A Schematic Explanatory Pattern for the Psychological Process of Achieving Environmental Meaning and Actualizing Sense of Place Focusing on the Intervening Role of the Perception

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Architecture and urban planning, Islamic Azad University Central Tehran Branch,Tehran, Iran

3 Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture and Urban Design, College of Architecture, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Statement of the problem : Today, the quality of achieving environmental meaning and subsequently the actualization of the sense of place in different levels has been specially considered due to its importance in architecture, especially with the emergence of the knowledge of environmental psychology. According to this and the belief in the dominant methodology propagated in behavioural sciences, it seems that attempting to explain the environmental design process in the form of common methods in other sciences and presenting it in descriptive patterns is one of the main goals of joining these areas of knowledge. The significance of this adaptation is considerable and covers the core of this research in point of the effectiveness of architectural products in the contemporary world. The current study attempts to answer the following questions: "what are the main effective physical factors in forming the environmental meaning and actualization of a sense of place? Moreover, what is their mechanism of action in the process? Also, how can it be described as a generative structural pattern?"
Research Objective: According to the above-mentioned subject, the main goal of this research is to investigate the state of achieving the environmental meaning and subsequently actualizing the sense of place. It is focused on its structural process by a systematic approach in a form of psychological pattern based on the levels of human existence.
Methodology : Regarding the exploratory nature of the study, a qualitative survey method entitled "Constructivist Grounded Theory" was chosen to identify the variables of the problem and deduce the relations between them. It should be noted that the semi-structured interviews with some specialists in the field of architecture and environmental design were utilized in this method, in addition to the descriptive-analytical strategy.
Conclusion: In this research, the importance of the variable "environmental perception" was focused, in different aspects, as the center of the considered process in the proposed pattern. Therefore, its key role in defining human expectations of the built environment and his behavioral reaction was emphasized as a result. Accordingly, a generative structural pattern consisting of three elements of "components, syntax, and meaning" is presented, which are equated with physical factors, environmental behavior, and environmental sense respectively. Finally, it could be claimed that the suggested pattern is capable of evaluating the existing environment purposefully and efficient in designing new environments.

Keywords

References

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The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar
Volume 15, Issue 65
November 2018
Pages 49-66

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