Undergraduate Thesis

Sumarbústaðir

OVERVIEW: This project aims to close the disconnect between architectural practice and environmental psychological research by translating pre-existing findings into design features of an Icelandic residence.

Environmental psychological research is unfortunately rarely implemented by architects.

This house is a representation of how this research can be physically manifested into a mentally and physically comfortable space.

Iceland is chosen as the site, as its harsh and barren landscape accentuates the need for human comfort in design. Vernacular architectural styles such as turf roofs are integrated into the design.

Sumarbústaðir is the Icelandic word for a summer house. Although, the word is a misnomer, as many Icelandic families travel to their summer homes at all times of the year. The houses are often shared by multiple families who travel to it to find respite away from urban life. Summer homes can be found all over the country, but are often built in remote places.

Lauren Cheetham Arch 4020 Research Studio Global Sites // Fictional Sections

Sumarbústaðir ACADEMIC INTENT: Environmental psychological research is often ignored and rarely implemented by architects. This is a very unfortunate practice in our field that must be re-evaluted. Instead of relying on our own flawed or biased design “intuition”, we could leverage this scientific research to design spaces that have proven neurophysiological effects. By disregarding this peer-reviewed research, we are doing ourselves and our clients a disservice. The inclusion of a scientific evidence based design approach will improve our collective human experience through new mentally and physically comfortable buildings.

THESIS: This project aims to close the disconnect between architectural practice and environmental psychological research by translating pre-existing findings into design features of an Icelandic residence. This house acts as a representation of how this scientific research can be physically manifested into a mentally and physically comfortable space.

LOCATION: Iceland is chosen as the site, as its harsh and “almost alien” landscape accentuates the need for human comfort in design. The house is located 1.5 miles outside of Möðrudalur, the highest inhabited place in the country. It is a small farming and tourist town that includes an access road that ends about 315 ft from the site. An extension of this road is included in my design. The house sits on the bank of a tributary which contains fish, so I included a dock that extends out into the water.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Nordic countries have long had a strong sauna culture, with the first sauna being built in Finland around 2,000 BC. Iceland specifically also has a strong “swimming pool culture”, where the local swimming pool acts as the essential social hub of the area in which all ages gather. Almost every Icelandic town, no matter how small, has an outdoor pool used year-round by natural heating from geothermal energy. I incorporated these traditions by including a sauna and hot tub with the house, as well as locating it next to a river for swimming. Additionally, there is a cultural norm of child independence. It is common for children to be unaccompanied outdoors at all times of day, as Icelanders believe plenty of cold fresh air will make them hardier. Strollers with babies are left unattended outside of stores and cafes, so the babies can get cold air, while the parent relaxes inside. Following this cultural norm, I designed an independent building for the children’s room, which gives them ample privacy and encourages independent play by giving them the freedom to go and come as they please without disturbing others.

METHODOLOGY: I first began by analyzing and then visually representing unique natural phonomena and characteristics of Iceland at the macro scale of the island and worked my way into the micro scale of my site. The following maps visualize these unique characteristics: Extreme variation in elevation, minimal green space and urbanization, and abundance of rivers, glaciers, and waterbodies.

Examples of the research I used to guide my design choices include: A 2017 Shanghai University study which shows that rooms with wooden surfaces have been linked to decreasing diastolic blood pressure and general sensations of calmness and a Psychology Today article which shows curvilinear spaces activate the anterior cingulate cortex which is responsible for emotional learning and motivation. These two pieces of research are included in this presentation.

Application of research into design features include: a curvilinear sauna made with steam bent Nordic spruce panels, separate children’s room following Icelandic cultural norm of child independence, two traditional turf roofs for insulation and protection of landscape views, and living room with tall ceiling and drop ceiling following research findings on ceiling heights.

Lauren Cheetham Arch 4020 Research Studio Global Sites // Fictional Sections

Elevation

Greenspaces + Urban Areas

Wetness, Rivers, and Permanent Water Bodies

Grided Map with Site

Site Context

Site

s

ile .5 m

1 Möðrudalur

Site Distance to Möðrudalur

Möðrudalur Site Map

Möðrudalur Aerial View

CHURCH COTTAGES

Möðrudalur Aerial View

RESTAURANT

CAMPGROUNDS

Möðrudalur Aerial View

SITE

Site Aerial View

Turf homes in Burfell, Iceland

Icelandic Vernacular Architecture Examples

Turf homes in Laufas, Iceland

Turf homes in Keldur, Iceland

Site Map

Research Excerpt: How to Make a Happier Home by Lily Bernheimer (Psychology Today)

Research Excerpt: How to Make a Happier Home by Lily Bernheimer (Psychology Today)

Research Excerpt: Emotion and interior space design: an ergonomic perspective by Swathi Matta Reddy, et al.

Research Excerpt: Emotion and interior space design: an ergonomic perspective by Swathi Matta Reddy, et al.

Floor Plan: 1/16” = 1’

0

10

Floor Plan: 1/8” = 1’

0

10

Roof Plan: 1/8” = 1’

0

10

East Facing Section 1/16” = 1’

North Facing Section 1/16” = 1’

South Facing Section 1/16” = 1’

Axonometric Projection of Summerhome with Dettifoss Tributary and Turf Roofs

Exterior Rendering of South Elevation with Dock and River

Exterior Rendering from Turf Roof above Children’s Room

Exterior Rendering with view of Kitchen, Dining, and Living Room

Interior Rendering of Sauna with Steam Bent Nordic Spruce and Curvilinear Elements

Night Rendering of Access Road Approach with Aurora Borealis

Environmental Psychology Research Bibliography

PHILIP, DUNCAN. “ESSAY: THE PRACTICAL FAILURE OF ARCHITECTURAL PSYCHOLOGY.” Journal of Environ-mental Psychology, vol. 16, no. 3, 1 Jan. 1996, pp. 277 - 284.

Reddy, Swathi Matta, et al. “Emotion and Interior Space Design: an Ergonomic Perspective.” Work, vol. 41, 2 Feb. 2012, pp. 1072 - 1078 Rollings, Kimberly A., and Nancy M. Wells. “Effects of Floor Plan Openness On Eating Behaviors.” Environ-ment & Behavior, vol. 49, no. 6, 1 Jul. 2017, pp. 663 - 684.

Alexander Coburn, Omid Kardan, Hiroki Kotabe, Jason Steinberg, Michael C. Hout, Arryn Robbins, Justin Mac-Donald, Gregor Hayn-Leichsenring, Marc G. Berman, Psy-chological responses to natural patterns in architecture, Journal of Environmental Psychology, Volume 62, 2019, Pages 133-145 Gary W. Evans, Janetta Mitchell McCoy, WHEN BUILD-INGS DON’T WORK: THE ROLE OF ARCHITECTURE IN HUMAN HEALTH, Journal of Environmental Psychology, Volume 18, Issue 1, 1998, Pages 85-94 Petrovic, Emina, Brenda Vale, and Bruno Marques. “On the rise and apparent fall of architectural psychology in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.” (2015) Hamdy Mahmoud, Heba-Talla. “Interior architectural elements that affect human psychology and behavior.” (2017).

Montello, Daniel R. “Spatial Cognition and Architectural Space: Research Perspectives.” Architectural Design, vol. 84, no. 5, 1 Sep. 2014, pp. 74 - 79.

Bonaiuto, Marino, et al. “FENG SHUI AND ENVIRONMEN-TAL PSYCHOLOGY: A CRITICAL COMPARISON.” Journal of Architectural & Planning Research, vol. 27, no. 1, 1 Mar. 2010, pp. 23 - 34 Bernheimer, Lily. “How to Make A HAPPIER HOME.” Psychology Today, vol. 53, no. 2, 1 Mar. 2020, pp. 72 - 79.