PROXEMICS in
ARCHITECTURE
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SPACES
PROXEMICS
Proxemics is a recent terminology (1966, Edward T. Hall) that
is part of non-verbal communication, defining that in daily
life, the distance between people runs in parallel with their
interpersonal relationships.
PROXEMICS: PERSONAL SPACE
PERSONAL
SPACE
• invisible
boundary
surrounding the
person’s body into
which intruders
may not come.
PROXEMICS: PERSONAL SPACE
PROXEMICS: TYPES OF DISTANCES
It establishes four different spheres of relationships (each subdivided
into
far/close):
Intimate
which respective
Personal distance span may
vary from one culture
Social to the other.
Public
PROXEMICS: Intimate Distance
(0" to 18“ / 0 ft – 1.5 ft)
This zone extends from actual touching to eighteen inches.
It is normally reserved for those with whom one is intimate and are close to.
Family members, relatives, fall under this distance.
At this distance the physical presence of another is overwhelming.
Each person’s intimate space should be respected. Some people are welcoming to
others within this range but some become uncomfortable when other people
intrude their intimate space.
A person who violate this personal space are considered as intruders.
PROXEMICS: Intimate Distance
PROXEMICS: Personal Distance
( 18" to 4') 0.45 m – 1.20m This zone extends from eighteen inches to four feet.
This is the distance of interaction of good friends.
Your close friends, colleagues, peers, fall in this group.
This would also seem to be most appropriate distance for boss and employee,
teacher and student, and the like to discuss personal affairs such as grades, conduct,
private problems, etc.
It permits, spontaneous, and communications that are not programs such as talking
with friends in college, gossips, informal talks, etc.
PROXEMICS: Personal Distance
PROXEMICS: Social Distance
( 4' to 12') 1.20m – 3.65m
This zone exists from four to twelve feet. It seems to be an appropriate
distance for casual friends and acquaintances to interact.
People are more cautious in there movements
Conversations in this type of distance are given more planning and less
emotion.
This is the kind of space wherein you are talking to a customer at work.
PROXEMICS: Social Distance
PROXEMICS: Public Distance
(12' to 25') Extending outward from twelve feet a speaker becomes
formal.
Classes of teachers or speaker of seminars who maintain this distance
between themselves and their students are generally formal.
PROXEMICS: Public Distance
PROXEMICS
PROXEMICS: PRIVACY
• 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
PROXEMICS: PRIVACY
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
PROXEMICS: CROWDING
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
overmanni
ng of
behavior
settings
PROXEMICS: DESIGN IMPLICATIONS
DESIGN IMPLICATIONS
• The Need for Privacy greater for introverts than for extroverts
• extroverts like contrast with the environment
• introverts like courtyards
• extroverts like strong central plans
• introverts like complex internal relationships and
clear territorial patterns
• people under stress need more privacy for
workplaces
Lecture to be Continued Next
Meeting
For Next Tuesday, August 27, 2019,
check Easyclass for Plate Details
in preparation for our next
meeting.