© imperial college londonpage 1 loft-style apartments: new spatial and psycho-social boundaries...

© Imperial College London

Loft-style Apartments:New Spatial and Psycho-social Boundaries

Ritsuko Ozaki

IAPS 2004, Vienna, 7-10 July


Introduction

• The relationship between the design of the physical environment and human behaviour

• Culture mediating the effect of physical design on behaviour

• Culture:– A system of shared meanings– Governs the way we behave – Classification system – conceptual boundaries –

classification of a space


Boundaries and meanings

• Spatial/physical and psycho-social boundaries

• Boundaries:– Classification systems = cultural norms– Underlying conceptual boundaries on which we act

and behave– Socially and culturally constructed

• Exploration of boundaries – understanding cultural meanings


Loft-style flats

• Previous work – cultural influence on physical design of house– Separate rooms – separate roles (Victorian middle-

class culture)

• New house type with open-plan layout (since mid-’90s)

• Zukin (1982)– Aesthetic components to the popularity: artists

ambience, authenticity and historic aura– Open floor plan– Space itself


Loft-style flats – before conversion


Loft-style flats – after conversion


Loft-style flats - buildings


Methodology

• Definition of lofts

• Fieldwork in the City Fringe and Isle of Dogs, London

• 32 owner-occupiers

• Semi-structured interviews on housing history, daily routines, etc.

• Transcribed and coded for NVivo

• IPA (Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis)


Findings and discussion – space

• A Sense of space– Expression of individuality – Creation of own living environment

• Something different from traditional houses

• Physical design helps to express ‘self’


Findings and discussion – open-plan

• Inclusive and communicative relationships– Communication, interaction and ‘being in touch’– Not to be excluded– Entertaining– Bringing up children

• Design facilitates the way people want to live

• But not for everyone

• Layout reflects the way people live– Choose a layout that helps to achieve goals –

values/norms set the boundaries


Findings and discussion – closed space

• 4 levels of psycho-social boundaries (a sense of privacy)– Strict boundaries (2 bathrooms)– Use according to purposes (2 bathrooms)– Convenience (2 bathrooms)– Not the first priority (1 bathroom)

• Values and norms influencing the use and shape of domestic space


Findings and discussion – non-residential blocks

• Living in the non-residential building– Crossing the boundary of ‘residential’ and ‘non-

residential’– Uniqueness and distinctive experience– A sense of history– The contrast of ‘old’ and ‘new’

• The oldness does not sell on its own –crossing the temporal boundary adds appeal


Conclusion

• Loft-style flats – paradox, crossing boundaries

• Cultural influence – values and norms determine the way space is shaped and used

• Physical design – facilitating the way people want

• Design drawn on good understandings of cultural factors – great effects on human behaviour

• Next step – urban locality

© imperial college londonpage 1 loft-style apartments: new spatial and psycho-social boundaries...

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