Building for Creativity

Chris Berthelsen (http://a-small-lab.com) for http://www.vanderarchitects.com/ 

The T

! " #$% (than& you mr %chanove)

rganic connection through individual' family' community' neighbourhood' e(tended family' organisations and the government. ) $*%CT+#, - -#.CT/ .)!(6)*T/,/$)T/ .' from storage to productive commercial space' to integration into the global economy. stigmergy ) connection with !/0%!/" 1$ 2 social cultural as well as economic imperatives. $ C/)! $T+#CT#+%$ and T+#$T play an important role in income generation and the configuration of space (community ties permeate personal and professional space) .ot informal' but(4) in-formation.

The tool house accretes through creative use.
.ot 3ust dense' but simultaneously diverse *ersonal (5) components of creativity 

Building for Creativity
(1) Personal Components of Creativity in the Built Environment 

Creativity is a *+ 1#CT of a *+ C%$$ that occurs within a *%+$ . in a *!)C%. "#,).(%) use of buildings is messy and spontaneous' but it is also a creative response to the built environment' a reflection of personality' livelihoods' society' culture and traditions. The most powerful way of improving our environments is to put it in control of those *% *!% that have the $T)7% and 7. 8!%19% to ma&e it function well. *% *!% feel : ; rather than mere *!%)$#+%.

*% *!% 

*% *!%

use buildings and we are building for creativity 

*% *!%

use buildings and we are building for creativity

Personal Components of Creativity 

*% *!%

use buildings and we are building for creativity

Personal Components of Creativity

Knowledge and Skills
<act directly on tas&s within the relevant domain in =uestion' but also indirectly affect creativity in other domains through the broadening of individual perspectives..> 

*% *!%

use buildings and we are building for creativity

Personal Components of Creativity

Creativity Relevant Skills
<cognitive and personality traits' wor& style (e.g. high energy and concentration)' and &nowledge/ability to use creativity generating techni=ues..>

Knowledge and Skills
<act directly on tas&s within the relevant domain in =uestion' but also indirectly affect creativity in other domains through the broadening of individual perspectives..> 

*% *!%

use buildings and we are building for creativity

Personal Components of Creativity

Intrinsic Motivation
<the motivation to wor& on something primarily for its own sa&e' because it is en3oyable' satisfying' challenging or otherwise captivating...>

Creativity Relevant Skills
<cognitive and personality traits' wor& style (e.g. high energy and concentration)' and &nowledge/ability to use creativity generating techni=ues..>

Knowledge and Skills
<act directly on tas&s within the relevant domain in =uestion' but also indirectly affect creativity in other domains through the broadening of individual perspectives..> 

*% *!%

use buildings and we are building for creativity

Personal Components of Creativity

Intrinsic Motivation
<the motivation to wor& on something primarily for its own sa&e' because it is en3oyable' satisfying' challenging or otherwise captivating...>

Creativity Relevant Skills
<cognitive and personality traits' wor& style (e.g. high energy and concentration)' and &nowledge/ability to use creativity generating techni=ues..>

Knowledge and Skills
<act directly on tas&s within the relevant domain in =uestion' but also indirectly affect creativity in other domains through the broadening of individual perspectives..>

"ow can we understand these in terms of the built environment? 

Buildings
what parts are we interested in?
(elements of the building: e.g.)
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

are used by people

(e.g.) Transport/)ccess !ocation $torey "eight ,aterials' -i(tures Botanics Connections /nterchangeability 1urability !oading 8alls 9rid $pacing Cladding 9la@ing )ccess +edundancy !ighting' 8aste' *ower $tandardisation -low Cores )ccess/%gress

$ite Built -orm Components $tructure $&in $ervices $pace Circulation $pace $ynta( !egibility +egulations/+estrictions -urniture And? 

Buildings
(elements of the building)
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

are used by people

A sta&eholders include: passers-by' local families' community' wor&ers' innovators in residence' start-ups' sponsors etc...... B

$ite Built -orm Components $tructure $&in $ervices $pace Circulation $pace $ynta( !egibility +egulations/+estrictions -urniture And? 

Buildings
(elements of the building)
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

are used by people in many ways and levels

A sta&eholders include: passers-by' local families' community' wor&ers' innovators in residence' start-ups' sponsors etc...... B

(action spectrum)
●

$ite Built -orm Components $tructure $&in $ervices $pace Circulation $pace $ynta( !egibility +egulations/+estrictions -urniture And?

$pontaneous' ad-hoc movement
↓

●

%veryday Behaviour
↓

●

+outines
↓

●

!ivelihoods
↓

● ● ● ●

ccasions/%vents +ituals ,yths And? 

8ith the above in mind'

"ow does the building enable informal &nowledge ac=uisition' transfer and transformation?

Personal Components of Creativity

Intrinsic Motivation

Creativity Relevant Skills

Knowledge and Skills 

$ee .ona&a (lin&)

7nowledge ta(onomy (lin&)

$ee "edlund (lin&) 

8ith the above in mind'

/n what ways does the building influence ● /mplicit or e(plicit heuristics for generating novel ideas? ● 8or& style conducive to creativity? ● Creative cognitive frames of mind?

Personal Components of Creativity

Intrinsic Motivation

Creativity Relevant Skills

Knowledge and Skills 

8ith the above in mind'

"ow does the building enhance intrinsic motivation and minimi@e e(ternal constraints on motivation?

Personal Components of Creativity

Intrinsic Motivation
<the motivation to wor& on something primarily for its own sa&e' because it is en3oyable' satisfying' challenging or otherwise captivating>

Creativity Relevant Skills

Knowledge and Skills 

Source: Derived from discussion in Amabile (1996) and Stafford (1998). Amabile, T.M. (1996). reativit! in conte"t. #oulder: $estvie% &ress. Stafford, S.&. (1998). a'itali(in) on careabouts to facilitate creativit!. reativit! and *nnovation Mana)ement , +(,), 1-9.16+. 

8ith the above in mind'

"ow does the building enhance intrinsic motivation and minimi@e e(ternal constraints on motivation?

‘extrinsics in the service of intrinsics’
(i) *ossibility of spar&ing latent creativity C (ii) ,otivational synergy
(when intrinsic motivation is low) (when intrinsic motivation is high)

Intrinsic Motivation
<the motivation to wor& on something primarily for its own sa&e' because it is en3oyable' satisfying' challenging or otherwise captivating>

Creativity Relevant Skills

Knowledge and Skills 

‘extrinsics in the service of intrinsics’

Creative Climate
Cve and -ve influences on intrinsic motivation 

‘extrinsics in the service of intrinsics’

Creative Climate
Cve and -ve influences on intrinsic motivation

(positive dimensions)
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

-reedom Trust/ penness +esources Time *layfulness/"umour /dea $upport 1ebate +is& Tolerance
(negative dimensions)

●

Conflict/0iolence 

‘extrinsics in the service of intrinsics’

Creative Climate
"ow does the building influence the social psychological dimensions that are important for intrinsic motivation?

(positive dimensions)
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

-reedom Trust/ penness +esources Time *layfulness/"umour /dea $upport 1ebate +is& Tolerance
(negative dimensions)

(elements of the building)
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

●

Conflict/0iolence

● ● ● ●

$ite Built -orm Components $tructure $&in $ervices $pace Circulation $pace $ynta( !egibility +egulations/+estrictions -urniture And? 

‘extrinsics in the service of intrinsics’

Creative Climate
"ow does the building influence the social psychological dimensions that are important for intrinsic motivation?
(over a spectrum of action' from the momentary to the mythical' for relevant sta&eholders) A sta&eholders include: passers-by' local families' community' wor&ers' innovators in residence' start-ups' sponsors etc...... B

(positive dimensions)
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

-reedom Trust/ penness +esources Time *layfulness/"umour /dea $upport 1ebate +is& Tolerance
(negative dimensions)

(elements of the building)
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

●

Conflict/0iolence

● ● ● ●

$ite Built -orm Components $tructure $&in $ervices $pace Circulation $pace $ynta( !egibility +egulations/+estrictions -urniture And?

(action spectrum)
●

$pontaneous' ad-hoc movement
↓

●

%veryday Behaviour
↓

●

+outines
↓

●

!ivelihoods
↓

● ● ● ●

ccasions/%vents +ituals ,yths And? 

Building for Creativity
( ) !ti"mer"y and !cattered #ases 

Creative use of the built environment leaves traces and fragmentsD remnants that layer up and decay over time. These traces are fine-grained evidence of life. "uman-scale attachment' action and care. )ffection' love' pride. rdinary magic. +esilience. $cattered oases. Tacitly accepted or actively protected. /ndividuals ad3ust their use (indirect collaboration) to fit with that of other users of the space through the medium of a

slow and steady wor& in progress.
sti"mer"y 

sti"mer"y
/nformation flow via the environment

)ctor/)ction

)ctor/)ction

/mprint of information via cues and/or stimuli

%nvironment

#se (Coordination/ Construction)

)ctor/)ction 

sti"mer"y
/nformation flow via the environment

8hat? "ow? 8here?

)ctor/)ction 8ho? 8hat? 8hat? "ow? 8here?
/mprint of information via cues and/or stimuli

)ctor/)ction

%nvironment 8hat? "ow? 8here? )ctor/)ction

#se (Coordination/ Construction) 

sti"mer"y
/nformation flow via the environment

8hat? "ow? 8here?

)ctor/)ction 8ho? 8hat? 8hat? "ow? 8here?
/mprint of information via cues and/or stimuli

8hat does the stigmergy of the building mean for &nowledge #se %nvironment )ctor/)ction (Coordination/ transformation processes? Construction)
$ee previous diagrams

8hat? "ow? 8here? )ctor/)ction 

sti"mer"y
/nformation flow via the environment

8hat? "ow? 8here?

)ctor/)ction 8ho? 8hat? 8hat? "ow? 8here?
/mprint of information via cues and/or stimuli

8hat is a stigmergy of the built environment? 8hat elements #se %nvironment )ctor/)ction (Coordination/ Construction) of the building are important?
8hat? "ow? 8here? )ctor/)ction 

Building for Creativity
($) %ool &ouse (CEP) 

The T

! " #$% (than& you mr %chanove)

rganic connection through individual' family' community' neighbourhood' e(tended family' organisations and the government. ) $*%CT+#, - -#.CT/ .)! *T/,/$)T/ .' from storage to productive commercial space' to integration into the global economy. ) connection with !/0%!/" 1$ 2 social cultural as well as economic imperatives. $ C/)! $T+#CT#+%$ and T+#$T play an important role in income generation and the configuration of space (community ties permeate personal and professional space) 

The T

! " #$% (than& you mr %chanove)

rganic connection through individual' family' community' neighbourhood' e(tended family' organisations and the government. ) $*%CT+#, - -#.CT/ .)! *T/,/$)T/ .' from storage to productive commercial space' to integration into the global economy. ) connection with !/0%!/" 1$ 2 social cultural as well as economic imperatives. $ C/)! $T+#CT#+%$ and T+#$T play an important role in income generation and the configuration of space (community ties permeate personal and professional space) .ot informal' but in-formation.

The tool house accretes through creative use.
.ot 3ust dense' but simultaneously diverse 

The T

! " #$% (than& you mr %chanove)

rganic connection through individual' family' community' neighbourhood' e(tended family' organisations and the government. ) $*%CT+#, - -#.CT/ .)! *T/,/$)T/ .' from storage to productive commercial space' to integration into the global economy. stigmergy ) connection with !/0%!/" 1$ 2 social cultural as well as economic imperatives. $ C/)! $T+#CT#+%$ and T+#$T play an important role in income generation and the configuration of space (community ties permeate personal and professional space) .ot informal' but in-formation.

The tool house accretes through creative use.
.ot 3ust dense' but simultaneously diverse *ersonal components of creativity 

,oving toward a built environment as an elegant tool.
platform 

,oving toward a built environment as an elegant tool.
platform

elegance convenience