Architecture and the Environment
PSY 460
August 06, 2012
Architecture and the Environment
Architecture solicits a response from individual’s in regard to the design of buildings, structures of all types, and landscaping. When thinking of architecture individuals think about design, color, and arrangements. Consideration for how physical structure affects human behavior and as a means of controlling human behavior normally does not enter one’s mind unless he or she considers environmental psychology. Architectural design not only provides beauty and accommodations for residential living, businesses, recreation, and social community gathering, architectural development supports sustainable development. Architecture also controls human behavior; commercial and residential design promotes purpose and provides consideration in connection with environmental psychology. Exploring human response to physical structure provides an insight to the impact of architecture and the environment.
The concept of environmental architecture focuses on saving green space working with the surroundings making a home or business sustainable. The concept requires less land and energy using renewable materials that will not become harmful to the environment now or in the future. Environmental architecture also provides health benefits and capable of providing a less stressful surrounding and improving behavior.
Physical Structures affects Human Behavior
Architectural design provides a significant role in providing individual comfort with privacy and personal space, health benefits, wellbeing, and an impact on behavior. According to the Cambridge handbook of psychology, health and medicine, “Three inter-related variables are important considerations in the design of space because of the potential for indirect influences on mood and health. These variables are the perception of density, privacy and control” (par. 2, 2007). The size of a room determines the...