Secondly, a lack of destination or purpose (see: Learning from the city) people are drawn to places that have something to offer such as Haarlemmerdijk – streets that offers shopping, entertainment, socialising and so on. It cannot be expected that every street, every corner of the city will be as lively and bustling, and in this case it is even not intended. However, in the existing micro climate the activities can be promoted that will connect the building to its surroundings and as a result the inhabitants to each other – helping them ‘to do what they do best- being sociable’, instead of maintaining ‘dead’ spaces. Term ‘dead’ does not necessarily have to equal spaces otherwise thought of as ‘nice‘ and ‘quiet’ as this is generally welcomed in neighbourhoods, but rather refers to spaces being inhabited, instead of empty and dull. QUIET BACKS ‘Anyone who has to work in noise, in offices with people all around, needs to be able to pause and refresh himself with quiet in a more natural situation. To meet this need, we may conceive all buildings as having a front and a back. If the front is given over to the street life-cars, shopping paths, delivery-then the back can be reserved for quiet.’90 - C. Alexander ne of the possibilities of the courtyard is to become where residents (and perhaps passers-by) can escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and everyday life, this would require very little intervention to the space itself, it would remain a view but additionally a place to be in, stroll, rest, enjoy a leisurely sunny afternoon on a bench – being in touch with nature. The internal garden can become a small (semi) public square, however as it has been recognised the individuals as much as they like openness they appreciate partial enclosure with a view SMALL PUBLIC SQUARE ‘A town needs public squares; they are the largest, most public rooms that the town has. But when they are too large, they look and feel deserted. Time and again in modern cities, architects and planners build plazas that are too large. They look good on drawings; but in real life they end up desolate and dead.’91 -C. Alexander
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In the quote above, C. Alexander speaks of a public square in the city; however the same pattern can be applied to more secluded spaces such as a large internal garden. At the present the space is a large sprawl with a several shrubs and trees, not planned to create small pockets of space. Therefore to create a sense of openness and at the same time enclosure, informal divisions can landscape to space to increase usability. HIERARCHY OF OPEN SPACES ‘Outdoors, people always try to find a spot where they can have their backs protected, looking out toward some larger opening, beyond the space immediately in front of them. Essentially, it means that any place where people can feel comfortable has: 1. A back. 2. A view into a larger space.’92 - C. Alexander ACTIVITY POCKETS ‘The life of a public square forms naturally around its edge. If the edge fails, then the space never becomes lively. In more detail: people gravitate naturally toward the edge of public spaces. They do not linger out in the open. If the edge does not provide them with places where it is natural to linger, the space becomes a place to walk through, not a place to stop. It is therefore clear that a public square should be surrounded by pockets of activity.. .In effect, the edge must be scalloped.’ 93– C. Alexander In the latter quote, there is a concentration on the creating ‘pockets of activity’ on the edge of the square, this has been already addressed at the beginning of this stage, as it is a garden in the residential block, the scalloped pockets are created, by the households, and the appropriation of their immediate surroundings on the ground floor. However the same ‘scalloping’ can be created within the centre of the courtyard, as it does not have to hold large numbers of people at the same time, such as squares during public events. Additionally, as the garden is not expected to be used by a large number of people at the same, the space can be divided into smaller segments in order for small groups of people to feel comfortable if simultaneously using.