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SENSE OF DWELLING
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4.1 MOOD AND ENVIRONMENT (BUILT)
HIGHLY ARTIFICIAL BUILT ENVIRONMENT DULLS OUR NATURALLY ENDOWED FIVE
SENSES—
• VISION
• AUDITION
• GUSTATION
• TACTITION
• OLFACTION
WHICH ARE TRADITIONALLY RECOGNISED METHODS OF PERCEPTION.
THE TECHNOLOGICALLY CREATED MANMADE ENVIRONMENT OF INDOOR BUILDINGS WITH
CLIMATE CONTROLLED RECYCLED AIR, ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING, NO OR FEW WIDOWS IMAPCT
THE HUMAN:
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• DAMAGES THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR SENSES AND BRAIN BODY SYSTEM AND
FUNCTIONS
• AFFECTS OUR MOOD DUE TO MONOTONY, FATIGUE, HEADACHE AND BRINGS
IRRITABILITY
(DISCUSSION IN CLASS ABOUT STUDENT’S EXPERIENCES ABOUT THEIR
HOUSES, OFFICES AND UNIVERSITY CLASS ROOMS AND THE BUILT
ENVIRONMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON THEIR MOOD AND
PERFORMANCE)
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4.2 DIMENSION OF LIGHT
• THE FLOW OF NATURAL LIGHT FROM WINDOWS INCREASE THE SEROTONIN
LEVEL GIVING THE INHABITANTS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND ENERGY.
• IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT THAT DEPRESSION AND APATHY EVEN SUICIDE
TENDENCIES CRAWL IN DURING SHORT AND DARK WINTER DAYS. THE
DYSFUNCTION HAS BEEN NAMED ‘SAD SYNDROME’ SEASONALLY AFFECTIVE
DISORDER.
• THE NATURAL LIGHT ENABLES US TO FEEL THE THERMAL MESSAGE OF WARMTH
AND COLDNESS AND COMFORT.
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4.3 FOOTFALL AND FABRIC
WHILE INDOOR WE CAN FEEL THE TOUCH OF RUGS, CARPETS, BRICKS, MARBLE,
CONCRETE, BAMBOO MATTING WITH OUR FEET WHILE OUTDOOR WE CAN FEEL
THE TOUCH OF SAND, GRASS, SNOW AND STONES WHEN WE WALK OVER SUCH
SURFACES.
THROUGH THE TACTILE RECEPTORS OF OUR FEET WE ARE ABLE TO APPRECIATE
WHATEVER IS UNDER OUR FEET. THOUGH OUR EYES AND SOUNDS CREATED BY
OUR STEPS IS ALSO A PART OF THIS EXPERIENCE.

THE SAME CAN BE SAID ABOUT THE FABRIC USED IN OUR HOUSES AND ITS COOL
AND WARM FEELINGS, DURING SEASONS OR OTHERWISE AND THE SENSORY
AWARENESS IT CONVEYS TO US THROUGH TOUCH.
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4.4 SENSE OF SMELL, SPACE, SOUND/RHYTHM
THE SENSE OF SMELL GIVES US OUR MOST DIRECT LINK WITH THE
ENVIRONMENT—INDOOR OR OUTDOOR. WITH EVERY INWARD BREATH WE
GATHER MICROSCOPIC PARTICLES OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD AND BRING THEM INTO
PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH ODOUR-RECEPTIVE NERVES OF OUR NOSE.
WE ARE ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN RAIN-WASHED PEBBLES, MOSS UNDER
THE ROOF HANGING, A STINKY ROOM AND SMELL OF THE GARDEN, GIVING US
PLEASANT OR PUNGENT ASSOCIATION WITH THE DWELLING .
WE GO THROUGH A KINAESTHETIC EXPERIENCE BY ENTERING INTO A BIG PLACE
AND AN OBESIANCE EXPERIENCE BY ENTERING INTO A LOW ENTRANCE DWELLING.
ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AWRE OF OUR KINASTHETIC
RESPONSE TO SPACE/PLACE. THE SAME CAN SAID ABOUT THE ACOUSTIC QUALITY
AND NECESSITY FOR A DWELLING TYPE.(EXAMPLES FROM BUILDINGS)
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4.5 ORGANIC GEOMETRY
THE SHAPE OF A ROOM MAY SERVE AS A TEMPLATE FOR DYNAMIC ENERGY .
ROUND DOMES, DOME-SHAPED STRUCTURE, STRAIGHT LINED ROOM ALL HAVE
DIFFERENT IMPACT ON THE ENTRANT OR THE VISITORS.

RESEARCH IN 1960/70s SHOWS THAT A CIRCULAR DWELLING IS SOMEWHAT MORE

ORGANIC AND GIVES MORE PSYCHO-PHYSICAL COMFORT TO ITS INHABITANTS. THE
RESEARCHERS GAVE EXAMPLES OF IGLOOS, KRAALS AND ROUND SHAPED
ROOMS/HOUSES FROM OLDER CIVILISATIONS. (CLASS DISCUSSION ON THEIR
EXPERIENCES)
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4.6 THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS
AFTER THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND ESPECIALLY AFTER THE 1930s , THE ARCHITECTS
HAVE NEGLECTED THE SCALE AND HUMAN PERCEPTION IN BUILDINGS, BOTH ARCHITECTS
AND THEIR CLIENTS BECAME OBLIVIOUS OF HARMONY/PROPORTION AND OTHER STATED
OBJECTIVES OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE (SUNLIGHT &VENTILAION). THIS HAS RESULTED
IN THE BLOCK OF FLATS, TIGHTLY SEALED BUILDINGS AND DREARY SUBURBAN
DEVELOPMENTS. RESULTING IN :
PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISCOMFORTS
SICK BULIDING SYNDROME –HEADACHE TO SORE THROAT
HIGHER COOLING AND HEATING COSTS ENERGY GUZZLING
DEVELOPMENT OF FUNGI AND BACTERIA IN BUILDINGS PIPES
LACK OF FRESH AIR INTAKE AND NATURAL DAY LIGHT
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4.7 BENIGN ARCHITECTURE

THE APPRECIATION OF ARCHITECTURE IS MULTI-SENSORY AND MULTI-

DIMENSIONAL AS DISCUSSED EARLIER. AN ARCHITECTURE BASED ON HEALTH AND
FITNESS CAN ONLY FLOURISH IF THE DWELLING BUILT ARE IN HARMONY WITH THE
PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THEM AND WITH NATURE AND CULTURE.

(CLASS DISCUSSION ON THIS STATEMENT)