KINESTHETIC QUALITIES OF SPACE

Theory of Architecture 01

Proprioceptive Senses
Theory of Architecture 01

Are senses those concerned with perceiving the bodys own movement and with informing the individual of his or her position and the position of the limbs, in space. In essence this sensory system is composed of two separate systems:

vestibular system in the ear, which is mainly concerned with maintaining the bodys posture and equilibrium and the;
kinesthetic (feeling of motion) system which consists of sensors in the muscles, tendons and joints that indicate the relative positions and movements of the limbs and of different parts of the body.

The system provides unconscious information. However, a lack of consciousness does no imply a lack of importance. The Proprioceptive System is crucial for notifying the operator about what the body is doing, without each and every part of it having to be monitored.

For example, we can walk and climb stairs efficiently because of kinesthetic feedback from the muscles, tendons and joints used during locomotion.; we do not have to look at our feet to know where to put them. Similarly, information from the kinesthetic receptors in the hand, arm and shoulder muscles enables an operator to use a hand control efficiently above head or out of sight.

Edges
Theory of Architecture 01

The shape or conformation of the space and especially the kinesthetic experiences of space as we move through the environment is conveyed by the perception of edges.

James J. Gibson in The Senses considered as Perceptual Systems (1966), explains what happen in our kinesthetic experience of the world:

whenever an observer moves, the array (order of arrangement) changes. Every solid angle of ambient light each one of the adjacent pyramid in the diagram is altered. Every form that would be projected on a sphere centered at the eye is altered by perspective transformation, and every form projected on the retina, of course, undergoes a corresponding transformation introspectively, the field is everywhere alive with motion when the observer moves

When the individual goes from one place to another, he has a different vista. For example, when a man in the room walks up to and through the door, the edge of the doorframe expands to uncover the array of the next room. One vista leads to another in a set of continuous connected sequences.

Circulation
Theory of Architecture 01

In design, we are not dealing with geometrical solids as pure obstructions, but as forms to be linked together and penetrated by human movement. Our definition of the shortest distance between two points in design will be the distance that may be covered with the least effort, in other words, the line with the least breaks or jerks in the natural flow of the human movement considered.

The most economical distance, requiring the least amount of energy and fuel and as a consequence, the most efficient.

Service Circulations, mean fast traffic, as any wasted time is a dead loss for the organism. They should be as as short as straight as possible. Public Circulations, in the contrary, must be organized in certain instances so that public will actually cover as much ground as possible. It should never reach the limit of boredom and fatigue. (E.g. Department Store)

KINESTHETIC QUALITIES OF SPACE: Generalization

Theory of Architecture 01

Understand how people move around through the circulatory system, and mostly how smoothly and easily they do move from one area of activity to another. We can all read a plan just by following the moves of the people in it, from the time they land at the port of entry (entrance) until the time they come out of the building as workers, as visitor, as patron, etc. and by projecting ourselves into the mind of the different kinds of people and different kinds of activity they get into while in the building. After this test, we can state if or not the plan works. This should, in the end, be the major criterion to any architectural composition.