connected to others places.Windows and doors represent borders between groups and individual,it gives the possibility to withdraw from or come into social spaces. It can also represent a signal aboutthe degree of openness in both indoor environment and outside communication. The using of vertical and horizontal orientation and interspace boundaries, partitionsconsider one of effective methods to achieve privacy. Acousticprivacy performed through by shielding conversations to be unheard beyond participants through effective treatment of components like partitions, furniture, equipment, and floor, sound-blocking curtains, soundproofing walls andceilings.

THE PYCOLOGICAL IMPACT OF SAFETY:

Safety is a fundamental need of human being; it represents an essential portion of stability and people behavior. The psychological effectoninterior architecture safety is easy to recognize, it related to the place people used to live, work or entertain, it involves wider extent of consideration required to avoid various potentialhazardsin case of careless design. Thepsychological effect of safety increased when related to children, elder people and people with disabilities. The role of interior architecture covers a wide scope of overall space and building safety based onmutual responsibility withboth occupants and government. Interior architecture designer responsible for applying codes, rules and standards of safety that belong to all interior architecture items, so Interior architecture designer need to take the safety of the space into adequate consideration.

ITERIOR ARCHITECTURE CONSIDRATION FOR SAFTY:

Generally, Interior designers should be knowledgeable about laws and regulations that organize building and spaces safety. They must be aware about the materials they choose for their design, suchas types of glass for door and windows, the strength of friction as slip resistance. They need to be care about the causes of toxicity and pollution that affect indoor air quality for preventing any chemical contaminationespecially with all types of paints,fabric andwallfloorcoverings. In many cases, it is preferable to surround our property with a strong fenceespecially if there are children among the occupants.Fence also serve to impose the strangers respect the boundary of the space. The installation of automatic smoke detector system when the condition of the building need special protection against smoke and fire. The using of signage with warning words such as “Danger” or “Caution” to alert potential risks.Entrances access control by using electronic identification, locks, fencing, and alarm systems. The right dimension of stair steps with non-skid surfaces, by using handrails with guarantee that the distance between the rails is narrow enough to prevent children from falling through gaps. All electrical circuits should protected against overloadingof electrical consumption with the appropriate fusing system.The adequate lighting is an important factor for safety with calculatedstrength according to the space type to prevent falls, particularly among children and old people; lighting considered the most important security feature in parking facility. Windows and doors are usually categorizing as soft option for entering building with illegal methods, more exposed to weather conditions, so it is essential to have strength design with durable materials and high quality locks.

THE PYCOLOGICAL IMPACT OF FUNCTIONALITY:

Functional efficiency of interior architecture design relates directly to the psychological needs of peoples. It responds to the basic human vital needs, it responds to vision, hearing, and mobility that achieve both comfort and efficiency. A well-planned feature that make the space more usable by all family members, virtually adapted to any user's long-term comfort and create environments that encourage people to life and work effectively. Maximizing the functionality and the efficiency of space design required some important question need answers by the designer of interior space. who will be living there, what is their lifestyle throughout the course of a day, week, and over the long term, what features and facilities, are most important to them, how long will they stay in this home. The accurate achievement of functionality realize psychological benefits include stress relief, improved emotional behavior and facilitate social communication. The differences and similarities between the multiple building types, including residences, workplaces, healthcare facilities, learning environments, and retail spaces are essential to realize the appropriate functionality of Interior architecture design.Functionality involves many factors affect the psychological status of the peoples such as comfortability, efficiency. The research will expose for two main factorsflexibility and durability.

Flexibility as main element of functionality:

Flexibility is a main element and meansto achieve functionality it helps people to suit the design of their space through compact their living.The accurate flexible design lead to reduce money expenditure through less stuff,space and energy. Sequentially it effect the psychological status of inhabitants.Furniture constitute the most practicable element of Interior architecture that response to flexibility measurements. Many furniture pieces designed using folding patterns or drawer included with mechanical or electrical features. This furniture can make from the interior space maximum efficiency takes place through ergonomic and human fitness .Properties such as being lightweight, portable, adjustable, performing two or more functions, or equipped with wheels can increase flexibility. Designers can create or select multi-functional furniture elements they can generate flexible environments in which the same space can reflect different social functions. The wide variety of usage that flexibility offers improve resident's satisfaction and psychological condition.

Durability as main element of functionality:

Durability is the ability of space components, buildings, material, product, to maintain its intended. Durability consider essential factor of cost-effectively design. The long-term condition of a home is important to retaining its investment value as well as its continued function as a safe, healthy, and aesthetic living environment. Poor durability adds to the operating and maintenance cost of home ownership. This will reflected on the psychological condition and the satisfaction of occupants causing them anger. The essential role of Interior architecture designer is how to found the adjustable configuration of components such as high-performance wall coatings and paint to keep walls fresh looking, easier to clean. Natural materials like granite, marble, limestone and glass are great ways to provide durable architectural environment.

THE PYCOLOGICAL IMPACT OF HEALTH CONCERNS:

Besides the direct impact of interior architecture on psychological condition of peoples, there are indirect impact through the reflection of physical illness as result of poor interior architecture condition. The outdoor and indoor environmental quality of spaces in regard of health concern like weather and climate adaptation, interior finishes, furnishings, materials, light, sound, color, and air quality. Products used to design homes have the potentiality of causing many illnesses. The majority of human being spent most of their life inside the different types of building with particular interior architecture. Types of health risks that produced from the harmfulspace interior architecturevaries according the type of spacewhether residential space, workspace orother building types like commercial buildings and educational buildings.

ITERIOR ARCHITECTURE CONSIDRATION FOR HEALTH CONCERNS:

Interior architectures designershave a wide range of options to apply health consideration by adapting their design to utilize the positive features of the nature, environment and climate condition. In the other side, they need to adapt their design to avoid harmful condition such as controlling the degree of sun exposure, temperature, wind, humidity and veneration through using products of exterior sun control such as exterior window sun shades , water proofing materials light weight concrete roof insulation, exterior covering paints , Stone and Cladding with special characteristics. With indoor space, Interior architectures can control the flow of air and heat through using removable internal doors, different types of partition. They can controlthe quality of air through using air filter systems,air quality monitoring,residential central air conditioners . controlling thermal condition through double glazed windows with a vacuum between them that prevents heat loss or gain, residential furnaces and heating boilersceiling Fans and ventilation, in addition tofans reflective paints and coatings.

THE PYCOLOGICAL IMPACT OF ACCESSIBILITY:

Architecturewayfinding, accessibilityand circulation are similar concepts that share each other to facilitate peoples approaching to, into and through spaces, buildings or homes, connect eachspace with other exterior and interior spaces and facilities. Ingeneral,the accurate application of these conceptsis one of the most complex problems in the overall architectural design. Interior architectures and designers need to take responsibility for recognizing and achieving afeasible solution, learn the associated aspects about the psychological and health-related impacts that produce efficient navigation and orientation design. The appropriate architecture design saving physical efforts, enhancing emotional status, give primary impressions about the overall quality of the architectural design. The impact of accessibility on physical and psychological conditions take further importance when related to public buildingparticularly public building with large complex facilities such asshopping center, airports and hospitals. Spaces and buildings must be accessible to all people with special concern to children, old people and persons with disabilities.

ITERIOR ARCHITECTURE CONSIDRATION FOR ACCESSIBILITY:

The design of Interior architecture wayfinding, accessibility and circulation vary by space type, size, and layout and user requirements. The thoughtful accessibility and circulation have many of important architectural features more than putting up signs or designing opening. The main task for the designers here is to understand a number of consideration that have an extreme impact for psychological condition: consideration required for horizontal circulation elements include; approaches from street toward a building or space, itshould be level, clearly identified, slip resistant, suitable width comparable with the movement capacity. The consideration for entrances should be effective in width, height and depth with convenient use in both manually and automatically situation.Lobby should accommodate visitors by providing information about facilities, waiting areas and access to vertical levels. Corridors or paths should be wide enough to allow people to pass each other with level surface and slip resistant. Consideration required for vertical circulation elements include; stairs to the upper level that shouldbe suitable for people with ambulant disabilities, Handrails must be installed on both sides of the stairs, using stairs as major vertical circulation means that mobility for impaired users are required to use other systems. Ramps should be hard and non-slip, the ideally entrance to a ramp should be immediately adjacent to the stairs. Elevator should have adequate space inside according to the volume of use, suitable door opening dimension.

THE PYCOLOGICAL IMPACT OF OUTDOORS AND OPEN SPACES:

Having quality outdoors, open spaceand green extents in and around the places in both residential and public spaces where people live and work,represent a good environment for recreation and leisure requirementscause direct and effective impactfor improving psychological condition. Both visual access and being actually within green space helps toimprove opportunities to enjoy, contact with the natural world, and restore the mind’s ability to focus. This can improve the overall health status, improves cognitive function, satisfaction, and daily activities performance, and help tolessen stress and illness. Outdoors and green spaces encourage social contact, leisure and cultural activities by serving as informal meeting places and sites for group to share activities that enhance the desire of knowledge, increase the level of alertness. It makephysical activity,recreation, walk and exerciseavailable. The psychological impacts of outdoors and green space has special importance and further impactson children and older peoples.