Genius Loci And Activity Guidance

6989 REFLECTIONS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PROCESSGenius Loci and Activity GuidanceName: Xuan LuRegistration Number: 120185377Course: MAADTutor: Carolyn Butterworth, Nishat Awan09/04/2013

ii.Genius Loci: Concept and ----- (3)iii.Influencing ------------------------(5)a.Permeability ----------------(5)b.Robustness ---(7)iv.Conclusion : Application in Architectural Design--------------------------------(7)a. ---------------------------------(7)b. Interface and -----------------(7)c. Spatial -----------------------(8)v.References --------------------------(8)2/9

Genius Loci and Activity Guidance“Environment influences human beings, and this implies that the purpose ofarchitecture transcends the definition given by early functionalism.”——Christian Norberg-Schulzi.INTRODUCTIONIn the past few months, I experienced the cultural difference as well as the difference inarchitectural design process between China and UK. One of the most significant differences isthat most Chinese architects usually do not pay too much attention to the future users, to thecontrary our studio in Sheffield school of architecture almost spent all the first semester inresearch, the future users and their activities are always the research objects. The differencecaused by many reasons: in most cases a limited design period is allowed in China, architects areforced to take general situation as reference in order to save the time which needed in researchprocess. Another cause of the situation is the relationship between supply and demand inconstruction industry in China, the construction speed is not as fast as the rapid developingmarket demand. However in the future, with a more mature construction market going to bebuilt, the future users will be placed in a much more important position.Research QuestionWhen focusing on the buildings’ users, architects are not only building designers but also lifestylemakers. Architects will definitely imitate the activities which may happen in the building in theirdesign process. However the future users may do not follow what been designed by designers.Then how can architects’ efforts really work in changing people’s life and leading activitieshappen in the built environment? This essay is going to focus on the making of “spirit of space” inguiding people’s activities, as making an appropriate space for a certain potential activity is thebest an architect can do.ii.GENIUS LOCI: CONCEPT AND SIGNIFICANCEConceptThe phrase “Genius Loci” comes from the Roman mythology as a protective spirit of a space, itrefers to the particular atmosphere a place owned in contemporary usage, which means a “spiritof place”. In modern architecture the concept has been discussed but underestimated. (ArturoVittori, 2006.) In Christian Norberg-Schulz’s book Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology ofArchitecture, which is the sequel to his theoretical works Intentions in Architecture (1963) andExistence, Space and Architecture (1971), he stated that “Architecture means to visualize the3/9

genius loci, and the task of the architect is to createmeaningful places, whereby he helps man to dwell”.Figure 1.1Picture from Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of ArchitectureSatisfactory PlaceThe spirit of space should be created other than pure physical space, as it will be more likely forthe built environment to be a meaningful and satisfactory place. “A place is a space which has adistinct character.” (Christian Norberg-Schulz, 1980) then what kind of characters should asatisfactory or successful place has?There are 7 qualities that successful spaces—both inside and outside—tend to have in common:(CABE, 2003.)1. IdentitySense of history and place: A place that in response to and enhances locally distinctive patternsof the landscape and development.2. Enclosure and continuityClarity of form: A place with clearly distinguished public and private space.3. Quality of the public realmSense of amenity and wellbeing: A placewith lively and pleasant public spaces androutes.4. Ease of movementPermeability and connectivity：A place thatis convenient to reach and move through.5. LegibilityEase of distinction: A place with a clearimage and is easy to be distinguished.6. FlexibilityEase of adaption: A place that can be easilychanged.7. DiversityEase of choice: A place that has variety andmixed functions.Figure 1.2Picture from The Councilor’s Guide to Urban Design4/9

SignificanceIt is obviously that almost all the characters referred above a successful place should has are notonly about “space”, but also about “place”. The essential of the “Genius Loci” theory is tounderstand the cultural connotation and human natural characteristics of the entity space. Spaceis always created by material substances for certain purpose and limitation, only when it beengiven with locally and cultural contextual significance can a space become a place.（Roger Trancik,1986.）What architects should do is putting theory into practice, transforming site into place, forthis purpose the elements and characters of place should be figured out at first. A space is madeof following components:a. The static physical setting: the physical entity designed by architects which can be capturedby sensory organ.b. The activities: activity “take place” in a certain place also means the place be occupied by theactivity. What designer forecasts will happen in and around building may different from thereality, what we can do is deeply understand the needs of users for the space, provideappropriate space, even create better space experience than the imagination of users.c. The meanings: Giambattista Vico, Italian political philosopher, rhetorician, historian, andjurist thought that things captured outside the realm of sensory organ is the means of theword “Intelligere” in Latin, which are non-sensory information obtained by people accordingto individual’s environmental experience.More attention will be paid to the static physical setting at most times, including texture, material,colour, building form and massing. Nevertheless, Peter Buchanan presented in 1988 that urbandesign is about place creation, place includes not only a clear space, but also all the activities andevents that creating the place. His statement works in architectural design as well. By this taken,the design of activity is as important as the design of physical setting in creating of place, evenmore significant in giving a building profound connotation which well worth paying attention to.iii.INFLUENCING FACTORSFor the purpose of creating reasonable place and leading users’ activity effectively, theinfluencing factors should be figured out.a. PermeabilityOnly if the place is accessible can the place become a choice of the users’, for thatpermeability——multiple routes can be chosen to arrive and pass through a space——is acrucial factor of ensuring the vitality of a place. Almost all accessibilities rely on the routebetween two sites, and all the available routs must be visible, or only people who are familiarwith that area may use those routes, as a result visibility is vital.There are four elements which may affect the permeability: 1. The scale of streets; 2. Roadgrade and the using of the end of road; 3. Isolation of automotive vehicle and walking; 4.Isolation of public and private space.5/9

Figure 1.3Picture from BY DESIGN UrbanDesign in the Planning System:Towards Better Practiceb. RobustnessThere are some relationships between robustness and permeability. Ian Bentley mentionedin Responsive Environment: A manual for Designers, robustness is the character whichinfluences a place with multiple functions and diversification. The writer also considered thata place which has the flexibility of adapting to a variable of functions may provide morechoices than a place with limited single function, those places provide with multiple choiceshave the character called vitality. There are several approaches can be used in increasingrobustness:1. Multiple Uses: Different functions lead to diverse physical forms both indoors andoutdoors, and give place with different meanings in various methods.2. Economic: Multiple uses and more participation is more easier to be achieved with lowercost.3. Boundary: The area of a place can be defined by the boundary of a space, but theaccessibility may weaken by an excessive clear boundary. In dealing with the boundary,activities can be designed alongside it and permeate to the neighbourhood, sight designand facilities which can help adjusting microclimate should be elaborately arranged.6/9

4. Automotive vehicle and ambulatory activities: When the volume of traffic lower than250/hour and most destinations are inside the area, the place of shared use can only beachieved.c.iv.LegibilityThe importance of legibility reflected in the architectural image and pattern of utilisation. Inorder to maximizing the potential of a place, the exterior and usage pattern must relativelycomplemented, it more important for new comers in helping them to understand the place.Legibility of a place can be strengthened by enhancing the identifiability of the followingparts: road and node. The identifiability of a road or node depends on its section andenclosure of its plane. Visual information and usage pattern can be provided by the facadesof the buildings around.CONCLUSION: APPLICATION IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNAccording to the comprehension of genius loci above, the theory can be applied in architecturaldesign process in many aspects. There are three parts need extra attention in leading people’sactivity:a. TimelinessA place will not stand still, as the physical setting —— building will change over time, theactivity happens there in the future may different from what happening now, new meaningsmay be given by the future users and activities. As a result, timeliness is crucial in designing asuccessful place, the past (the past experienced and familiar place), the present (a certainplace created according to users’ habit and expectation which understood by architects), thefuture (architects are expected to predict the usage pattern, possible situation in the futureand make flexible design. All the above are depend on the past active mode and currentsituation) should all be taken into consideration by designers. It similar with the outcome ofthe theory of structural analysis of place by Team 101, the timeliness of past —— present—— future is being emphasized.b. Interface and Entrance1The basic feature of urban is activity. People’s activities always happening in a pattern oflinear, the streets in a city as the most dynamic “organ” are undertaking extraordinaryimportant duty, just like the artery of a human, continuing delivering blood to the other partsin order to keep energy of the city. Streets are also crucial public places. Jane Jacobs thoughtthat if streets in a city are full of interestingness, the city will be interesting as well, viceversa.Buildings as the vertical boundary of street are vital to the character of it. Even building is athree-dimensional object, all the facades including the roof should be assembled organically1Team 10, just as often referred to as "Team X", was a group of architects and other invited participants who assembledstarting in July 1953 at the 9th Congress of C.I.A.M. and created a schism within CIAM by challenging its doctrinaire approach tourbanism.7/9