Psychoanalytic Architecture Undergraduate Dissertation - Jesse Yankah

PsychoanalyticArchitecture

UndergraduateDissertation

ByJesseAbekuYankah ThirdYearArchitectureStudent CoventryUniversity

2022

Acknowledgements

Iwouldliketothankmysupervisor.SebastianHicksandTulikaGadakarifortheirguidance andcommitmenttobroadeningmyhorizonsthroughouttheprocess. Iwouldalsoliketothankmysisterforintroducingmetopsychoanalysis.

Abstract

Psychoanalysisisbothatheoryandamethodoftherapythatisfoundedontheassumption thateveryonehasunconsciousthoughts,desires,andmemories.SigmundFreud,anAustrian neurologist,foundedthedisciplineintheearly1890s,basedonhistheoreticalmodelof personalityorganisationanddevelopment.Psychoanalysis,accordingtotheAmerican PsychoanalyticAssociation(APA),canhelppeopleunderstandthemselvesbyinvestigating unrecognisedimpulseshiddenintheunconscious.Psychoanalyticideascanbeutilisedto analysepatternsofbehaviourandfluctuationsinactivitybytappingintothesubconsciousof theuserofaspace.Psychoanalysisandarchitectureareinextricablylinkedsinceonebuilds spacesandtheothercanassesstheinfluenceofthoseenvironmentsontheuser

Theprimaryobjectiveofthestudyistoshowthepossibilitiesofintegratingpsychoanalysis intoarchitecturaldesign,aswellastostimulatemoreresearchintothissymbioticrelationship inordertoincreasetheimpactofarchitecturaldesignoncreativeperformance.Conductinga desktop-basedstudyonphysicalspacefeaturesorqualitiesthathavebeendiscoveredtohave aneffectoncreativeperformanceindifferentworkspacesbasedontheirlevelofprivacy.The studyalsoaimstouncoverdesignsolutionsthatcansuccessfullyimprovestudents'creative performanceinthedomesticrealm.Thisaimstoassesshoweffectivestudenthousingplans areatfosteringcreativeproficiency.Theresearchinvestigatespotentialsolutionstothe problembyexaminingaUniversitystudent'sroomcapabilitiestobethereceiverofthree creativity-boostingtactics.

Weshapeourbuildings,andafterwards,ourbuildingsshapeus.

—WinstonChurchill

ListofFigures

Fig.1- Freud’sTherapycouchiscoveredbyhiscolouredIranianRug

Fig.2-Coventry’semptyIkeaStore

Fig.3-Krenekarchitect’sproposalofcurvilinearofficedesign

Fig.4-AerialviewofTaliesinWest

Fig.5-TaliesinWestIsometricDiagram

Fig.6-TaliesinWestGardenRoom

Fig.7-TaliesinHouseWest-DraftingRoom.

Fig.8-TaliesinHouseWest’s DraftingRoomElevation

Fig.9-FrankLloydWright’sBedroominTaliesinWest

Fig.10-Modesofthinking

Fig.11-RedRoom,ShashiCaanExperiment2006

Fig.12-BlueRoom,ShashiCaanExperiment2006

Fig.13-ShashiCaanExperimentPlanVisualisation

Fig.14-Isometricviewofthestudent’sneighbourhood

Fig.15-ArchitectureUniversityStudentBedroomWorkspace

Fig.16-BalmoralBluehouseStairwaylobby

Fig.17-BlueBedroom

Fig.18-Student’swindow

Fig.19-BedroomLayoutProposal

Fig.20-Psychologicaleffectsofstraightversuscurvedfurniture

Chapter1-IntroductionandContext

Psychoanalysisandarchitecturearetwoworldsthatseemveryfarapartfromeachother PsychoanalysisisthesideofPsychologythatisconcernedwiththesubconscious.The definitionintheOxfordEnglishdictionaryis:“asetoftheoriesandtherapeutictechniques thatdealinpartwiththeunconsciousmind,andwhichtogetherformamethodoftreatment formentaldisorders”.Thefounderofpsychoanalysis,SigmundFreud,wouldhaveapatient liedownonhiscouchandtakenoteswhilehewouldtellthemabouttheirdreamsand childhoodrecollections.

Theanalystandthespacearetypically"blankscreens,"releasingverylittleinformationso thattheclientcanaccesstheirsubconsciouswithoutinterferenceorabsorptionofunwanted informationfromtheoutside.Evenifitisnotobvious,thereisalinkbetweenthescenario andthedesignoftheroom.Asimulatedscenarioinwhichthepatientisstilllyingdownon thesamesofa,andSigmundFreudisstilltakingnotes;however,allofthisistakingplacein themiddleofanempty,vast,exposedconcretewarehouse(Seefig2).

Fig.1- Freud’sTherapycouchiscoveredbyhiscolouredIranianRug

Theenvironmentcouldpossiblymakethepatientfeeluneasy,makingthemlesslikelyto expresstheirmostrepressedmemoriesorthoughts.Freudwasnotparticularlyconcerned withthespaceshewasutilisingbecausepsychoanalysisdealswiththebrainandtherapy sessionswereoftendonewiththepatient'seyesclosed,implyingthatitwasnotrequiredto worryaboutthephysicalfeaturesofthespaceduringthetherapy Eveniftheneurologistwasnotpayingcloseattentiontothesettinghewasin,itislikelythat thespaceandatmospherehadasignificantimpactonthepatient'sabilitytorecall,visualise, andcommunicatechildhooddreamsandmemories.Thisisoneofmanyexamplesofhow architectureandpsychoanalysishavebeenworkingalongsideoneanother,andhopefully,it demonstratesthepotentialforasymbioticinteractionbetweenthem.

Fig.2-Coventry’semptyIkeaStore

1.1Literaturereview

Alotoftimeandresearchhavebeeninvestedintherelationshipbetweenthemindand physicalspaces.Sinceitissuchawidesubject,ithasbeenapproachedfromavarietyof angles.Anumberofpapers,researchandbooksaffectedthisstudy’sperspective.Hereare themostrelevantones.

A2015studybytheUniversityofTurku(Finland),investigatedtheeffectofthephysical designofanorganisationalenvironmentontheestablishmentofacultureconduciveto organisationalcreativity.Theresultssuggestedthatphysicalspacesubtlydoeshavean implicitimpactonorganisations,especiallyonthreeculturalaspects:

-Equality

-Openness

-Companycollectivity.

Theseresultsthatspacehaseffectsonidentityatanorganisationallevel,andthecareful choiceofarchitecturalplanning,style,layoutanddesignareconducivetoahealthy,openand collectivecompanyculture.Theresearchfillsthegapofuncertaintyonthearchitectural designbeingabletoaffectcollectiveidentity. Thisiscrucialtothisresearchsinceitreveals that,whilenotcertain,architecturaldesigncanhaveafavourableimpactontheuser's creativeperformance.Theresultsfromthestudycanalsobetranslatedandreflectedona smallerscalebyreplicatingtheinvestigation’sprocedureinadomesticspaceusedbya collectiveofpeople.Unfortunately,thisisnotattainableinthisstudysincequantification dataofculturalaspectswerecollectedoverayearusingalongitudinalmethod.

Anotherintriguingpieceofliteraturethatpushedtheprocessofthisresearchwasoneon children'screativity.Childrenarebelievedtohavesignificantlygreatercreativeabilitiesthan adultsduetotheiractiveimagination.Youngchildrenarelessconstrainedbycognitive patterns,allowingtheirdivergentsideofthebrain(PrivateSpaceCaseStudy)tofunction moreeffectively.AstudybyRichaSharma's2011forMIERJournal(JournalofEducational StudiesTrendsandPractices)attemptedtodeterminetheeffectofschoolandhome environmentsonchildren'screativity.Asampleof200ninth-gradechildrenwasdrawnfrom Chandigarh,India,from100governmentschoolsand100privateinstitutions.Therapidrise oftheIndianeconomy,particularlyitscities,hasresultedinanurbancrisis,resultingin inadequateinfrastructureandurbanplanningmanagement,makingthisstudyhighlyrelevant tothisresearch(A.Roy2009). Accordingtothebodyofliterature,childrenwhoattendcity

governmentschoolsaremorecreativethanthosewhoattendschoolsontheoutskirtsofthe city,thisisjustifiedbythefactthatstudentsareexposedtonewtypesofenvironmentsmore frequently,allowingtheirimaginationtoblossommoreefficiently.R.Sharma’sresultswhile notexpresslyrelevanttothestudy,implythatcreativeperformancemayberelatedto:

-Urbandesign

-Buildingdesign

-Overallspatialqualities.

Thestudy,ontheotherhand,contradictsthisresearcher'sclaimbecausepartofthestudy involvedtransferringsomeoftheparticipantstotheoppositeendofthespectrum,andthe resultsdemonstratedthatstudents'creativeskillwasunaffectedwhenmovedfromoneschool totheother.Thesefindingswouldprovethatcreativityisaconstantphenomenon. However,thisstudyshouldhavetakenintoaccountthefactthattheparticipantswere ninth-gradechildren,whomaystruggletoadjusttoasuddenchangeintheacademic environment.Researchingthisareaofarchitectureinvolvingthebrainisfrequentlyimprecise becausetherearenumerousaspectstoconsider,includingtheparticipant'sbackground,DNA, andupbringing.

1.2Architecture’sdeparturefromtheoffice

Theevolutionofthedigitalmarketoverthelastdecadehasinfluencednotonlyhowwe work,butalsowherewework.Intheearly2000s,planningapplicationsgraduallyshiftedto requiredigitalarchitecturaldocumentationglobally,necessitatingarchitectstoadapttheir workingmethods.Architectscouldnowoperateremotely,butthevastmajorityofthemarket chosenottodosoduetohabitandthenecessitytospeakpersonallywiththeircolleagues. Architectureworkplaceshaveshiftedphysically,orevolved,inrecentdecades.Workplaces canbethoughtofassecondhomes,whichiswhyofficedesignisgainingpopularity. Workplaces,particularlyopenoffices,wereattheforefrontofdesignadvancementsinthe 1960s.Becauseofitsabilitytoprovideprivacyandcontainnoise,cubicleswerebroughtinto workplacecultureinthe1990s,butthisconceptlaterbecamelinkedwithalossofidentity, socialcontact,andcommunication.In2003,astudywasconductedinArizonatoseehow fastaviruscanspreadinsideanaverageworkspace.Aharmlessviruswasplacedonthedoor handleattheentranceofanopenoffice.Theteamplacedanonpathogenicvirusonthedoor toanopenoffice,afloorwithcentralseatinginthiscasepartlydividedbycubiclesand

individualofficeswith80employees.Withinfourhours,over50%ofthecommonlytouched surfaceshadbeencontaminated.Bytheendoftheday,everysurfacetheytestedhadsome traceofthevirus,fromthecoffeepotstobathrooms,otherhandles,andthebreakroom(E. Vanderhoof,2020).

Thispromptedarchitectsanddesignerstoexaminesharedareasthatmayencourage face-to-facecontactwhilestillprovidingfairsocialseparationtosloworpotentiallyprevent illnessesamongworkers(Seefig.3).Thisbecameamuchmorediscussedandresearched topicwhenin2020Covid-19forcedtheofficeworldtore-evaluatethesocialhabitsitonce had.

1.3 Covid-19andworkingspaces

Covid-19hashadanimpactontheeconomy,performance,andproductionprocessofevery industry.Workingfromhomewasanovelexperienceformost,ifnotall,workersinthe architectureworld,asthesectorreliesheavilyonnetworking,socialcontact,coordination, andsitevisits. Asterribleasitwastheepidemichadpositiveaswellasnegativeinfluences onarchitecture.Covid-19improvedspatialawarenessforanyonewhohadtoworkfrom home,peopleneededtostartevaluatingwhatareaintheirhomewasbesttousetocomplete theirwork.Duetothecircumstances,architectswerecompelledtocompareanddetermine

Fig.3-Krenekarchitect’sproposalofcurvilinearofficedesign

whichareaintheirhomewasthefinestforthemtoperform.Thistransitionalsohadahuge impactonuniversitystudents,whowereseparatedfromtheirfamiliesandsuddenlyfelt nearlyisolatedinenvironmentstheyhadtoadjustforactivitiestheywerenotbuiltfor. Architecturestudentsneededtopersonalisethelimitedspacetheyhadinordertomakea significantshiftfromface-to-facelearning.Thisstudyispersonaltoanyarchitectand architecturestudentwhoisinterestedintheconnectionbetweentheirsubconsciousselfand theircreativeperformance.Manystudentspacesnowadaysarenotbuiltconsideringhowthey canpositivelyornegativelyaffectperformanceandcreativethinking.

Thereisagapbetweenpsychoanalyticalthoughtandarchitecturaltheorythatifnarrowedcan potentiallyaidarchitectstodesignbuildingspacesthatspurinnovativethinkingandboost creativity.

1.4Spacesthatstimulatecreativity

Architectureistheprocessofplanning,designingandconstructingaspaceinsidestructures orspacesinsideout.Architecturalworkshavefrequentlybeentheachievementsthat representhistoricalcivilisations.Whenwethinkofspecificcivilizations,weoftenenvision thecountrythathousestheculture'sarchitecture.Architectureplaysacriticalroleinthe monumentaltaskofestablishingaculture,establishingpsychologicalstandards,and managingit.Architecturecanbedefinedasaculture-shapingcreativeartformwiththe abilitytorepresentacountry.WinstonChurchill,aBritishstatesman,soldier,andwriter, famouslysaid,"Weshapeourbuildings,andthenourbuildingsshapeus".

AuthorLucyHuskinson,authorof‘Architectureandthemimeticself’stated:“Buildings designusasmuchaswethem”.Theauthorclaimsthatourspace’simpactonusgoesfar beyondinfluencingpatternsofbehaviour,sheclaimsthattheseplacesthemselvesconstruct ouridentitytoanextent.Theauthorsuggestsinthebookthatwe,asusersofaspace, subconsciouslyetchourselvesintothearchitecturalfabricofoursurroundings,sothatwe experienceitsaspectsasiftheywereabsorbedintousasactiveelementsofourselves(L. Huskinson2018).Architecturerespondstoourneedsthroughcreativeexpressionsthatshape usandoursocieties.

Whatifwecouldpredictwaystoconsciouslyconstructthesespacesinwaysthatstimulate specificresponsesordevelopqualitiesinus?

Itiscriticaltofirsthaveapracticalunderstandingofwhatcreativityis.Someresearcherscall itaqualitythatdefinesopen-mindedindividuals,othersbelieveittobeaskilldeveloped throughtime.Anumberofscholarshavebeendiligentlyworkingondevelopingwaysto describecreativityandcreativepeople.RobertE.Frankendefinesitas:“thetendencyto generateorrecognizeideas,alternatives,orpossibilitiesthatmaybeusefulinsolving problems,communicatingwithothers,andentertainingourselvesandothers”.TheCanadian authordefinesitasaspasmodicaltendencythatisdirectlyconnectedtotheindividual’spast andpresentspace.

AccordingtoMihalyCsikszentmihalyi,authorofCreativity-FlowandthePsychologyof DiscoveryandInvention,creativeindividualsarepeoplewhoexpressunconventional thoughts,peoplewhoperceivetheworldinnovelandoriginalways,andpeoplewhohave madesignificantcontributionstoourcivilizationTheauthorstatesthatcreativityis influencedbytheperceptionofthespacearoundthem.Thisisaveryinterestingwayof lookingatitasitquicklylinkstothecrossoverbetweenpsychoanalysisandarchitecture.

Thesedefinitionsledmetothebeliefthatcreativityhasdifferentfacesandperspectives dependingontheindustryinwhichitisapplied,theoutcomeofitandwhatfuelsit.

Chapter2-ObjectivesandMethodology

Theprimaryobjectiveofthestudyistoshowthepossibilitiesofintegratingpsychoanalysis intoarchitecturaldesign,aswellastostimulatemoreresearchintothissymbioticrelationship inordertoincreasetheimpactofarchitecturaldesignoncreativeperformance. Thestudy beginsbyidentifyingavarietyoftacticsutilisedinworkspacestoincreasecreativity.Thisis accomplishedbyobservingstrategicdesigndecisionsimplementedbyworld-renowned architectsknownforcreatingefficientsocialspacesasitnarrowsdowntothedomestic realm.Thisstrategywasselectedforitsvalidityandreliabilitytoproviderelevant information.Thespace’sabilitytoboostcreativeperformanceisverifiedthroughtheaidof scientificallyprovenpsychoanalyticandneuroscientificfindings.Oneadvantageofthis methodisthatitvalidatesthedesigndecisionsmadebycreativelysuccessfulpeopleandisa greatwaytojustifythisstudy’sclaim.Afterthat,althoughnotexhaustive,itvalidatesa randomlychosenvolunteeringarchitecturestudent’sroom’scapabilitiestoapplythefindings. Thismethodisbeneficialbecauseitcanidentifyanyshortcomingsinstudents'creative performancethatmayberelatedtopoordesigndecisionsoruserspatialawareness.Asan observationalresearch,thissourcehassomemethodologicallimitations.Itlacksabroader perspectiveasitprimarilyreferstoBritishDesignLayoutsandtheresultsareappliedtoonly onespace.Nonetheless,thefindingsarecrucialastheycanserveastheframeworkfora muchlargerinvestigation.

Chapter3-Casestudies

Architect,designer,writer,andeducatorFrankLloydWrightisaprimeexampleofacreative thinkerwhofrequentlyusedhishomeasaworkspacetoconceptualise,design,anddeliver projects.EightofhisworksareontheUNESCOlist,andfourofthemweredevelopedinhis winterhomeinArizona.TaliesinWestisthehome,studio,andagriculturalestateofFrank LloydWright.Thearchitect'sinventiveperformancemightdefinitelyhavebeenatits optimuminthisplace.Wemaydeducethisbecause,afteraseventy-yearcareerworkingon projectsrangingfromsingle-familyhomestocityplanning,deliveringhalfofhisUNESCO sitesfromthesamebuildingmustsuggestthereissomethingremarkableaboutthatsite. ApartfromthefactthattheTaliesinhousehasanemotionalconnectiontoWrightbecauseit wasbuiltontheArchitect'schildhoodfavouritehill,thebedroomstudiospacesexhibitsome remarkablecharacteristicsthataredefinitelyworthinvestigatingtoseeifthereisalink betweendesigndecisionsandcreativeproficiency.ThestructureisbothaUNESCOWorld HeritageSiteandaNationalHistoricLandmark.In1938,FrankLloydWrightcreated TaliesinWestinScottsdale,Arizonaasthefamily'swinterresidenceandtrainingfacilityfor hisarchitecturefirm.Thecasestudywaschosenbecauseitcontainsnumerousplaceswith varyinglevelsofprivacyandsocialisation.TaliesinWestisanexcellentexampleofa communityforliving,conductingbusiness,andlearning.

Fig.4-AerialviewofTaliesinWest

3.1Collectivespace-GardenRoom

ThegardenroomwasoriginallytheWrightfamily'slivingroom,wheretheyhostedspecial occasionsandhadinformalgatheringswiththeTaliesinFellowship.

Wrightusedtheroomasanexperimenttokeepthefirmconnectedwithnaturewhilestill beingabletocarryoutworkasusual.Theroomislocatedinthemiddleoftheresidential areaofthebuilding,itwasaspecialplacefortheWright’sFellowshipandselectedstudents tofeelclosertothefamily.Thegardenroomwasdesignedasacommunalspace,withdesks andseatingplacesthatservedasbriefingrooms.Thearchitectcreateditasacommunity workspacewiththepremisethatthisisoneoftheareaswherefreshideasemergeandnew onesareconceptualisedanddiscussed.Theroom'srelationshipwiththeoutsideworldisan intriguingfeature.Thegardenroomhasaseamlesslinkwiththeoutside,withflatglass skylightwindowsalongthelengthoftheroomandacurtainwallsystem,allowingwhoever isinsidetofeelmuchclosertothenaturearoundit(Seefig5and6).

Fig.5-TaliesinWestIsometricDiagram

Scientistshavediscoveredstrongevidencethatbeingexposedtonatureintheformofplants andgreenareasincreasescreativity.AccordingtoonestudyconductedbyKathrynJ.H. Williams,Professor(EnvironmentalPsychology)attheUniversityofMelbourne,ourbrains rarelyretaintheconcentrationrequiredtoperformformorethan30minutesatatime.After thisperiodoftime,ourbrainbeginstowanderandlosesefficiency.Theinvestigationfocused ontwoparameters:

-attentionrestoration

-mindwandering. Theycomparedthetwointermsoffocus,activationofneuronalnetworksandcognitive effects.Thefollowingproposalsemergedfromthefindings:

1.Gentleshiftsbetweenexternallyorientedsoftfascinationandinternallyorientedmind wanderingcanoccurduringnatureexperiencereinforcingpathwaysthatenhanceattention controlfollowingnatureexperience

2.Mindwanderingmightsupportadditionalbenefitsforcreativity,includingflexibilityand newassociationsofideas.(K.J.H.Williams2018)

Fig.6-TaliesinWestGardenRoom

Thisbehaviourcouldbeattributedtoourpredecessorswhosurvivedandlivedinopen grasslandsdottedbywoodlandpatchesandrivers.Thisisahintatevolutionary psychoanalysis.Evolutionarypsychoanalysisisthebranchofresearchthatusesevolutionary biologytodeconstructthebiasesfoundincompetingvisionsofhumanpsychologicaldesign andfunction.Itanalyseshumangrowthfromapsychologicalstandpointratherthana physiologicallyfocusedone,asCharlesDarwindid.(D.M.Rattner,2019).Humanityhas spent98%ofitslifewithinnaturalecosystems;thesightofalargefieldsignifiedapromise offood,water,shelter,andgenerallygoodchancesforasuccessfulfutureforourancestors. Thefactthatourforefathershadafavourableassociationwithnaturemaybetheprimary explanationforourresponse.Alinkbetweennatureandcreativitycouldalsoinfluenceour reactiontoit.Naturerepresentstheemergenceoflifeforms,andthebirthofpreviously unknownorabsentobjects.Humancreativitycaneasilybeseenviathesamelens,our creativitygivesusthepowertocreatefromnothing.Beingexposedtonatureandplants,and howtheyareintertwinedwithcreationandgrowth,mightbewhatunconsciouslypushesusto bemorecreative.Basedonthesefindings,theGardenRoom'suserswouldhavehadan impressivecollectiveworkspacetoworkonprojects.Lookingupatthevastlandaround themwouldhavebeenagreatcatalystfortheirfocusandcreativeperformance,theroomwas alsorelativelyfilledwithgreenery.

TaliesinSchoolofarchitecture’sdraftingroomwasestablishedin1940,theofficespacewas aheadofitstimeforitsuseoflight,buildingheight,materialsanddeskergonomics.

3.2SharedSpace-DraftingRoom

Fig.7-TaliesinHouseWest-DraftingRoom.

Fig.8-TaliesinHouseWestDraftingRoomElevation

Followinghisusualstyle,whichiscurrentlyclosedduetoalackofasolidbusinessmodelto stayopen,thedraftingroomwasdesignedwithashortceilingtosuitthevisionofhishuman scale.Thiswouldcompresstheroomandcausestudentstolookforwardandsidewaysrather thanupwards,leadingtoaconceptlaterdescribedinthispaperknownastheSaccadiceye movementtheory.

Thisrelatestothealreadydescribedmindwanderingtheory(SeeCollectivespace),however, theroomlackstheGardenroom'scurtainwallsthatextendsthroughthelengthofthefacade (Seefig8).

However,scientificdatasuggestthatexposuretophysicalartisticoutputscanactasa stimulantforcreativeperformance.RosalindArdenofKing'sCollegeLondonconducteda 'behaviouralbrain'meta-study(astudythatanalysesandevaluatesdatafrompreviousstudies onthesametopic)thatdemonstratedthroughneuroimagingthatfillingaroomwithworksof visualart,graphicdesign,andhandicraftsdoinfactstimulateactivityintheleftsideofthe brain(Imagingisasetofquantitativetechniquesusedbyneurologiststoidentifyactivitieson eachsideofthebrain).

Thisiscriticalbecauseitimpliesthatcreativitymightbeviewedasaself-sustainingidea.

Whatthismeansisthat,likeacycle,creativitycanbeachievedbyexposuretoothercreative outputs.Thisworksinsymbiosiswithastudythatdiscoveredthatwitnessingartsendsblood toareasofthebrainconnectedwithrisk-taking,leadingtoadesiretojourneyintouncharted terrainbeingavitalrequirementforpeopleinthecontinualchaseofuniqueideas.(R.Arden 2010).Whenwelookright,theleftsideofthebrainactivates(Divergentandcreativeside) andwhenwelookleft,therightsideofourbrainactivates(Convergentandlogical).Astudy onSaccadiceyemovementconductedbythedepartmentofNeuroscienceattheUniversityof Pennsylvaniaalsosupportsthisevenfurther.Saccadiceyemovementiswhatscientists describeastheeyemovementthatallowsvisualfixationtojumpfromonelocationto another.Theresultsprovedthatrapidlyswitchingactivationbetweenthesidesofthebrain strengthenscorticalplasticity(elasticityoftheouterlayerofourbrain)whichleadsusto createproductsofbothpartsofourbrainwithlessfatigueandmoreefficiency(M.C.D.Bridi 2015).

ThisfurtherstrengthensRosalindArden’sresultsaboutexposuretophysicalcreativeoutputs stimulatingcreativeperformance.GoingbacktotheDraftRoom,theofficespaceperforms betterthanitscompetitorsduetoWright’sproportionofspaceinrelationtothehumanscale.

Thisdesigndecisionnotonlypotentiallyboostscreativeproficiencybutalsopromotesa betterinteractionbetweenthebuiltandtheuser.

3.3PrivateSpace-Wright’sBedroomStudio

ItisvitaltohighlightagainthatWrighthadcompletecontrolandfreedomovereverydesign decisionabouttheroomasitwaspreciselydesignedbyhimintheearly1900s,rangingfrom materials,heights,proximities,lights,andshadows;Thisistounderlinethathisroomisa well-thought-out,eclecticblendofallthemostefficientbedroomideasheconceptualisedand designedcollaboratively.Ifanymanofhiscalibreisgiventheabilitytodesigntheroomin whichtheywillspendmostoftheirtime,theywouldundoubtedlyconstructa‘subjective masterpiece’.Wright’sdesignwaseverythingbutsimple,resemblingworkinspiredbythe ArtsandCraftMovementwhichinstigatedacritiqueofindustriallabour.Almosteveryangle ofthespaceseemstohavebeenhandcrafted,fromthefurnishingstothestoneworkinthe room'sbackwalls.Incontrasttothelimestonecolumns,thewoodisincrediblysmoothand glossy,givingthebedroomaseamlessfinish.Thematerial’sglossinessalsoaidsthe reflectionoflightaroundthestudio.Therearemanymorecharacteristicsworthpointingout abouthisbedroom’sdesign.Redwoodtimberistheprimarymaterialusedinthebedroom studio. ThisisallduetoWright’sself-givencommissiontoembracealocation’slocal materials.Oneofthecharacteristicsthatreallycatchesone’seyeintheroomisthe juxtapositionbetweencolours,aroundhisdeskspecifically.Allobjectsaroundthedeskare eitherwoodcolour(cremebrownandcaramel)withtheexceptionofvases,thesyntheticfur carpetandtheplants.

Fig.9-FrankLloydWright’sBedroominTaliesinWest

Studieshaveshownthatcoloursinfluencemotivationandcognitiveperformance.A2017 studyconductedbytheUniversityofHohenheimdiscoveredthatpeopleexposedtobluelight andobjectsperformedbetterontestsmeasuringdivergentskillsthansubjectsexposedtored. Subjectsexposedtoredlightandobjects,ontheotherhand,outperformedtheircolleaguesin exercisesdemandingconvergentskills.(O.Kombeiz2017).

ThesetwomodesofthinkingweredefinedbytheAmericanpsychologistJ.P.Guilford. Bothstylesofthinkingseektheoptimalsolution,buttheytakedifferentpathstogetthere. Convergentthinkingiswhenonefocusesonaspecificultimateanswer.Asthereisonlyone answer,thispathisbestsuitedforjobsthatrequirelogicratherthancreativity.Divergent thinkingisthepolaropposite,requiringfarmorecreativityandyieldingavarietyof solutions.Divergentthinkingisessentialforarchitectsandarchitecturestudentsbecauseit allowsthemtofindcreativesolutionstodesignchallengesandexaminethemfromseveral viewpoints.

Thereisapost-Freudianhypothesisonhumanpatternsofbehaviourcalled ‘approach-avoidancemotivation’statingthatourbrainsareprogrammedtomaximise

Fig.10-Modesofthinking

pleasureandminimisesuffering.Accordingtotheresultsoftheirstudies,weare unconsciouslydrawntopossiblesourcesofpleasureandsubconsciouslyavoidanythingthat couldharmus.

AnexperimentconductedduringatradefairinNewYorkin2006byarchitectShashiCaan ontheideathatcolour,creativity,andarchitecturalspaceareinterconnectedgeneratedsome interestingresults.Thearchitectandresearchersdesignedthreeroomsinwhicheverysurface

Fig11.-RedRoom,ShashiCaanExperiment2006

Fig12.-BlueRoom,ShashiCaanExperiment2006

waseitherred,blue,orgreen.Theytheninvitedseveralshowattendeestogatherinthespace tosocialise.Tokeepthevariablesconsistent,thefurniture,food,anddrinksservedwereall clearorwhite.

Peoplethatwereinvitedintotheblueroomendedupsocialisingaroundtheendsofthe rooms,whichCaanCollectivebelievesmeanttheyweremotivatedtoexplorethelimitsofthe area,ascreative(divergentthinking)peopledo.Theparticipantsintheadjacentroomdidthe exactopposite.Insteadofinvestigatingthespace'sperimeters,theygatheredinthe psychologicallysafestportionoftheroom,thecentre,withtheirbacksagainstthewall.The peopleintheredroomtendedtohavedeeperconversationsabouttheTradefairandabout lifeingeneral,whereastheonesintheblueroomtendedtohavechatsabouttheexperiment space,food,anddrinks.

Basedonthefindingswecandeducethat:“Ourmentalspaceexpandsandcontractsindirect proportiontoourperceptionofphysicalspace,bothrealandImagined”(D.M.Rattner).This isaveryimportantdeductionforanyresearcherattemptingtoinvestigatethelimitsbetween

Fig13.ShashiCaanExperimentPlanVisualisation

architecturaldesignanditsimpactsoncreativityasitprovestheexistenceofarealminour brainthatmirrorsourphysicalreality.Ifconfirmed,thisdeductionwouldhighlighttheneed forarchitectstobemindfuloftheircontroloveruserwell-being,leadingtohealthierdesigns forhealthcarespacessuchashospitalsandclinics.TheuseofcoloursinFrankLloyd Wright'sbedroomstudiowasdeliberate,ashestatedinaspeechtotheUniversityGuildof NorthwesternUniversityIllinois.

Thearchitectdiscussedhowessentialcolours,moods,andorganismsweretohisdesignsin hisspeech.Inanutshell,Wright'sorganicarchitecturewasastyleinwhichstructureswere inspiredbytheirnaturalenvironmentinordertoworkasasingleharmoniousbodywithits users.TheinherentfunctionofcolourjuxtapositioninWright'sworkisrarelydiscussed,yet itisveryobviousinmanyofhisdesigns.

Chapter4-Discussion:StudentBedroominaCOVID-19scenario

Inthissectionofthestudy,thefindingsaretestedonaUniversityarchitecturestudent’sroom toassesshoweffectivestudenthousingplansareatfosteringcreativeproficiency.Onesingle casestudywaspickedatrandomfromasampleofvolunteeringparticipants;thetestingis doneinthismannertoassesstheversatilityofpreviouslyexaminedcreativity-boosting tacticsinarandomlychosenroom.Toconducttheexam,thestudent'sworkplacewas photographedinordertoidentifyanypre-existingcharacteristicsthatmayhaveanimpacton thestudent'screativeperformance.

COVID-19requireduniversitystudentslivingoncampustorethinktheirlivingspacesand developwaystoperformfromhome,inthesamemanner,theywouldinclassrooms,studios, andstudyareas.Theresearchisevaluatedinapandemicsimulation,whichattemptsto visualisetheextenttowhichthestudent'sroommayhavepositivelyornegativelyimpacted theircreativeperformanceduringCOVID-19.

Fig14-Isometricviewofthestudent’sneighbourhood

4.1Consistentexposuretothecolourblue.

Thestudent'sroomscoresinthecapacitytoprovideconsistentexposuretothecolourblue arerelativelylow.Beginningtodesignbedroomswithvariousfinisheswouldbeasmart optionforthis.Aswediscussedinthecasestudy,exposuretobluehelpsusfeelmorecalm andsafeinoursurroundings,whichactivatesourleftcerebralhemisphere,resultinginan increaseincreativeoutput.

Therearenumerousexamplesofarchitectswhopurposefullybuiltcertainportionsofahouse orroomtobluebecauseofitsbenefits.BalmoralBlueHousebyEsoterikoInteriorArchitects isoneexample.Thehouse,createdforafamilyofthree,ismostlylightincolourand constructedentirelyofnaturalmaterials,withtheexceptionofonebluebedroom(Seefigs 12-and13).Thearchitectdecidedtonotrevealthefullroomdesignduringtheinterview, callingthestudiobedroom"amomentofintensity,onlyforher."Theuseofblueinthe bedroomsofcreativepeoplemaynotonlyimprovetheircreativeabilities,butitmayalso

Fig.15-ArchitectureUniversityStudentBedroomWorkspace

becomeareallyintriguingapproachforpeopletoestablishastrongerrelationshipwiththe areaaroundthem.

4.2

Fig.16-BalmoralBluehouseStairwaylobby.

Fig.17-BlueBedroom

Accesstotheoutsideworld

Fig.18-Student’swindow

Thestudent'sroomisinaMewneighbourhood,andthewindowoverlookstheroadthatlinks totheparallelingsideofthemew.Althoughnotideal,thestudent'sroomprovidesdirect accesstothethree-wayintersectionacrossthestreet.

Theidealsolutionistocompletelyredesignthespaceandfocusonnarrowingthewalls betweentheinsideandoutside,suchasbyusingcurtainwalls.Butinastudentscenario,a simplemovecanchangealot.Rotatingthedeskcounter-clockwisesothatthestudent'swork areafacestheroomitselfallowsmoresurfaceformindwanderingandsaccadiceyemoving whichleadtoimprovementsincreativeperformance.Therotationalsoallowseasiervisual accesstotheoutsidewindowasthestudentwouldneedtotilttheirheadtoalesserextentto seetheoutside.Anothersolutionwouldbetozoomoutofthepictureanddiscussurban planningandthepresenceofgreenspaces;however,thiswouldstillbeinsufficientsinceit cannotassurehomogenousaccesstonatureinallrooms,puttingsomeusersinabetter positionthanothers.

4.3Accesstostimulatingart

Theroomalsoscoreslowonthisparameter,whichcanberectifiedstructurallybydesigning rooms.Thereareanumberofresearchesconfirmingthis.Oneofthem,carriedbySibelS.

DazkirandMarilynA.ReadfromOregonStateUniversity,focusedonpeople’semotional responsestocurvilinearandrectilinearlinesininteriorcontexts.

Fig19-BedroomLayoutProposal

Anonlinesurveywasusedtoassessindividuals'emotionalreactionstosimulatedinterior situations(Seefig.20).Thepollassessedparticipants'emotionalreactionstovariousstylesof furniture.Twosettingsusedexclusivelycurvilinearlines,twousedonlyrectilinearlines,and twousedablendofcurvilinearandrectilinearlines.

Accordingtothefindings,environmentswithjustcurvilinearlinesproducedmorepleasant emotions,andparticipantspreferredtoapproachthosesettingsmorethansettingswithonly rectilinearlines.Thefindingssupportedtheliterature'sclaimthatcurvilinearformsare preferredbecausetheyevokepleasantemotions.Theresponsestothequestionswere measuredusingvariousscales,oneofthembeingapproach-avoidancereactionstosimulated circumstances.Theresultsfromthispieceofliteraturecanbetranslatedfromanarchitectural designperspective.

Aspreviouslynoted,happinessandfeelingsafeinspacemakeusmorecreative(Private SpaceCaseStudy),thusbuildingplaceswithmorecurvilinearfeaturesmightbe advantageous.Asolutionwouldbetoconstructsomecurvedwalls,however,duetospace constraints,thiswouldresultinaspacewithlimitedfunctionalityonthecircle'souter perimeter.

Fig.20-Psychologicaleffectsofstraightversuscurvedfurnitureexperiment

4.4Testingconclusion

Thisexperimentaimedtoraiseawarenessofthegrowingneedforarchitectsanddesignersto createcreativelysmarterplaces.Therandomlyselectedstudentworkspaceperformspoorlyin termsofitspotentialtobearecipientoftheproposedstrategies.Thestudenthousingwas constructedinthe1990s.Accordingtoa2016articleinTheGuardian,thisiswhenstudent housingestatefirmswereontheincrease,meaningthatthismighthavebeenaperiodwhere productionwasmuchmorerelevanttothequalityofspace.Suggestionsforimprovingthe student'senvironmenthavebeenmadethrougharchitecturaldesign;thisexperiment demonstratesthatstudents'spacesshouldbeconstructedwithagreateremphasisonhowthe spacemaybeidealforthemtoperformcreativelyfromhome.

Chapter5-ConclusionandReccomendations

Thestudy'smajorgoalwastodemonstratethefeasibilityofincorporatingpsychoanalysis intoarchitecturaldesignandtomotivatemoreresearchintothissymbioticrelationshipin ordertomaximisetheimpactofarchitecturaldesignoncreativeperformance.Conductinga desktop-basedstudyonphysicalspaceelementsortraitsdiscoveredtoinfluencecreative performanceindifferentworkspacesrankedontheirlevelofprivacy.Thedesktopstudy discoveredvariousstrategiesthatsupportedtheresearch'sgoal.Thefindingswillideallyhelp futurestudiesfindbetterwaystoincreasecreativeperformancebycombiningarchitecture andpsychoanalysis.

Theresearchalsoaimedtoassesshoweffectivestudenthousingplansareatbeingrecipients ofcreativeproficiencystrategies.Conductingatestingexperimentintheroomofarandomly selectedstudent.Afterputtingthestrategiestothetest,theroomwasfoundtobean inconvenientspaceforcreativeperformance.Theresultsindicatethatarchitectsshould designplaceswithagreateremphasisonhowthespacemaybeoptimalforcreativework fromhome.

5.1Numbersofstudentspacesanalysed

Thestudyappliedthescenariotoonlyoneparticipantleavingtheresultslimited.Future researchcanbecarriedoutconsideringmanydifferenttypesofstudenthousingtocomeout withdifferentresultssuchaswhichstudentspacehasthemostcapabilitiestobearecipientof thesecreativity-boostingstrategies.

5.2Considerationofawiderrangeofhypotheses

Thestudyexploredthreestrategiesthatresultedinapotentialincreaseincreative performance:

-DivergentandConvergentthinking

-Approachavoidancetheory

-Saccadiceyemovementtheory

Throughouttheresearch,however,differentpaperswerediscoveredthatdemonstrated surprisingresultsthatarefeasiblebyensuringspecificdesigncharacteristics.

5.3In-depthexaminationofvariousworkspacesbasedontheirlevelofprivacy

Duetothestudy’sfocusonapandemicscenario,thestudyfocusedonfindingsolutionsfor alreadybuilt,privateanddomesticspaces.Theresultscandefinitelybeusedassupporting metadataforastudyresearchingsharedspacesthatareefficientandsafeinapandemic scenario.

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