ENVIRONMENTAL

BEHAVIOUR STUDIES

UNIT – 1

Introduction to Environmental
Behaviour studies
 HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AND INTERIOR
ENVIRONMENT
The relationship between individuals and their
environment—how they perceive
space and how they react to it.

Perception of one's environment is affected by

sociological needs,
psychological state, and individual differences.

The
environment itself also influences human
behavior. Both
mental and physical stimuli affect behavioral
responses.
WHAT IS EBS
 SYSTEMATIC EXAMINATION AND
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR
APPLICATION IN DESIGN PROCESS
BASIC QUESTIONS TO BE
ASKED
 HOW DO PEOPLE INTERACT WITH THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT.
 WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS
 HOW DO WE APPLY SUCH UNDERSTANDING IN

THE DESIGN PROCESS.

 Gossip- talking to others
 Lot of time trying to understand other

activities- pleasarable way

 Benefits out of gossip

 Some kind of pleasure
 Personal comfort
All the behaviours are conditioned

 Qualities of a hall

 Furniture arrangement
 Environmental stimuli- lighting level
 (environmental stimuli will influence our

behaviour)
 We love to observe others
 We cant ignore somebody sitting in a busstop and

watching others.
 Will u allow any stranger to observe you (no-

ethically inherent)
 Affordance theory- gibson

 Two approaches

 Place centered Individual centered

Behaviour mapping- setting-context-
11 concepts from gerald veeman
 Activity
 Accessibility
 Adaptability
 Comfort
 Control
 Crowding
 Legibility
 Meaning
 Privacy
 Sensory stimulation
 sociability
 ACTIVITY
EATING
SMOKING
CHATTING
COOKING
CLEANING

TEA STALL/BAKERY
 ACCEBLITY
HONEYWELL

TEA SHOP
 EVERY TIME THE ARCHITECT MOVES THE
PENCIL, HE OR SHE MAKES AN ASSUMPTION
ABOUT USER NEEDS AND A DECISION ABOUT
HOW THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT CAN BEST
SERVE THESE NEEDS. IN MANY CASES THESE
ARE ASSUMPTIONS ARE UNCONSCIOUS, THE
DECISION MAKING PROCESS IS NOT Analytical
and the resulting building is not evaluated to
find out how well it actually worked.
Environmental Psychology

Components involved – Environment + Human

Environmental Psychology is an interdisciplinary field

focused on the interplay between humans and their
surroundings.

Environment:-
- Nature and Man-made setting
- immediate surroundings

Behavior is the range of actions and mannerisms made by

any living organism in conjunction with their environment.
Human behavior refers to the range of behaviors
exhibited by humans and which are influenced by
culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, authority, etc.

The behavior of people falls within a range with some

behavior being common, some unusual, some
acceptable, and some outside acceptable limits.

The acceptability of behavior depends heavily upon

social norms and is regulated by various means of
social control.
 Since the time of Vitruvius the goals of architecture have been
expressed in terms of firmness, commodity and delight. In current
language these values would be technology, function and
aesthetics.

As the world has become more complex, and as knowledge in

these three areas has become more voluminous and more
specialized, architects have emphasized one more of these values,
responding to all three, and it is termed as ENVIRONMENTAL
BEHAVIOR STUDIES in architecture.

It is a multidisciplinary and multiprofessional field, aspects of

which are taught by most schools of architecture as well as many
departments of psychology and geography.
 Environmental Behavior Studies in architecture include the
systematic examination of relationship between the environment
and human behaviour and their application in the design process.
1. EBS in architecture encompass more than just
function.

Function in architecture often refers to

dimensional concerns, ex: height of
blackboards, so that the bldg can function as it
was intended to.

And to quantifiable concerns like circulation

flows and proximities btwn activities so that
people can move easily from one function
they have to perform to another.

But behavioral factors go deeper, to the psychology of the

user, how he or she perceives bldg form, social interaction
needs, sub cultural differences in lifestyles, and the
meaning and symbolism of buildings.
2. EBS also includes aesthetics.
As function is related to people’s behavior and needs, aesthetics
is related to their preferences, experiences and of course their
perception of the world.
Thus formal aesthetics is supplemented with a user – based
experiential aesthetics.

3. EBS also extends to technology.

Architectural cue gives a strong expression of firmness as a being
structurally strong.
Good architects from the master builders of the Gothic period
to our time, have been sensitive to the behavioral determinants of
architecture.
The best bldg from historical times responded to human
needs and sentiments, not only in their own time but also as social
life styles evolved.
Environment – behavior studies in the DESIGN PROCESS
Considerable Research has shown that the attitudes and values
of professionals are very different from those of the citizens and
users.
The professional training leads architects to see and think of the
built environment in ways that are totally different from the ways
most other people do. It has become necessary to close the gaps
somewhat by including as integral parts of our training knowledge
about a wide range of user groups, and about ways in which other
people think about the environment.
 The AIA’s awards for excellence are given 10yrs after project
completion. Few of the awards are based on user evaluation.
Rigorous post occupancy evaluation studies, however have
turned up shortcomings and oversights in many of these award-
winning projects. This is an area of valuable information for
architectural designers.

The best known bldg to have major architecture behavior

problem was the Pruitt–Igoe housing complex in St.Louis.

Pruitt–Igoe was a large urban housing project in the U.S. city

of St.Louis. The complex was designed by architect
Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed the World Trade Center
towers and the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport main
terminal.
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN AND THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT
Living conditions in Pruitt–Igoe began to decline soon after its
completion in 1956. By the late 1960s, the complex had become
internationally infamous for its poverty, crime, and segregation. Its
33 buildings were demolished with explosives in the mid-1970s,
and the project has become an icon of urban renewal and public-
policy planning failure.
It have a number of bold design features,
including a refreshing site plan, a river of
open space winding through the bldgs, and
open galleries every third floor for children to
play and for adults to meet and talk. But the
area between the bldg became a desert, and
the galleries became high-crime areas.
 Situations like these in many parts of the world have led to
a feeling of a crisis in architecture, and to a number of issues
central to the architectural profession.

The architectural concern for style and a machine

aesthetics has blinded many architects to human needs and
behavior.
The scope of Environment – Behavior information

1. Environment-Behavior phenomena
2. User Groups
3. Settings

Environment-Behavior phenomena:-
Proxemics are the different distances between people that are
considered comfortable for social interaction.
Privacy is an interpersonal control mechanism that paces and
regulates interaction with others.
Physical design factors affect the degree to which we can
control interpersonal interaction and maintain a balance btwn
privacy and community.
Environmental meaning and symbolism and the ways in
which people use the environment in the presentation of self.
Each of these phenomena is a different aspect of human behavior in
relation to everyday physical environments.
- Proxemics & Privacy, refers to individual behavior
- Community & neighborhood deal with social patterns & rules.
- Meaning & Symbolism refer to improve culturally based
determinants of design.

User Groups:-
Different user groups have different needs and use patterns and are
affected in different ways by the quality of the environment.

The importance of studying behavioral factors from user point

provides the architect with a wealth of understanding, that can be applied
in any deign projects.

Settings:-
Refers to the scale of settings, from the room scale to the region, the
nation, and the world.

The scale of rooms to bldgs and to group of bldgs is of great interest

to the architect.
 Recent developments within EBS have seen a focus on
behavioral studies and criteria for diff bldg types: residence for
children, housing for elderly etc.
The unique feature about this is behavioral concern in
architecture is the holistic focus on all of the behavioral, social
and cultural factors that need to be considered in the dsgn of
diff bldg types.
The place of Environment-Behaviour information in the
design process
The place of environment-behavior information in the design
process can be seen as a cyclical diagram.
Environment behavior information and concepts have no
single place of entry into the design process. Rather, they inform
policy decisions, programming and overall design synthesis, and
such decisions and designs are evaluated against socio-behavioral
criteria in postoccupany evaluation.
ENVIRONMENT-BEHAVIOR PHENOMENA AND DESIGN
Environment-behavior information spans a wide range from
anthropometrics to semiotics.(Semiotics refers to effects of the environment
that are latent(hidden), highly ephemeral(momentary), and covert(secret).

1.Behavior settings: Fits and Misfits

A key concept for the analysis of human behavior in architecture
is the behavior setting. Behavior setting is defined as a basic unit of
analysis of environment behavior interactions, that include the
following 4 characteristics.

1. A standing pattern of behavior or a common recurring type of behavior,

such as stopping to talk when passing a friend.
2. Social rules and purposes governing the behavior, which may be
interpreted as including norms and expectations.
3. Lengthy conversations are the norm for elderly people, and social
convention allows touching and close proximities while talking.
3. Critical physical features of the setting, that is the elements and relationships of
the physical environment that are inseparably linked with the behavior, such as
the sizes and shapes of social spaces in housing for the elderly in which
conversations occur, or nooks off a busy circulation path where people gather.
4. Time locus, the time frame in which the behavior occurs, for many behaviors
have daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal rhythms.

Behavior setting, therefore include only those aspects of the

physical environment that are critical to behavior.
It is a common observation that many standing patterns of
behavior and their settings have an integrity and that, though the
actors and minor props may be diff or may change, the pattern of
behavior and the critical relationships of the setting remain
essentially the same.
Classroom behavior and its setting does not differ much for the
same course from term to term, despite the change in students.

Behavior setting is also termed as the

Influence of Environment upon Behaviour
The ultimate object of design is to create form that satisfies
behavior. The rightness of a form depends on the degree to which
it fits its behavioral, social, and cultural context.

2.Proxemics, Personal space, Territoriality and Defensible space

People have biological, personality, social and cultural needs
that are expressed in the envi. In addition to satisfying human
needs, space speaks; it is the hidden dim in behavior, and thro it we
communicate with each other.

Proxemics is the study into how people physically place themselves

in relation to others. Proxemics can be defined as "the interrelated
observations and theories of man's use of space as a specialized
elaboration of culture“.
In the early 1950’s Robert Sommer, an envi
psychologist, thro a combination of
questionnaires and experimental methods found
that the most comfortable talking distance was 5
feet, 6 inches nose to nose.

The ‘conversational’ role. Two

opposing sofas allow for
looking into each other’s faces
and thus reading all the non-
verbal expression. However,
when the two sofas get too far
apart to see this clearly, people
chose instead to sit on the same
sofa and turn to face each
other. In such a case a three-
seater sofa allows for personal
rather than intimate distance!
A typical railway train
layout. Note how
people generally adopt
the ‘co-acting’ role if
they are alone. This
allows them to ignore
each other without
rudeness, and here even
the empty seats actually
perform an important
spatial role
Congenial
conversations most
often occur when people
sit at right-angle
positions, cooperative
tasks occur when they
sit side by side,
independent behaviors
like eating alone happen
at corner locations, and
competitive tasks or
arguments normally
occur when people sit
directly opposite across
the short dim of tables
or other spaces.
 More studies on Proxemics has been given
by the anthropologist Edward hall

Hall generalizations are useful as a basis for

making design decisions about min & max sizes
of rooms, lounges, meeting halls, seminar rooms,
ans so on for various intimate, interpersonal,
social and public interactions.
Intimate distance for embracing, touching or whispering
Close phase – less than 6 inches (15 cm)
Far phase – 6 to 18 inches (15 to 46 cm)
Personal distance for interactions among good friends or family members
Close phase – 1.5 to 2.5 feet (46 to 76 cm)
Far phase – 2.5 to 4 feet (76 to 120 cm)
Social distance for interactions among acquaintances
Close phase – 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 m)
Far phase – 7 to 12 feet (2.1 to 3.7 m)
Public distance used for public speaking
Close phase – 12 to 25 feet (3.7 to 7.6 m)
Far phase – 25 feet (7.6 m) or more.
Personal space is a specific envi behavior concept, it has been
defined by Robert sommer, as a small invisible, protective sphere or
bubble that an organism carries about and maintain between the self
and others.
The individual’s personal space is dynamic, it changes by
individual characteristics like personality, mood, age, sex etc.
For example, men’s personal space is larger when they are
interacting with other men than when they are interacting with
women, but women’s personal space is less permeable than men’s.

Territoriality refer to a group of behaviour settings that a person will

personalize, mark, own and defend. Unlike personal space, territories
are anchored – they do not move.
Territories have 5 defining characteristics:
1. they contain spatial area
2. they are possesses, owned, or controlled by an individual or
group.
 3. They satisfy some needs or motives, like mating or status
4. They are marked in either a concrete or symbolic way,
5. and people will defend them or atleast feel discomfort if they
are violated in anyway by intruders.

Territoriality concept initially came from birds. Ex. Of human

territories include the home, one’s work area etc. The concept of
Territoriality has been extended to suggest how housing and
residential areas can be designed to be defensible against crime and
vandalism.

Defensible space – Newman identified 4 characteristics of space that

make it more defensible against intrusion, vandalism,& crime.
1. Surveillance, 2. Perceived & defensible territory, 3. Image &
milieu, 4. Safe zones
3. Small group Ecology
Small group ecology is the name given to considerations of the
critical envi behavior relations in small group situations. It deals
with, how do the dim, shape and character of space influence
interpersonal contacts.

In a group situation like a seminar, people tend to respond to

others more if they can fully see them. Satisfaction with a work
experience has been shown to be directly related to being in a central
location in a group setting.

If a seminar room has a central square area and an “escape” area,

it allows both intensive discussions and the chance to escape the
intensity without leaving the room.
4. Privacy, Density, Crowding, and Stress
Architects must seek information on Privacy, Density, Crowding,
and Stress in the context of high density mass housing & in the design
of institutions.
A scheme of 6 realms of community & privacy, from individual
private space to urban public space.
 The most successful urban public spaces incorporate all of these
realms in a nested hierarchy of community and private spaces. On
the opp. end of the privacy-community spectrum are density and
crowding.
Density is a mathematical measure of the number of people per
unit of space. Crowding, refers to the experience of being hemmed
in, blocked, or frustrated by the presence of too many people.
Defending personal space and showing territorial behavior are 2
mechanisms people use to achieve desired levels of privacy in
crowded situations inorder to avoid undue stress.

5. Environmental Perception
The Architect may perceive exposed concrete as structural
expression or honesty, while the user may react negatively to the dull
grey colour and the unfinished or cheap look.
Principles of visual perception – Gestalt theory have been used by
architects as a basis for building perception. But the users do not
perceive subtlety of geometric configuration, nor they prefer the
brutal simplicity of many modern bldgs.

6. Environmental Cognition
People not only see the physical envi of bldgs and react to what
they see, but they also have memory images of the envi, and their
behavior is strongly affected by these images.
There are 4 types of images that are part of people’s envi.
cognition: 1. urban cognitive mapping – subjective knowledge of
layout of a town, 2. linguistic category systems or cognitive domains
– basic ways of thinking abt the envi & abt people on the land, 3.
Meanings &sentiments, 4. Symbolism.
Two aspects of envi cognition concern architects: 1. Building
imagery, 2. urban cognitive mapping
Building imagery - People remember bldgs first &foremost in terms
of their significance for us, not their architectural characteristics, and
then on the basis of visibility (siting considerations) than on the basis of
physical form (size, shape)

Urban cognitive mapping – Lynch was interested in what makes a

city legible for the people moving through it. His research suggested
that there are 5 types of elements and relationships that are critical to
a legible envi: paths, edges or barriers, nodes, landmarks, and
districts – “fixed reference points”.

Meaning and symbolism – People react to the envi thro its meaning
for them. Bldgs have certain meanings or nonverbal messages for
people that are influenced by the layout, organization, and character
of the bldg.
For ex, studies of child envi relations- noted that children infer
about the personality of the people in a house by the nature of their
gardens.
Neighborhoods and communities – Neighborhood and its related
concepts of social interaction and social networks are poorly
understood by urban planners and architects, but by physical
planners and architects.
Role of built envi in influencing the interaction – homogenity and
heterogeneity of the population, kinship, professional contacts, and
status as a basis for friendship and length of residence.
USER GROUPS AND DESIGN
The needs of different user group and the behavioral criteria for
the dsgn of diff bldg types may be thought of interms of
- the range of behavioral phenomena
- concepts expected to be imp for that group in that setting.
For ex, we will consider 2 user groups & 2 bldg types.

1. Aging and the environment

With an increasing life expectancy, better medicine – large
proportion of our society is above 60 yrs of age. The possibility of
earlier retirement means that more middle-aged people are pursuing
some of the recreational activities formerly reserved for the elderly.
For many older citizens, the speed of social & technological
change tends to be alienating. Morale and attitude are less affected
by age & physiological changes than by some of the consequences of
aging – isolation, inactivity etc.
For example, there is a greater dependency on environmental aids
(hand rails, ramps), a greater need for service and for access to
services, & a greater need for protection from crime. Also, the
elderly are less independent socially and have a more restricted
lifestyle, while desiring more community and intense interaction.
These specific needs of the elderly can be met by good
architectural policy, planning, programming and design.

2. Children and the environment

Traditional playground

Contemporary sculpture
playground
 Building types and design
3. Schools

Adventure playground
Generally in open-plan schools, there is
more obsevational learning among staff,
greater feeling of openness, students are
found to have more sense of the whole of
the school.
On the other hand, students consume more nonlearning time,
experience more noise, and are bothered by more visual distractions.
Students and faculty have less control over their own environment.

4. Offices
The design concept of open-office planning or office landscaping,
was introduced in the 1950’s was very influential, now is coming
under heavy criticism.
The 2 qualities creating the most problems in open-plan offices
were acoustics and ventilation, but that light quality and layout were
also critical factors.
Open plan vs closed plan
1. There is no significant diff in the amount of management time spent
on most activities.
2. conferences are the only activity which are held for longer periods of
time
3. there is no overall improvement in worker efficiency, but
4. there is more collaboration and communication among workers
5. some workers feel greater amounts of tension and irritability
6. some have a greater feeling of supervision and being checked upon
7. many management personnel feel a decrease in stature by virtue of
loss of clear territorial and status image, and therefore
8. there is more desire for visual and auditory screening, &
9. there is more use of objects and the organization of space as territorial
markers, but
10. there are great individual differences, some employees definitely
preferring the open structure, open visual appearance, & open information
access.
The architect is accountable first and foremost to people, user
needs and enviroment-behavior relations.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON HUMAN BEHAVIOR
The environmental influences that can and do effect human bahavior
vary from region to region and even from family to family. Lifestyle has
a alot to do with how someone will allow themselves to be influenced by
their environment.
The factors that influence behaviour change are environmental
constraints, skills and self standards.

Environmental psychology is a direct study of the relationship

between an environment and how that environment affects its
inhabitants. Specific aspects of this field work by identifying a problem
and through the identification of said problem, discovering a solution.
Therefore it is necessary for environmental psychology to be problem
oriented. The problems identified by environmental psychologists affect
all members of society. These problems can be anything from the
psychological effects of urban crowding to the architectural design of
public schools and extend from the public arena into the individual
household.