Rachel Selfling - Design by Words Writing Workshop

On Effects:!

Psychology for Young Architects

Letter to the publisher‌

Dear [name of editor], I am writing to you regarding publishing considerations for my recently completed book, On Effects: Psychology for the Young Architect. This book begins to open the dialogue between the disciplines of architecture and psychology. By simplifying a complex topic for students early-on in their architectural pursuits, this pragmatic book endeavors to improve the understanding of and thus further push the exploration of the effects of spaces on human behavior, thought, and emotion.

The explanation of environmental psychology in On Effects: Psychology for the Young Architect is threefold. The first section of the book would act as an introduction to the language, specifically providing the reader with a crucial set of terms, and would also contain explanations on how to “read” environments. The following section of the book offers the reader a set of seven typologies, and psychological considerations for each.

These typologies are as follows: (1) education, (2) health care, (3) religious, (4) office work environments, (5) transport buildings, (6) residential domestic habitats, (7) commercial or retail spaces. The book would then conclude with a focus on research. This section would provide students with interesting examples of past environmental psychology research projects and the ever-advancing technology available to measure certain human reactions to environments (both physiological and neurological). This section would also encourage and inform how the student could set up his or her own realistic experiments, without the need for pricey imaging technology. Clearly, this tripartite approach to the division of the book ensures the student will obtain a proper grasp on the subject matter and will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools to implement aspects of environmental psychology into his or her own projects.

This book is geared towards a very specific yet receptive audience. It is aimed at first and second year undergraduate architecture students. This is not the handbook you’ll see pristinely preserved on a shelf in an architect’s office, rather it will be found strewn on the student’s studio desk, heavy creases in the spine. This guidebook not about specific “answers” and more of an introduction to a way to begin to think about environmental psychology by providing students the tools to articulate and independently explore it. This model of targeting architecture students is not without precedent, publications such as “Philosophy for Architects”, “The Architects Guide to Writing”, or “Physics for Architects” are already in print and immensely successful.

By remaining jargon-free and incorporating explanations that are interesting yet lean and straightforward, the book would become exponentially more user-friendly and appealing than the existing textbooks on environmental psychology. This content is vitally important as it offers a myriad of ways to improve the lives of people who will occupy these spaces that students will eventually design. By beginning this dialogue early into their career, their ability to manipulate this interdisciplinary overlap for the better will only be strengthened as time goes on.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, Rachel Serfling

Bibliography •

Bell P., Greene T., Fisher, J., & Baum, A. (1996). Environmental Psychology. Ft Worth: Harcourt Brace.

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Gifford, R. (2007). Environmental Psychology: Principles and Practice (4th ed.). Colville, WA: Optimal Books.

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The focus of this particular publication seems to be different methods of improving an individual’s quality of life. This is demonstrated through various methods, facing various considerations, across several different domains. Finally, the book examines how the physical built environment can impact a person’s social perception and thus their interactions.

Stokols, D., and I. Altman, eds. (1987). Handbook of Environmental Psychology. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

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An emphasis on the social representations in environmental psychology is made in this book. This book explains the idea of bringing the social arena up to an urban scale. The book also goes into much detail specifically about environmental psychology considerations for the workplace.

Proshansky, H. M. (1987). "The field of environmental psychology: securing its future." In Handbook of Environmental Psychology, eds. D. Stokols and I. Altman. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

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This reference provides much of the specific and practical methodological tools for the student to embark on his or her own environmental psychology research outside of a laboratory, and different options for how to evaluate and make sense of the data he or she collects.

Ittelson, W. H., Proshansky, H., Rivlin, L., & Winkel, G. (1974). An Introduction to Environmental Psychology. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Translated into German and Japanese.

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This book provides information regarding the different user needs and consequences of design decisions in both public and private spaces. It goes into great detail regarding the effects of manipulating personal space and also environmental cues to guide and also to comfort individuals.

Groat, L. & Wang, D. (2013). Architectural Research Methods (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

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This particular publications covers the fundamentals of what the field of environmental psychology entails. This publication goes into great detail regarding effects of noise, air pollution, temperature, and wind. It also discusses the behavioral effects of personal space, crowding, and adaptation to the familiar versus unfamiliar. Finally, it covers most of the building typologies that my publication aims to explore.

This book emphasizes the role of ‘context’ in everyday life. It further demonstrates the “ethical imperatives” that one should consider when both designing spaces for people and also when conducting environmental psychology research, and ultimately how to maximize the positive outcomes from this.

Zube, E.H., and G. T. Moore, eds. (1991). Advances in Environment, Behavior, and Design, Volume 3. New York: Plenum Press.

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This publication offers information on the differences and value of quantitative and qualitative research in environmental psychology. Furthermore, it provides tactics on best ways to integrate different theories when designing. It also ties in an introduction to social ecology and anthropology, which aspects of each can be expanded into the environmental psychology domain.