RESPONSIVE ENVIRONMENT

INTRODUCTION

With accords to Ian Bentley and others (1985), there are seven design

qualities that should be consider in designing a space. The following are:

permeability, variety, legibility, robustness, visual appropriateness, richness and

personalisation. Each design qualities deal with a specific issues and concern in

an urban environment.

An effective design could come up with a responsive environment, leading

the people to opportunities and at the same time giving them comfort to live in the

place. An unpleasant environment could be the sum of uncritically think design

that limits the users and causes conflicts to the community.

The harmony in the community is very essential; it is the root of serenity and

progress in the place. Harmony could be achieved through proper layout of the

environment and the discipline of the people itself.

The whole book is about this:"The design of a place affects the choices people
can make, at many levels:Permeability: where people can go and where they
cannot.Variety: the range of uses available to peopleLegibility: how easily people
can understand what opportunities it offersRobustness: the degree to which
people can use a given place for different purposes.Visual appropriateness: the
detailed appearance of the place make people aware of the choices
available.Richness: people's choice of sensory experiencesPersonalization: the
extent to which people can put their own stamp on a place."
 DESIGN QUALITIES

Permeability

In his book „Responsive Environment‟, Bentley (1985), stated that

“Permeability is designing the overall layout of routes and development blocks”.

The Permeability of design is significant to understand because it is where the

circulation takes place. It includes the transportation systems and road hierarchy.

Nowadays urban environment faces a huge problem with regards to

permeability. Urban areas suffer from traffic and countless number of pedestrian and

car accident. This concludes that the design for the overall layout of routes and

development blocks for urban areas fail; this because the designer fails to consider

some important factors or only designed the layout for a certain time line.

Almost all Urban Areas suffered from heavy traffic because the roads could

not cope to the increasing numbers of vehicles which is not considered by the

designers back in time where technology is not that progressive and influential. This

only means that when you design you should always consider the possible changes

in the future.

Accessibility is very essential in any place, it is the first factors which could

indicate whether a place is effective or not. According to Bentley (1985) smaller

blocks is much effective than bigger one because it creates sub roads which gives

option for the users and much less dead ends that could cost confusion and conflict.

Permeability also indicates the public and private places. Roads and streets are

public areas which divided to create a series of block which is a private area. In

urban areas in present

time always has in issue with regards to privacy. Bentley (1985) stated that “all
buildings need
two faces: a front onto pubic space, for entrances and the most public activities,
and a back where the most private activities can go”.

With accords to the book „Responsive Environment‟ of Bentley (1985) there

are four steps to achieve permeability: first is to analyse the streets and blocks of

the surrounding area, to establish the relative importance of all access points to

the site; second locate new routes through the site; third, analyse traffic roles of

all the proposed new streets and check that street widths and junction designs are

acceptable to the traffic engineers, and last check that the blocks defined by the

new streets are of practicable sizes.

Variety

The design affects the range of uses available to people: the quality we shall

call Variety (Bentley et. al. 1985).

The objective of „variety‟ is to maximise the variety of users in the project. In

designing an Architect always has a macro and micro analysis of the site to

indicate the actors that could affect the project. The two analyses are significant

in assigning the zoning of different spaces. In macro analysis we always use the

city Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP); the plan indicates the different

zones in the whole city. Architect use it as their reference if their project suits with

e land use of the land to avoid conflict. Planners created the plan that helps to

indicate the certain use and function of a certain place.

The zoning of the city is also a factor that affects urban environment.

Narrow roads are not the only cause of traffic congestion in urban areas but also

to the improper zoning of the place itself.

 Zones indicate the type of users of a certain place. Through rapid
urbanization and

increased in population the city land zoning changes every five years. This causes

difficulties in some areas where used to be in a specific zone and to soon be

change through the change of

major amount of users.

Mixed land use often takes a large amount of space in the city plan because of

the exchange of users. It has an advantage and disadvantages. The good point is it

could give the people more option in terms of their business and lifestyle however;

the point is it could also cause chaos because of confusion.

Permeability is connected to variety because it was the main access of the

places. The two could affect each other. Wrong zoning could cause delay to the

function of the roads. The examples of it are malls and other huge structures with a

large amount of users. If there is a large amount of user the density of cars travelling

to that place will also increase, exceeding the capable limit of the road which could

lead to traffics.

With accords to Bentley (1985), to maximise the variety of uses in the project

is: first asses the level of demands for different types of uses in the project, and

establish how wide a mix of uses it economically and functionally feasible to have;

second the tentative building volumes already established as partially desirable are

tested to see whether they can feasibly house the desired mix of uses, and last the

design is further developed as necessary.

Legibility

Legibility is designing the massing of the buildings, and the enclosure of public

space (cited in Responsive Environment, 1985, p.11).

 This stage indicates the positioning of buildings and open spaces in urban
areas. It also

shows the junction and intersection of roads around it. Legibility shows the city as

a one big plan, it also shows the blocking of building and its accessibility to the

users. These also show the

percentage of open spaces in a certain project.

Right blocking of buildings is very essential, each building could affects one

another that is why it very important to locate correctly without affecting the

existing old ones. There are factors that need to consider in forming buildings:

first identify the wind and sun direction, tall building should place besides low rise

buildings because it could block the sunlight and also the wind, second is the

access, every building must accessible from the main road, and last the distance of

open spaces in the group of buildings.

Robustness

According to Bentley (1985) robustness is designing the spatial and

constructional arrangement of individual buildings and outdoor places.

Robustness indicates the flexibility of a certain place for future exchange of

use. This is more focus on individual buildings and outdoor places.

Variety also related to robustness, when the land use of a specific place

change the use of buildings existed in the place might change too.

Visual Appropriateness

The Visual Appropriateness is the designing of the external image (Bentley

et. al 1985). This quality focuses in the pattern of building in the city. Each

building should have harmony to each other by sharing some common

characteristics.
 This is about the exterior aesthetic of the place that could be the identity of the
place. It is

important according to Bentley (1985), because it strongly affects the

interpretations people put on places: whether designers want them to or not, people

do interpret places having meanings. A place has visual appropriateness when

these meanings help to make people aware of the choices

offered.

Richness

Richness is developing the design for sensory choice (Bentley et. al 1985).

This quality is much detailed than visual appropriateness. It indicates what specific

place in the area should be highlighted, what kind of materials should be used and

how it will go to achieve to give a sensible place for the users.

Richness is focused on satisfying all human senses in terms of structural.

How it will encourage people to visit the area and how it will be productive.

Bentley (1985) stated that “in this stage, we are dealing with the smallest

details of the project. We must decide whereabouts in the scheme to provide

richness, both visual and non-visual, and select appropriate materials and

constructional techniques for achieving it”.

Personalisation

In his book Bentley (1985) stated that “The design affects the extent to which

people can put their own stamp on a place: we shall call this personalisation”. The

design quality allows the users to create a space for their own choice but not

exceeding the property line and trespassing a rule and regulation.

SUMMARY

The book is an important resource to consult prior to projects or

interventions within a city as it explores key elements of place making
and proposes design solutions. The theories discussed therein will aid a
better understanding of the qualities within the given site and help
highlight  inherent problems which will in turn inform the design of a
more responsive environment

Clearly demonstrates the specific characteristics that make for

comprehensible, friendly and controllable places; 'Responsive
Environments' - as opposed to the alienating environments often
imposed today. By means of sketches and diagrams, it shows how they
may be designed in to places or buildings. This is a practical book about
architecture and urban design. It is most concerned with the areas of
design which most frequently go wrong and impresses the idea that
ideals alone are not enough.