SPACE ARTICULATION AND

TERITORIALITY
 SPACE
“We put thirty spokes together and call it a
wheel; but it is on the space where there is
nothing that the utility of the wheel depends.
We turn clay to make a vessel; but it is on the
space where there is nothing that the utility of
the vessel depends. We pierce doors and
windows to make a house; and it is on these
spaces where there is nothing that the utility
of the house depends. Therefore, just as we
take advantage of what is, we should
recognize the utility of what is not.”
Lao-tzu
Tao Te Ching
6th century B.C.
"As space begins to be captured, enclosed, molded
and organized by the elements of mass, architecture
comes into being."
Ching- Architecture: FORM, SPACE & ORDER
“Architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificent
play of masses brought together in light. Our eyes are
made to see forms in light; light and shade reveal these
forms…”
Le Corbusier: Towards a New Architecture
- When a space lacks articulation, it can be
uncomfortable or even chaotic. When one space
blends indiscriminately into another, when you don’t
know where one function ends and another begins, the
plan lacks articulation. Even the furniture can look out
of place when there are no architectural clues to guide
us in the use of space.
ARTICULATION

Articulation avoids ambiguity. It

simultaneously makes spaces
more interesting and more
functional. Architectural
elements can establish
articulation without making a
plan confining. Columns or piers
between living and dining areas,
for example, can preserve
openness while subtly defining
functions. Overhead ledges,
level changes, a jog in the plan,
columns or arcades are a few of
the many features that can be
used to articulate space
ARTICULATION

Think of architectural elements –

columns, piers, arches, ledges, level
changes - like punctuation marks
between words. Just as commas,
periods, and exclamation points help
articulate the meaning of written
words, architectural features can
articulate the functions of spaces
and make them more meaningful.
 ARTICULATION

ARTICULATION OF FORM
1. Differentiating adjoining
planes with a change in
material, color, texture or
pattern.
2. Developing corners as distinct
linear elements independent
of the abutting planes.
3. Removing corners to
physically separate
neighboring planes.
4. Lighting the form to create
sharp contrasts in tonal value
along edges and corners.
 TERRITORIALITY

PERSONAL SPACE 4 DISTANCE

ZONES
- invisible boundary surrounding the
person’s body into which intruders  Intimate Distance
may not come – 0 - 0.45m
Three main purposes:  Personal
Distance – 0.46m
 Protective function serves as a - 1.20m
buffer against potential emotional
and physical threats  Social Distance –
1.20m – 3.70m
 Adjusting sensory input regulate
amount of sensory information we  Public Distance –
get from others 3.70m+
 Communication function level of
closeness and intimacy that we
desire with another
 TERRITORIALITY

PRIVACY
 the ability of an individual or groups of
individuals to control their visual, auditory,
olfactory interactions with others
 the ability to have options and to achieve
desired level of interactions
KINDS OF PRIVACY
Solitude: state of being free from observation by
others
Intimacy: state of being with another person but
free from the outside world
Anonymity: state of being unknown even in a
crowd
Reserve: state in which a person employs
psychological barriers to control unwanted
intrusions
CROWDING
 associated with a feeling of lack of
control over the environment
 leads to negative behavior because
they are related to social overload
 results from overmanning of behavior
settings
DESIGN IMPLICATIONS
 need for privacy greater for introverts
than for extroverts
 extroverts like contrast with the
environment
 introverts like courtyards
 TERRITORIALITY

DESIGN IMPLICATIONS Effects of architecture on personal space:

 extroverts like strong central plans  Size and shape of room
 introverts like complex internal relationships  Ceiling height
and clear territorial patterns
 Presence of partitions
 people under stress need more privacy for
workplaces  Light
PERSONALIZATION  Location in room
 staking claims to places  Seating or standing position
 manifestation of desire for control and  Inside or outside
expression of aesthetic tastes  Crowded versus uncrowded conditions
 effort to make an environment fit activity better escape?
 done for psychological security
 TERRITORIALITY

TERRITORIALITY SYSTEM OF HUMAN TERRITORIES

 a delimited space that a person or a group Defensible Space: a space that affords easy
uses and defends as an exclusive preserve recognition and control of activities
 involves psychological identification with a Levels:
place
 visual access
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF TERRITORIES
 adjacency
 ownership of and rights to a place
 monitored by computers or cameras
 personalization of marking of an area
TERRITORIAL VARIATION
 defense against intrusions
as a factor of:
 serve functions ranging from physiological to
self-actualization  social class
 civil status
 religion