Architecture, Eyes and Skin

In a world where we are constantly flooded with information, it’s interesting how we made to ignore so much going around us. In Pallasmaa’s essay “The eyes of the skin” I can sense that same idea, complemented by an idea of frustration.

The essay is divided into two parts – the first one expires the issues of designing for architecture, but at the same time focusing only the visual and thus missing opportunities to impress other senses and creating a more Holistic and engaging experience. Pallasmaa explains that phenomenon as part of our evolution as people and the discovery of various technological advances. The idea is that that focuses on the visual, just one of our five senses, is rooted not only in architecture but in other design disciplines as well – advertising, television, print… (fig.1)

fig. 1: “Just Form, No Function” – an art piece displaying a form and shape without any actual function, presented as an example of ocularcentrism with a hint of sarcasm. Link: deco1_64735.jpg

The second part of the essay explores how to tackle the issues presented earlier.

Most importantly, the thing that should be taken out as an idea is how in our modern culture, the eyes take a leading point as the most important sense, and they shouldn’t.

“As the ocularcentric paradigm of our relation to the world and of our concept of knowledge – the epistemological privileging of vision – has been revealed by philosophers, it is also important to survey critically the role of vision in relation to the other senses in our understanding and practice of the art of architecture.” (Pallasmaa)

If we design for the full range and spectrum of our senses we would get a more interesting and captivating location that would quench our thirsty for excitement. I will contradict myself from earlier, but here the bottom that we have five senses is not enough. According to some studies, we experience the world around us, depending on how we count, with up to 21 different senses. This is an interesting motion because we experience the world around us not just by setting or smelling it, but with seemingly shocks feelings. Like the sense that helps us to feel how our muscles and joints are moving and in essence help us to determine where our body parts are even if our eyes are closed. (GROUPIE)

I gave that example because when you start thinking in that direction we realise how we experience the world in interesting ways that we don’t really realise. It’s not just what we see our touch, is the idea of where we are placed, how the walls interact with the light and make us feel in the space, are we existing in just the physical plane or on a higher mental level as well.

But possibly the most interesting idea here stems from a concept found in a discussion on the topic of experiencing art, music, and architecture.

“Scruton’s fascination with ‘seeing as’ is at the heart of the matter, for with that one is led to have a visual image which is easily confused with what is actually seen. By contrast, what does one ‘hear’ when one ‘hears the sadness in the music’ ? What one hears is the music, but one’s image of sadness cannot be auditory: it is a non-auditory, and non-visual, kinaesthetic image of postures, gestures, and other bodily movements characteristic of feeling sad, so in no way could this be confused with anything heard. Scruton’s ‘aesthetic experiences’ are not experiences any more than Taylor’s ‘as-if experiences’ are.” (Slater, B. H.)

The idea here is that when we experience a piece of art, be it a painting, a song, or a building, we might be looking at it with just our eyes but the feelings that come with it might run deeper than just the eyes, creating emotional bonds that elevate the experience to new levels. Seeing something with your eyes might just be the start.

Taking all of this into an account designing for the turns out to be a lot more complicated than just incorporating a few touch surfaces and music as we discover that people experience the world in unknown, weird, interesting and emotional ways. We have senses that we never though we have, some people experience the world differently than others and what happens in our head is not always something we perceive concisely on the surface. A deeper and more sophisticated thought is always needed to create a clearer picture of what’s going on in a person’s head.

 

References:

Pallasmaa, J. “THE EYES OF THE SKIN” Architecture and the Senses.

GROUPIE, architecture. “How Do We EXPERIENCE ARCHITECTURE”. Architecturegroupie.wordpress.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Slater, B. H. “‘Experiencing’ Architecture”. Philosophy 59.228 (1984): 253-258. Web.

 

 

 

Place branding methodology​

 

In the journal “How to catch a city? The concept and measurement of place brand”, Sebastien Zenker talks about methods of measuring brand and identity of places. More specifically how there isn’t an effective way to measure and create that sort of brand. What he proposes is in order to create an effective brand of a city or location you should take into an account two things. One is the physical attributes of a given place and the other is how people perceive this given space. He uses the example of Berlin and Hamburg to illustrate this. While “factually” Berlin has a greater wooded area, Hamburg is seen as the greener city.

To develop a place or city brand is a long and difficult process. This combined with the idea that place branding is a new concept and is easy to see why good and reliable data is hard to come by. That’s why the author proposes a model for work that involves using different technique to make an effective place brand and finishes with the idea that “a case study of the place physics, analysis of the media, or qualitative research about the place communication and word of mouth could still aid the general understanding of a place brand, since the place identity exerts a strong influence over the perception of a place” or in other words: more research is needed to create an effective approach.

fig. 1: One of the most famous city branding projects. Image source: i-love-new-york-branding-logo.jpg

 

The key point here is that a person’s opinion is just as important as the actual offering. This idea is extended further by Simon Anholt’s journal about Place Branding from 2010 – “How to make a good story”. While Sebastien stipulates that human perception should be used in accordance with a place’s physical attributes, Anholt hints that keeping people interested is an important part of the whole process.

Simon looks at how news from a particular region can shape an opinion. An interesting take on this idea is that negative news usually attracts more attention than the positive ones, but he thinks that this is the case not because people crave negative news, but because in general shocking and negative news are just interesting and have a more captivating narrative.

fig. 2: An example model for place branding strategy. Image source: 48368edc76f08d810ac08f479e0afdd0.jpg

 

A negative news is more likely to shape the opinion of the masses, and yet at the same time the stronger, the brand image is, the harder it is to break its reputation. [Example is given with America and Denmark and different actions] The ideas presented in the journal paint a very interesting picture that doesn’t just apply to the place or city branding, but can also be applied to different design disciplines.

1: By creating a space or place we have to give it strong aspects that would dominate it, so much so that…

2: … if some negative event creates an unneeded negative idea, it wouldn’t affect it as much. That said avoid negative publicity as it shape people’s opinions really fast

3: And last but not least – keep it interesting. People are social features that need stimulation at all times. But in a world filled with an amazing variety of stimulants, we get bored very easily. And if this happens we seek new stimuli. Create an interesting, captivating and ever evolving atmosphere to keep that interest on peak levels.

Like Sebastien’s opinion and other researchers’ interest in the topic of place branding, more stable and reliable date is needed to make sure that these models and ideas work. By extending research methods and observing people and behaviors, little by little the data becomes more apparent, but because every person is unique what might work with some, might not be as effective with others.

Consumer Design

 

Fig.1 80406a6079df772c84d0e50b85fe039b_400x400.jpeg

Francesca Murialdo

Dr. Francesca Murialdo (Fig.1) graduated Architecture at Politecnico di Milano as well as European PhD in Interior Architecture and Exhibition Design at the same place. Her interests are orientated around the idea to built physical connections between spaces, objects, people by using different strategies. In her career Francesca specializes in adaptive re-use, hospitality and retail strategy in design. Now she is teaching Interior Architecture as a Senior Lecturer in Middlesex University in London. (Middlesex university London, no date)

I was pleased to read her excerpt ‘Practices of Consumption and Spaces for goods’ and to attend her lecture about retail design at Middlesex University. That made me think about different things and find my own interpretation about the design and the consumers.

The world of design is always changing and evolving, alongside the people that always look for something interesting and different to cater to their needs. With this constant evolution there is always something new to be created and if businesses don’t follow trends they lose pace and eventually lose profits. One of those recent changes is connected to how we experience and purchase products.

It’s no longer just the product we buy, it’s the experience that comes with it. The feelings, emotions and personal associations that come with it. In a world where we always have a choice and can buy virtually the same product from multiple different places, why do we choose the one we choose? According to Francesca Murialdo’s “Practice of Consumption and Space for Goods”. The world is changing in such a way where the architecture and interior of a store are as important as the actual product that they sell. In this, the involvement of an interior designer or an architect is more and more important in how we shape the experience of the customer. “Retail has not only a fundamental role in the different organization of the city, its public spaces and social life; it is a complete re-invention of the significance of the goods and, in last instance, of our lifestyle and understanding of the world.”

In her texts, gives interesting examples of different stores and shops around the globe, but one of my favorite examples is here in London – TopShop on Oxford circus.(Fig.2) While other shops deliver these experiences this one has their target audience very well defined and cater to them. When approaching the shop you realize it’s more than a clothes store. It has a DJ in front of the store, a milkshake and a bubble tea stand on the shop floor, a coffee shop on the lower floor alongside a make-up, hair, tattoo and piercing parlor. All of these create a more holistic experience and make the whole store an entirely new type of shopping experience.

Fig.2 431e24e4a4f98993f66bcda296e8b53b.jpg

Top Shop at Oxford Street. A shop that uses all 5 senses in the design of the spaces inside.

Thinking about experience design we see other evidences about the change in the thinking of the consumer. This is confirmed by the journal “Welcome to the Experience Economy” by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore. There they explain how experiences are “not just for the theme parks anymore” and that they can be incorporated in the design to make it more effective. One method to do so is focusing on the five basic human senses: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, and Touch. By catering to the five senses we can increase the intensity of the experience. “The sensory stimulants that accompany an experience should support and enhance its theme. The more senses an experience engages, the more effective and memorable it can be”

One good reference we can see on this site: http://design-milk.com/sensorium-exhibition-a-space-devoted-to-the-five-senses/?utm_source=Design%20Milk%20newsletter&utm_campaign=e2169315f8-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email#!bOl0fO

This is a Céline Merhand and Anaïs Morel’s project about creating an environment to explore all five of your senses.(Fig.3)

Fig.3 SENSORIUM-8.jpg

Sensorium Exhibition

In interior design thinking about how to excite the senses can create a better atmosphere and influence people in the way you want. You can simulate experiences and ideas dictating how people behave just by using the right smells, sounds, using the right fabrics…

In an ever-evolving world of design, we should always be one step ahead of the trends. We should use them to strengthen our ideas and make them more effective. There are many different ways to do so but understanding the shift from “commodity” to “experience” is important.

 

 

REFERENCES:

Pine, J. and Gilmore, J. (1998) Welcome to the Experience Economy. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/B_Pine_Ii/publication/235360991_The_Experience_Economy_Work_Is_Theatre_and_Every_Business_A_Stage/links/55ba4d5908aed621de0accdb/The-Experience-Economy-Work-Is-Theatre-and-Every-Business-A-Stage.pdf (Accessed: 28 February 2017).

Harrington (2014) Interior design: Focusing on the 5 senses. Available at: http://www.harrington.edu/student-life/blog/august-2013/interior-design-focusing-on-the-5-senses (Accessed: 28 February 2017).

Middlesex university London (no date) Available at: https://www.mdx.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-directory/profile/murialdo-francesca (Accessed: 5 March 2017).

Williamson, C. (2012) Sensorium exhibition: A space devoted to the Five senses – design milk. Available at: http://design-milk.com/sensorium-exhibition-a-space-devoted-to-the-five-senses/?utm_source=Design%20Milk%20newsletter&utm_campaign=e2169315f8-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email#!bOl0fO (Accessed: 5 March 2017).

The Welsh Dresser

Fig.1 Jane.jpg Jane Rendell

Jane Rendell (Fig.1) is a writer, art critic and architectural historian/theorist/designer. Her work is orientated around the interdisciplinary intersections between architecture, art, feminism and psychoanalysis.In 2006 she was a research fellow at Centre for Research in Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Cambridge and received an honorary degree from the University College of the Creative Arts. (Jane Rendell, no date)

 

“I don’t start with a design objective, I start with a communication objective. I feel my project is successful if it communicates what it is supposed to communicate.” – Mike Davidson

The ultimate goal when designing something is to create an emotional response in the observer in some way. By doing this you are creating not just an interesting space, product, or some other type of proposition, but something more valuable and wanted.

This type of experience is observed in the journal “The Welsh Dresser” by Jane Rendell. In that text, the author takes the idea of the dresser and looks at it by using a site writing style to take a look at this family heirloom. She takes out objects from the dresser and for each of these objects, she examines them in three different ways:

1. Definition – a look at the actual definition of the object from a dictionary.
2. Personal Feelings – how the author interprets these object from his own point of view and experience.
3. Historic – an exploration of the historic significance of those same rituals explain in the personal experience of the writer.

The text explores how a single object can be associated with different feelings and emotions based on the prism through which the observer sees it. The writer puts that in perspective by showing her personal feelings and stories tangled around the wooden dresser. At the same time, we see the definitions of these same objects and how they can carry a different meaning.

“I position the photograph as a point of contemplation between several modes of writing, two apparently objective – a series of dictionary definitions and theoretically inflected notes; and another typically subjective- scenes of childhood memory, in order to question the nature of the photograph as evidence.”

A similar concept is found and explored by Steven Bradley in his book “Design Fundamentals”. He explains the phenomenon where different people can observe the same situation and still at the same time leave with completely different ideas on what exactly happened. (Fig.2)

Fig.2 9db.jpg

A person’s perception of reality is individually based on their own experiences throughout life. As mentioned by Steven Bradley everyone interprets situations in their own unique way and draw conclusions from it. This can shape future experiences as well. But on the other hand, you can use established visual cues that can influence most people in a similar way. The example used by Bradley is the colour blue, that can be used to infuse trust into the observer – “Blue is the color of the sea and the sky, two things which are always present. We can count on them. We trust them.” (Fig.3) Also implied by Steven is the idea that these associations on a subconscious level in a short amount of time, so people mostly are not aware that this experience has resurfaced.

Logos that use blue colour instil a sense of security:

Fig.3 blue-logos1_thinkstock.png

This, of course, has application in interior and architectural design. Some of these associations are documented and can be used to influence the observer, customer or client depending on the facility that we are creating. With the decision on what type of idea we want to broadcast to our target audience, we can work our way backward and anticipate the feelings we want to create and how to hint them.

While aware that there isn’t a realistic way to induce that same feeling and memory as expressed in the “Welsh Dressed” because we can’t have the personal and filled with emotional stories objects, we can use other methods to create similar positive emotions in our target audience. It’s just a matter of knowing how.

 

REFERENCES:

Jane Rendell (no date) Available at: http://www.janerendell.co.uk/biography (Accessed: 5 March 2017).

Bradley, S. (2013) How perception alters reality and design influences content. Available at: http://vanseodesign.com/web-design/perception-and-reality/ (Accessed: 28 February 2017).

Tom Avermaete and Anne Massey ‘Hotel Lobbies and Lounges’ The Architecture of professional hospitality

Fig. 1. 636bee7d-ba0c-4348-b762-60da17656ca0_1.016ac1066cc0158c0448a2d9c5efd68e.jpeg

‘Hotel Lobbies and Lounges’ is a book, which includes series of essays, which investigates the historical, theoretical and practical aspects of interiors. It is edited by Tom Avermaete (Fig.2) and Anne Massey (Fig.3) in 2012. The book explores the architectural significance of the hotels through the history and their cultural and social reflection. (Avermaete and Massey, 2014)

Fig.2. f16_avermaetetom2.jpg

Tom Avermaete – an associate professor of architecture at the Delft University of Technology. His interests are orientated in the post-war public and the architecture of the city in Western and non-Western contexts. He is an author and an editor of a couple journals and books, and also an initiator of some exhibitions. (Tom Avermaete / persons / the Berlage, 2010); (Avermaete, Tom – CIAMX, no date)

Fig.3 Anne-Massey.jpg

Anne Massey – is Professor of Design and Culture, Associate Dean of Research and Head of the Graduate School at LCC and also a curator and writer who looks at the spaces between art and design. She also was a Director of Research in the School of Art & Design at Middlesex University before joining the LCC. She has written different books and journals about Interiors, Design, Architecture, Culture and more. She also has lectured in different museums, galleries, universities in the Italy, Holland, UK, France, USA and curated some exhibitions. Her interests are orientated in the Design, Architecture, pop-art, culture and historiography. (Team, 2016); (People, 2016)

Comparison between functional and emotional contexts – giving examples of the revolving doors and the receptions:

In his essay about the functionality of the hotel lobby, the author’s thoughts are fluctuating between the different functions of the various design elements contained in the microcosm of the lobby. It is interesting to read how the interior while it might have a very clear concept – e.g. for the revolving door to be made in such a way so it contains the climate of the interior without obstructing the flow of people visiting the establishment, while at the same time that same element has a much deeper significance in the subconscious perception of the hotel guests.

With that point of view, the author dissects and analyze every aspect of the hotel lobby and the customer journey through the different stages – from entering the hotel, registering and all the way to entering their room. The visitor at a hotel is in a sense just that – a visitor, a guest. Nothing more. He is permitted to enter and use the hotel, given the room key for a specified amount of time and then he must return it and leave. This creates a contradiction with the way how lobbies are created to seem accommodating and comforting with their grand open spaces, sofas, and friendly personnel.

It is also interesting to observe how these lobbies have evolved over time, how inventions like the elevator switched where the most desired rooms would be positioned and how technology and design are changing the lobby itself.

But the most intriguing part for me is the comparison between the revolving doors and bridges. According to the author of the essay, these two connecting objects have a very similar function.

They are made to connect two opposite sides – for the bridge that’s the two opposite banks of the river for instance, and for the revolving door these are the inside and outside. In that, their purpose bears the similarity of connection and transition but the similarity ends there. This is because the bridge lacks the clear aim based on which direction the person is going on the bridge. Meanwhile, based on what the visitor of a hotel is doing, either leaving or arriving, the function and subconscious purpose of the revolving door changes. As my main project for the course in MA Design (Interior and Architecture) is boiling down to two main subject – Bridges and Augmented Reality, this is really interesting because I want to change how people interact and use bridges and to create a more involving environment for the person walking on the bridge. Like mentioned earlier the revolving doors, and bridges have the similarity in connectivity but have that moment of divergence, I can analyze these little differences and apply methods to improve on the design of my future design.

hotel-lobbies-and-lounges-the-architecture-of-professional-hospitality

Questions:

1. How do you think the Hotel Lobbies might evolve in the future?
2. Which is your favourite hotel lobby and why?

New words:

quotidian – of or occurring every day; daily

panopticon – a circular prison with cells arranged around a central well, from which prisoners could at all times be observed.

realm – a field of interest

ditto – the same thing again (used in lists and accounts and often indicated by a ditto mark under the word or figure to be repeated).

 

REFERENCES:

Avermaete, T. and Massey, A. (2014) Hotel lobbies and lounges: The architecture of professional hospitality. Available at: http://books.bk.tudelft.nl/index.php/press/catalog/book/130 (Accessed: 20 November 2016).

Tom Avermaete / persons / the Berlage (2010) Available at: http://www.theberlage.nl/persons/tom_avermaete (Accessed: 20 November 2016).

Avermaete, Tom – CIAMX (no date) Available at: http://www.ciamxdubrovnik.com/participants/avermaete-tom/ (Accessed: 20 November 2016).

Team, W. (2016) Professor Anne Massey. Available at: http://www.arts.ac.uk/research/ual-staff-researchers/a-z/professor-anne-massey/ (Accessed: 20 November 2016).

People (2016) ADRI. Available at: http://adri.mdx.ac.uk.contentcurator.net/massey-prof-anne (Accessed: 20 November 2016).

 

Michel de Certeau ‘Walking the City’ in his The Practice of Everyday Life

Fig. 1. Screen_shot_2012-02-17_at_2.21.11_PM.png

Michel Jean Emmanuel de La Barge de Certeau (Michel de Certeau)(17 May 1925 – 9 January 1986) – Born in Chambery, Savoie, he was a member of  the religious congregation of the Catholic Church, with the hope to do a missionary work in China. His interests and work were between the history, philosophy, social science, and psychoanalysis.

He studied classics and philosophy in Grenoble, Lyon and also undertook religious training at a seminary in Lyon. In 1960 he earned his doctorate in the Sorbonne. Later he went to teach in different universities in Paris, San Diego, and Geneva. His work was influenced by Sigmund Freud. Yet, he was one of the founders of the ‘Ecole Freudienne de Paris’, which was an informal group served as a focal point for French scholars interested in psychoanalysis.

Michel de Certeau, in his poetic essay, outlines the way people walk in the city and what they experience. According to him the people walking in the city are engulfed by the building around the streets, in such a way that they don’t know the surroundings, don’t experience the city but just see what’s going on around them, when people walk in the streets “…they write without being able to read it.” [pp. 158]

He can observe the movement and the city skyline, the beauty and the changing landscape of the city like a “Solar Eye” [pp. 157] and experience the city unlike the people down below.

Walking and getting familiar with a city is an exhilarating experience and in the words of Charles Baudelaire “What strange phenomena we find in a great city, all we need to do is stroll about with our eyes open.” But to experience it such a way would be difficult based on Certau’s thoughts. So much that he proposes a three-step plan, a theory that opposes the “… ideals and theories of urban planners and managers…” [pp. 156]. The three step plan to a ‘utopian’ city:

1. Create it is own organization in ‘space’, ignoring the norms placed there by the “physical, mental and political” boundaries;
2. Create it’s own place in time, forgetting about established traditions;
3. Create the unique location which is the city itself.

In a way, Certeau asks about the possibility of approaching a city in a creative and innovative way, forgetting the norms and guidelines, with the aim to create something new, unique and better. Not always the rules help us. We now live in a world where almost everything is possible, new techniques, materials and ideas are generated on a daily basis and following the thoughts of the author, we should probably use these, to break the constraints of today, and the rules of yesterday to create a better and more enjoyable tomorrow.

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

― Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Questions:

1. What do you want to change in a city to make it better?
2. Which do you prefer bus or a tube, and why ?

New words:

superfluous – unnecessary, especially through being more than enough

well trodden – much frequented by travelers.

voracious – engaging in an activity with great eagerness or enthusiasm

expenditure – the action of spending funds.

mythification – to create a myth about (a person, place, tradition, etc.); cause to become a myth

Jesuit – a member of  the religious congregation of the Catholic Church

 

REFERENCES:

Michel de Certeau (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_de_Certeau (Accessed: 20 November 2016).

Gallery Visit Day :)

Fig.1 personal archive

On Tuesday 8th November, together with my colleagues we were invited from our amazing Critical Debates tutor-Daniel Davies, to visit three different galleries based in London. (Fig.1)

I left the tube on Moorgate station and walked to find the first place that we had to visit – ‘Barbican center'(first time I am going there). While walking in-between some huge and glassed buildings I suddenly noticed a big and obviously too old structure (Brutalist Architecture), with really different Design in comparison with the surroundings. That was the Barbican Centre, which is the largest in Europe performing arts center, based in London. The building consists classical and contemporary music concerts, theater performances, film screenings,art exhibitions,library, restaurants, conservatory and a lot of other activities. At first, while I was trying to find a way to go on the third floor (where our group meeting was), I got lost. The center is so huge, that never mind that I am an architect (I have experience how to move and find the fastest route in a building), I got lost. Or I was just so concentrated to watch at everything inside the structure, so I was distracted a lot. It is really nice and I want to say ‘strange’ place because it collects different activities and structures inside and outside. It is obvious that the building is old, but recently had some kind of refurbishment. It was interesting for me to see how the interior and exterior design was made. On the outside, it is really interesting that the plan of the building was very complex, and it consisted different (from height and style) architectural parts. There was a church in-between the whole complex and a school. Also, a really nice pond was made inside the whole complex, and it was surrounded by resident buildings. (Fig.1;2;3;4;5)

Fig.2 personal archive

Fig.3 personal archive

Fig.4 personal archive

Fig. 5 personal archive

The exhibition that we had to visit the Barbican center was called ‘Vulgar’. It was a real pleasure for me to go and see this place (I didn’t expect to see that good thing). I think that the art pieces that I saw inside were really AMAZING. I am not a Fashion Design student, but if I was I would be definitely very inspired. I felt like I want to steal all those apparels. The exhibition was organized in an interesting way also. The different clothes were divided by different meaning in the hall. To be honest, I think that I didn’t see anything which I can define as ‘vulgar’ for myself inside. As I already said, I felt like I want to steal and wear everything from inside.

Otherwise, the interior was organized in an interesting way and was combined really good with the apparels. The room was mainly dark (black and gray colors) combined with some white walls and the lights were placed in a different way. The role of the lights, actually was really good, because they were used to underline some of the art pieces. The whole hall was easily accessible and it was a lot of free space. Two main floors, where the center was open planned, so the visitor can see the second floor from the first one. It was an interesting place to see.

Another thing that took my attention was that there were a lot of different ‘bridges’ built inside and outside the building and the exhibitions. Because part of the project that I develop right now for the course ‘ART 4000 – Developing practice’ is based on a project about ‘modularity’, which for me is the footbridge. It was interesting and curious for me to see how that bridges were organized there. (Fig.6;7)

Fig.6 personal archive

Fig.7 personal archive

The next exhibition that we had to visit was based next to ‘Old Street station’- Sir John Soane’s Museum, a historic house, museum, and library. The author was an architect from the 19th century. From the outside, the building was planned in a really interesting way – with three different main doors, which was for one same building, designed by Soane himself.  The interior design was really ‘weird’ for me. (first time I see something like this). The interior was full with Soane’s exceptional collection of famous artworks, sculptures, furniture and artifacts, which were based everywhere through the building. Most of them were made from stone, so I was constantly afraid that something will fall on my head or that I will push something (not on purpose). I found that place interesting because it was really natural and I felt like the author is still somewhere there. There weren’t the usual notes everywhere next to each exhibit, which I found good. The place was also made in a really creative way. Obviously, the author had a passion for light and organization (I think). There were gaps on the floor on the different rooms, from which the light can come through. Also, I noticed that the whole house was surrounded by small and narrow corridors and cupboards. It was obvious that the author was such a unique person.(Fig.8;9)

Fig.8 personal archive

I am glad that we spent one really productive and inspiring day and I hope it wasn’t the last one :).

Iris Marion Young ‘Throwing Like a Girl: A Phenomenology of Feminine Body Comportment, Motility, and Spatiality’

Fig.1 Iris Marion Young.jpg

Iris Marion Young (Fig.1) – Born in New York City (2 January 1949 – 1 August 2006), she was a philosopher, who wrote about different topics and also a political theorist and feminist. She graduated with honours at Queens College. Her interests were in the sphere of the nature of justice and the social difference. She wrote notably about feminist phenomenology, ethics and social justice, democratic theory, global justice and security. The political activism was very important for her and also as a professor of Political science at the University of Chicago, she motivated her students to be part of their communities. (Iris Marion Young, 2016),(Ferguson and Nagel, 2010)

While talking about the behavioural differences between males and females the essay tries, with the help of different research papers, to define where lies the reason for the old saying “you throw like a girl”.

The author looks at different cases and in the end is drawn to the conclusion that the main reason for this proverb, and other specific  actions and behaviours have their roots not in a physical manner, like we might assume. Rather those differences are much deeper and can be attributed to something a bit more interesting – how males and females occupy space. The paper tries to prove that girls from an early space are thought to be fragile – to be careful, considerate and in general feminine [pp. 43-44]. This type of behaviour starts manifesting itself in later stages in life and is ultimately one of the reasons why girls are presumed to be the weaker of the sexes – this is not directly said by the author but rather hinted in the manner of speaking towards the end of the essay.

Going back to the thoughts of how women and men occupy their space differently. In the end the main reason that we can say girls throw like, and excuse me for repeating myself, “a girl” can be attributed to the way how girls and boys occupy their personal space. Girls perceive their personal space as a closed and limited, while boys tend to extend out of their their surroundings and perceive it more as an open type of space [pp. 39].

“He concluded that females tend to emphasize what he calls “inner space,” or enclosed space, while males tend to emphasize what he calls “outer space,” …”

This is an interesting rhetoric and it can make us think about how we perceive space – even more as interior designer we take care and create spaces for other people. Taking research like this one into account, we can start think on a broader scale how we can focus our designs to be more effective. Case and point – we should think about our “target audience” – “Particular group of people, identified as the intended recipient of an advertisement or message” (Business Dictionary, 2016). In other words – a target audience is the people we are designing for. By finding our specific audience and the purpose of our space, we can focus on little details that would make the interior a better and pleasant location for our “audience”. Another example – if we try to create a space targeted at males we should focus on a more symmetrical arrangement as this proves more pleasant for that sex, while a more asymmetrical and dynamic form is more appealing to the female side. (Izhaki, 2016)

 

Fig.2 w-Girlthrow.jpg

Fig.3 7047626-3×2-940×627.jpg

 

Questions:

1. Can you think of other examples where the different sexes would behave differently in such a way that it can influence our designs?
2. Do you agree with the statement that this manner of behaviour has its routes from patriarchal oppression?b

New words:

1. motility  – contraction of the muscles that mix and propel contents in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
2. comportment – behaviour; bearing

 

REFERENCES:

Iris Marion Young (2016) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_Marion_Young (Accessed: 7 November 2016).

Ferguson, A. and Nagel, M. (2010) Dancing with Iris: The philosophy of Iris Marion Young. Available at: http://ndpr.nd.edu/news/24487-dancing-with-iris-the-philosophy-of-iris-marion-young/ (Accessed: 7 November 2016).

Bussiness Dictionary (2016) in Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/target-audience.html (Accessed: 7 November 2016).

Izhaki (2016) Available at: http://ux.stackexchange.com/questions/45453/is-there-data-supporting-the-theory-that-women-prefer-rounded-borders (Accessed: 8 November 2016).

 

Andrew Bengry ‘Howell and Christine Griffin – ‘Self-Made Motormen: The Material Construction of Working-Class Masculine Identities through Car Modification’

 

Fig.1 Christine Griffin & Howell Griffin

Andrew Bengry-Howell (one of the authors) is a higher level educator with experience of over 10 years with research interests in youths and identity (2015, 2012). The second author, Christine Griffin, is a leading figure in the development of qualitative research in social psychology. (web-support, 2016)

Both the authors specialise in social Psychology. While Andrew Bengry-Howell is a senior lecturer in Psychology in Bath university, Christine Griffin is a lecturer in Social Psychology in Bath Spa University.

Exploring the article we find two main key points to the thought of the authors. The first being the research of how and why working class males obtain their first symbol of individuality – their first car.

As this is a big step to show individuality and freedom the authors engage in conversation with these “modifiers” on why they do those types of improvements to their cars.

In the process of conversation, they reach the conclusion that the reason for this is hidden in a few factors. Firstly the dominantly male group of males does the improvements and changes to distance the cars from their original manufactured design and style. In this way the car becomes individually unique and different from any other car – it is personalised.  It transformed the simple “act of consumption into a set of practices through which car modifiers produced their cars as symbolic extensions of themselves”  [pp. 375] Secondly that creates a sense of accomplishment from the manual work through the physical work done on the cars.

The second interesting finding is connected more to the “why” they start modifying the cars. This is evident in the phrase of one of the modifiers which states that the vehicle was initially perceived as a “chick’s car” and that’s why they proceed to “de badge” and strip the car of it’s if you will, brand identity. The author of the text almost seems perplexed by these actions. As earlier mention both of them specialise in researching youths and psychology, so they are familiar with how they interact with brands and what kind of meaning they have in some areas, as is in the given example of the article, with clothes for instance. [pp. 337](Fig.2)

Brands have a psychological aspect as well as an experiential aspect.

Knowing how brands work (Nordqvist, 2015), and how the process of branding has evolved to make a product more recognisable and to attach feelings and emotions to it, it’s understandable why the authors are confused by the actions of the “modifiers”. Instead of buying a well-recognised brand, to prove and establish their masculinity by brand association, they invest in a vehicle that is not as popular or that doesn’t have a positive brand image to connect to and then proceed to de badge and alter the image of the car until it’s unrecognisable from the original.

It is an interesting phenomenon but when we think about it that type of behaviour could be found in another type of “subculture”.

Individuals with a taste for the unique, and a self-assured nature, have inspired the movement undeniably.

We call these individuals “hipsters” (Thorn, 2014). The hipster is an individual that strays away from the mainstream, in fashion or otherwise popular. In a similar way to the car modifiers from the Midlands of England they break the rules of branding and trends.(Fig.3)

The paper is an excerpt from an academic journal created from the collaborative research of two academic bodies.

Fig.3 hipster photo

 

Questions:

1. Where else can you see this type of cultural rebellion?
2. –

 

New words:

Commodity – a useful or valuable thing.

Incongruity – the state of being incongruous; incompatibility.

Intrinsic – belonging naturally; essential.

 

REFERENCES:

2015 (2012) Bath spa university – our people. Available at: http://www.bathspa.ac.uk/our-people/a.bengry-howell (Accessed: 6 November 2016).

web-support (2016) University of bath. Available at: http://www.bath.ac.uk/psychology/staff/christine-griffin/ (Accessed: 6 November 2016).

Nordqvist, C. (2015) What is a brand? How do brands work? Available at: http://marketbusinessnews.com/financial-glossary/brand/ (Accessed: 6 November 2016).

Thorn, J. (2014) Clever hacks. Available at: http://www.dailypooper.com/page/article/327/hipsters—where-did-they-come-from (Accessed: 6 November 2016).

Earl Tai ‘Decolonising Shanghai: Design and Material Culture in the Photographs of Hu Yang’

Fig.1. 6a0131100618d9970c013482423001970c-320wi

Earl Tai (Fig.1) – Earl Tai is a graduate in architecture and specializes in the cross-cultural design and social ethics in design and art. He holds numerous grants and certificates granted to him from prestigious institutions like Harvard, Columbia university and others. He takes part in not for profit organizations in the form of a design advisor and is currently on leave in Shanghai. (Tai, 2009)

‘It is always awkward for a designer to self-identify because it can become quite self-conscious and egotistical, so let me talk about the kind of designer I would like to be. I want to be a person who works at the intersection of design practice, design theory, education, and social justice. I would like think that I am the type of designer who is an educator/provocateur, pushing my audience to think about a topic in a new way and encouraging them to act in this world humbly and responsibly’ (Insight: Earl Tai, 2010)

In a world where colonization is a thing of the past and appropriating, consuming, adapting borrowing or just in general showing interest of different cultures is something made easy by the development of technology.

Hu Yang is a photographer that explores an interesting view of the personality by documenting people in their natural state and place and their environment. This is a more holistic and down to earth approach that has a clear aim in documenting the person at the other end of the camera, rather than trying to find a deeper meaning in the objects and images presented to the reader. This point of view is interesting and more pleasing leaving the interpretation of the image to the observer.

The author of the text, Earl Tai, analyses these images from his prism of colonization to show the advances and influences of the Western Culture into the Eastern. Looking at the photographs he analyses the objects, appearances, and behaviors of the subjects, by exposing them to the reality of colonization. He examines in detail the surrounding of a girl, the minimal sets of calligraphy, drawings and  a more traditional style of living without being forced to show that. It really draws Wang Uing as a naturally more inclined towards tradition kind of person. But in contrast, another object, a CD player, draws the attention of the author which shows the subject of the photo to be influenced by Western culture.

This and the other examples are given in the text are an interesting take on how colonization may affect a culture, but I’m more inclined to thinking that small memorabilia, souvenirs, and technology may be more influenced by the needs and interest of the person, rather than a bigger outside force.

This said I find the images compelling as they show the natural habitat, architecture, and organization of their personal space. This is a way to peek into an undisturbed and natural world otherwise reserved to the people native to that specific culture.

Analysing the images of Hu Yang and looking at the interpretations and thoughts of the author we can put another idea forward. It’s interesting how decorating these homes is a for of a statement from the occupants in an attempt to showcase themselves and their interest. But when you look closer and analyse their behaviour as well we can see that they give out an inconsistent message. Incorporating this idea in design terms, when you are creating something it should communicate the correct message on all levels, so we don’t give out a mixed or confused message.

 

Questions:

1. Does our personality affect our own personal surrounding?
2. Do you think colonization still takes part in the modern world?

New words:

gilt – covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint.

occidentalism – is often counterpart to the term orientalism as used by Edward Said in his book of that title, which refers to and identifies Western stereotypes of the Eastern world, the Orient.

 

REFERENCES:

Tai, E. (2009) ‘Decolonizing Shanghai: Design and material culture in the photographs of Hu Yang’, Design Issues, 25(3), pp. 30–43. doi: 10.1162/desi.2009.25.3.30.

Insight: Earl Tai (2010) September. Available at: http://buildingthegoodcity.typepad.com/building-the-good-city/2010/05/insight-earl-tai.html (Accessed: 24 October 2016).