THEORY OF

ARCHITECTURE
THE MEANING OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT

AUTHOR : AMOS RAPOPORT

SUBJECT COORDINATOR : PROF. GITANJALI RAO

GANGA METRI 2BV14AT025

GAYATRI HONNAVAR 2BV14AT026
KARAN B. 2BV14AT027
MADHU SAGAR 2BV14AT028
MALAVIKA MAHAJAN 2BV14AT029
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

• Amos Rapoport is distinguished professor in the

school of architecture and urban planning of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
A • He has taught at the universities of Melbourne and
M Sydney in Australia, at the university of California,
O Berkeley, and at the university college, London, and
S has held visiting appointments in Israel, turkey, great
Britain, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, and
R elsewhere.
A • He is one of the founders of the new field of
P environment-behavior studies.
O • His work has focused mainly on the role of cultural
P variables, cross-cultural studies, and theory
O development and synthesis.
R
T

THE MEANING OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT

THE IMPORTANCE THE STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL NONVERBAL SMALL-SCALE URBAN ENVIRONMENT,

OF MEANING MEANING
MEANING: COMMUNICATION EXAMPLES OF EXAMPLES OF MEANING AND
PRELIMINARY AND APPLICATIONS APPLICATIONS COMMUNICATION
•The meanings of •The semiotic
approach CONSIDERATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL
environments. •Redundancy and •The nature of
•The symbolic FOR A MEANING
•Users’ meanings and clarity of cues environment
designers’ meanings. approach NONVERBAL •Urban cues •Organization of
•Perceptual and •The nonverbal COMMUNICATION •Fixed-feature
Suburban image space
associational aspects communication elements
APPROACH •Organization of time
of the environment approach •Semi-fixed feature
•Organization of
elements
•Enculturation and communication
•Non-fixed feature
environment •Organization of
elements
•Social meaning
•The nonverbal
communication and •The relationship
communication
context between meaning
approach
•The mnemonic and communication
function of
environment

Ganga Metri – 2BV14AT025

THE MEANING OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT Gayatri Honnavar – 2BV14AT026
Karan B. – 2BV14AT027
Madhu Sagar – 2BV14AT028
Malavika Mahajan – 2BV14AT029
AUTHOR : AMOS RAPOPORT SUBJECT COORDINATOR – PROF. GITANJALI RAO
• The descriptions of a particular place or room, deal
mostly with color, light quality, air conditioning hum,
and furnishings.
• People react to environments in terms of the
meanings the environments have for them.
•People react to environments globally and affectively
before they analyze them and evaluate them in more
specific terms.
•The initial affective and global response governs the
direction that subsequent interactions with the
environment will take.
• The meanings are partly, a result of people’s
interaction with these environments.
• Meaning is central to an understanding of how
environments work.
• Meaning is not something apart from function, but
itself is a most important aspect of function.
•Physical elements not only make visible and stable
cultural categories, they also have meanings; that is,
they can be decoded if and when they match people’s
schemata.
• In man-environment research, it is important to realize
that designers and users are very different in their
preferences, and so on, partly because their schemata
vary.
•Users’ meaning is important, not architect’s or critics’;
it is the meaning of everyday environments, not famous
buildings – historical or modern.
•Latent rather than instrumental or manifest functions
seem dominant.
•The meanings are in people, not in objects or things.
• Designers tend to react to environments in perceptual
terms (which are their meanings), whereas the lay
public, the users, react to environments in associational
terms.
• The meaning of many environments is generated
through personalization – through taking possession,
completing it, changing it.
•The meaning designed into an environment may be
inappropriate, particularly if it is a single meaning.
THE MEANING OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT
AUTHOR : AMOS RAPOPORT
• It is proposed that the human world can be studied in
terms of signs (which guide behavior), affective signs
(which elicit feelings) and symbols (which influence
thought).
• The reading of the meanings requires some cultural
knowledge, which is, however, relatively simple.
•The context helps explain apparent anomalies, such as
highly positive meaning and hence, desirability.
• Even if one includes some more recent versions,
derived from structuralism, symbolic anthropology,
and even cognitive anthropology, the symbolic
approach has been traditionally used in the study of
historical high-style architecture and vernacular
environments.
• Symbolism (that is, meaning) is central to all
environments.
• As rapoport is a pioneering researcher who is using
nonverbal communication to better understand the
environmental meaning, it is important to know about
all the considerations that need to be considered
before starting the study.The effect of environment on
behaviour are known as direct and indirect effects.
Cues have the purpose of letting people know in which
kind of domain they are in. The environment gives the
subject cues that communicate identity, status, etc.
The subject picks up these cues and acts accordingly,
this is known as indirect effects.
• Variants like position, distance and decoration in
office buildings communicate social information about
the occupant and let others know how he/she would
like them to behave in his/her room. For example
location within an office building ,which shows a
sequence of lighted windows in an office building as
showing "the way on the top " indicating the social
characteristics about the occupant .
SUBJECT COORDINATOR – PROF. GITANJALI RAO
• Thus, one acts towards objects in terms of meaning,
that is, objects indicate to people how to act. Social
organization and culture supply a set of cues, which are
used to interpret a situation and help people act
accordingly. Very early on in life we learn these set of
social cues in the process of enculturation. But
sometimes one learns these things later in life due to
rapid change in culture. This is known as acculturation.
Human behavior is influenced by roles, context, and
situations that, in turn are frequently communicated
through in the setting. The relationships between all of
this are learnt as part of enculturation and
acculturation.
• In case of nonverbal behavior, context is of the atmost
importance in terms of the meaning an object has and
its effect on the social communication. The same object
may hold to different meanings depending on the
context as a result of the setting. In terms of effect of
environment on behavior environments are more than
just inhabit, facilitating, or even catalytic.
•The designers influence the 2 aspects:they can make
cues noticed and once noticed ,understood. They not
only remind, they also predict and prescribe. The
environment can thus be said to act as a mnemonic,
reminding people of behavior expected of them. For
example :the contemporary environments are physical,
social, provide less information to make people make up
their minds.
•Traditional clothing, language that makes people
behave accordingly. Fashion communicates its meaning
by shape,texture,decoration and so on..Used to indicate
group identity .Barker says "same people behave
differently in different behavioral situations.
Ganga Metri – 2BV14AT025
Gayatri Honnavar – 2BV14AT026
Karan B. – 2BV14AT027
Madhu Sagar – 2BV14AT028
Malavika Mahajan – 2BV14AT029
• Rapoport takes the nonverbal communication
approach to environmental meaning to be
something conceptual rather simple, which is a
reason for using it. The environmental elements
comprises of the following:
-Fixed feature elements:
These are the elements that are basically fixed, or
those that change rarely or slowly. Ex: walls, ceiling
and floors.
-Semi-fixed feature elements:
These range all the way from the arrangements and
type f furniture, curtains, and other furnishings,
plants. Gardens, layouts, etc,. These can, and do,
change fairly quickly and easily.
-Non fixed feature elements:
These are related to the human occupants or
inhabitants of settings, their shifting spatial
relations, their body positions and postures, hand
and arm gestures, facial expressions, hand and neck
relaxation, etc,.
•Amos rapoport discuses about the living and life
styles of people .I.E. Their status and dwelling with
its surroundings like the landscape, use of
materials, etc,.
•By taking examples on fixed and semi fixed
elements, one can study encoding and decoding by
absorbing and recording various features in
environment; blending on offices and café, open
door bars , traffic, proximal behavior, various smells
and so on.
•Spatial organization at small scale can
communicate meanings at the level of semi-fixed
elements. This clearly suggests that with people
present, their dress, behavior and interaction and
much more will communicate. In this chapter the
courtroom is taken example , the judge-dress,
robes, wings, chairs or sashes of office, ushers cry,
crowds behavior and much more .The fixed feature
elements communicate less.
THE MEANING OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT
AUTHOR : AMOS RAPOPORT
• The author talks about the cultural landscapes
•The author quotes the examples of residential
which are a result of artifacts grouped together in areas giving five sets of reasons for higher level
particular relationships. The process of
of interaction and communication in detached
understanding the cultural landscapes is very dwellings
analogous, individuals are only required to make
The physical structure or layout of the
snap judgments about strangers on the basis of residential type
limited information, make inferences on the basis
The symbolic aspects of the residential units
of rules which are quiet regular and based on non- The relative homogeneity or heterogeneity of
fixed feature element.
the respective populations
• In the chapter the author has quote any examples The nature of the information control
the resulting conclusion are as follows
provided by the respective units
•The subtle cues also involves a knowledge of the The mobility of the respective populations
rules regarding behavior, defined by the situation
and their length of residence
and the willingness to follow these rules. Indication
through physical cues may be less important in
traditional cultures because things are known
partly through consistent use and partly through
consistent, rigid and shared rules
So the more complex and culturally pluralist the
setting the greater the required redundancy to
produce sufficiently clear cues.
• When environments are being designed four
things have to be considered that is space, time,
communication and meaning. Communication here
means the nonverbal or the verbal communication
among people and the meaning is nonverbal
communication between environment and people • The presence of trees in a plain area indicates
• The author explained about the organization of human presence.
space, time, communication and meaning. He • The absence of trees in a heavily forested area
concludes that meaning is expressed through signs, indicates human presence.
materials, colors, forms, sizes, furnishings,
landscaping, maintenance, etc by the people.
These can be indicated by fixed, semi-fixed and
non-fixed feature elements. Thus both spatial and
other systems of cues may identify settings, which
then become indicators of social position, ways of
establishing group or social identity, ways of
defining situations and hence indicating expected
behavior.
Ganga Metri – 2BV14AT025
Gayatri Honnavar – 2BV14AT026
Karan B. – 2BV14AT027
Madhu Sagar – 2BV14AT028
Malavika Mahajan – 2BV14AT029
SUBJECT COORDINATOR – PROF. GITANJALI RAO
THE IMPORTANCE OF MEANING

• The Tulsi Katta holds • The different form and

sacred meaning to the treatment of the temple signifies
users. its designation and importance
• The location of the Katta, not only to the residents of the
in this case on the first floor, village but also the visitors.
also holds importance.
• The Katta also is
associational where all the
people of the house meet
and pray.

• The Tulsi Katta is of equal importance

to the lower class and upper class.
• The location of the Katta, in the centre
of the courtyard, holds meaning, that it
is central to them.
• The location of Katta in centre of an
interactive and transition zone, the
courtyard, implies that it is a part of
their daily rituals and interaction.

• The school does not have a solid • A tree with huge

boundary in terms of compound. spread, beside or near
• It signifies that it is open to all. to house is used for
• The presence of a open ground interaction between
and absence of any means of different group of
separation means that the ground people or friends or
was multi-purpose. families.

Ganga Metri – 2BV14AT025

THE MEANING OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT Gayatri Honnavar – 2BV14AT026
Karan B. – 2BV14AT027
Madhu Sagar – 2BV14AT028
Malavika Mahajan – 2BV14AT029
AUTHOR : AMOS RAPOPORT SUBJECT COORDINATOR – PROF. GITANJALI RAO
 ENVIRONMENTAL MEANING:PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS FOR A NON VERBAL
APPROACH:
The ragged clothes used and drying
• Cues have the purpose of letting people know outside showcases the struggle faced
in which kind of setting they are in.The by the family for the survival. Human
environment provides subjects,the cues by behaviour is widely influenced by the
communicating the social status ,identity of the roles, situations, context that is
occupants. communicated in the setting. Fashion
and looks also communicate.

The environment acts a mnemonic

device.
The presence and absence of the
aunty influences the behaviour of the
little girl as well as the lady.

Social organization and culture supplies set of cues ,

which are interpret a situation and help people act
accordingly.

There was no defined space for a particular

Here the use of the exterior
environment for social
gathering, domestic use,
communication path etc..
Indicate the rural context
clearly..Situations that
determine behaviour, but the
from ray's drawings and notes.
setting determines the
situation.
The film never had a complete screenplay. The cast took most of their cues
work. The spaces were used simultaneously
for multipurpose. Context being of at most
importance in terms of meaning, an object
has its effect on social community.
Same object may hold different meaning
depending on context, as a result of setting.
Effect of environment on behaviour is more
facilitating and catalytic. Cultural shock is a
situation where the setting determines the
behavior ,but the behavior defines the
situation.

Ganga Metri – 2BV14AT025

THE MEANING OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT Gayatri Honnavar – 2BV14AT026
Karan B. – 2BV14AT027
Madhu Sagar – 2BV14AT028
Malavika Mahajan – 2BV14AT029
AUTHOR : AMOS RAPOPORT SUBJECT COORDINATOR – PROF. GITANJALI RAO
 THE STUDY OF MEANING
NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL
MEANING • The whitewash of the gateway, presence of a sculpture on top of the gateway signify the
importance of the house in the village and more appropriately the importance of the
residents of the house.
• The presence of a well in the centre of the courtyard, which is used by everyone in the
village and not just the residents of the house, also define their designation and
importance.
•

the fixed features(roof,wall) and non fixed feature elements(facial expressions) are
directly related to each other

fixed feature (wall,roof),semi

semi fixed feratures FIXED feature
fixed features(teracota) it self
ELEMENTS
express the place.
above photo shows about human occumpts
their body positions and postures which are
examples for non fixed feature elements

• The understated gateway with the creepers and exposed brickwork and
collapsed wall, imply the social status of the residents, i.e., lower class.
• The collapsed walls, uneven growth of creepers, broken door are all signs
that imply class.

fixed features(wall,courtyard)semi fixed here non fixed features (children)feels

feature (furnitures,curtains)gives feeling related to fixed feature(forest).
s to non fixed featurs(family)

Ganga Metri – 2BV14AT025

THE MEANING OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT Gayatri Honnavar – 2BV14AT026
Karan B. – 2BV14AT027
Madhu Sagar – 2BV14AT028
Malavika Mahajan – 2BV14AT029
AUTHOR : AMOS RAPOPORT SUBJECT COORDINATOR – PROF. GITANJALI RAO
 SMALL SCALE EXAMPLES OF APPLICATIONS:
ENVIRONMENT, MEANING AND COMMUNICATION
Hierarchy of spaces:From public spaces to private space.

Public space Semi public spaces Private space

Hierarchy of spaces from open to closed spaces.

nature of environment is homogeneity at macro level cues, social hierarchy present
a village in Bengal

Open spaces Semi open spaces Closed space

the centralized organization of spaces with spaces linked with common space, the
courtyard in the house
The connecting spaces between different spaces used for transportation.

houses have feminine and gentle character

and schools are male dominant areas different people communicate at
different contexts in house

URBAN EXAMPLES WITH APPLICATIONS

Positive-ness of rich class in spatial arrangement, definition of paths and

all cues indicate a village not developed in technology, rural context, rich culture, green, no cues indicate Hindu –Bengali culture spaces, and elements of space making, vegetation areas, quality material
concrete, high and low class groups use, furniture,
Ganga Metri – 2BV14AT025

THE MEANING OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT Gayatri Honnavar – 2BV14AT026

Karan B. – 2BV14AT027
Madhu Sagar – 2BV14AT028
Malavika Mahajan – 2BV14AT029
AUTHOR : AMOS RAPOPORT SUBJECT COORDINATOR – PROF. GITANJALI RAO