In some ways modern architecture is failing the public because of the shapes used in the designs. This trend was most prominent in the 20th century, but fortunately over the past ten years the tide is turning. Building traditions were once solid and supportive of the human design, but one of the reasons they went off course was the advent of photography.
How do you mess up something as potentially wonderful as a building? By using too many sharp angles, wide vistas and windows while minimizing comforting curves, cozy spaces and natural light sources. How do you shift in that direction? It began with photography because straight lines, angles and bright spaces photograph more dramatically than soft, comforting curves.
Glossy magazines shaped the international architectural community because editors selected photos with the most visual impact, typically bright and angular. Gradually buildings sprouted more windows with vistas that stunned the senses and corners that would impale the unwary. These features conflict with the human body’s sense of comfort, a baby instinctually knows that warmth and survival are found in the soft curves and shadows of the mother. Adults still have that program running deep in their nervous system. Your body connects protection and comfort to a rounded, natural environment.
Straight lines, points and sharp angles turn on the fight or flight reflexes and set your nerves on edge. Even babies know to go towards the curved softness and stay away from the sharp claws. A supportive environment doesn’t emphasize angles; it uses flowing curtains instead of mini-blinds, softly patterned wall coverings instead of harsh, stripes. Long banisters and railings look like lines of teeth to the body. Minimize them with blending colors rather than glorifying them with a contrasting palette. Don’t turn a work space into a mushy cushy nest, you’re not there to take a nap, but balance the proportion of angle to curve, to attain the level of tension that you need to promote.
Big vistas, overly large rooms and open spaces set up a program that pushes the body into a unique direction. It is a program more suited to planning your career into the future than the immediate issues on your desk. That's because the distance of whatever your eyes are focusing on tells your mind and body whether to concentrate on the present or the future. When your eyes focus on a point in the distance you are programmed to devote your energy to the future. That's great for the career but lousy for today’s checklist. In smaller rooms you focus on things just beyond your grasp.
On the personal side many current home designs are extremely masculine, external and confrontational. It's no wonder that people spend years restoring classic houses, with their human-sized rooms and easy-living porches. Once, windows were the most expensive part of a house, but that was before indoor-plumbing, security systems and a couple of tons of appliances to run up the bill. Modern manufacturing made window costs reasonable so now, for a dramatic effect we build walls of glass. What do so many windows do to our sense of home, safety and intimacy? Look at the state of the American family and you have your answer. When architects design for the needs of the human heart, houses will once again become contented homes.
From the Ergon Dynamic Series by Ralph & Lahni de Amicis
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