Space+and+Scale

**__ Scale and Space __**



**Scale** is the size relationship of two things or parts to the whole. There are 2 basic measuring tools. One is based on our experience with typical objects, such as bricks, rocks, doors, windows. The other is the human body itself. We then compare the typical objects to the human scale **Human scale ** means "of a scale comparable to a __human__ being". A number of characteristic physical quantities can be associated with the human body, the human mind, human societies, and the preservation of human life and well-being. Many of the objects of scientific interest in the universe are much larger than human scale (stars, galaxies) or much smaller than human scale (molecules, atoms, subatomic particles). Similarly, many time periods studied in science involve time scales much greater than human timescales (__geological__ and __cosmological time scales__) or much shorter than human timescales (atomic and subatomic events). Human scale measurements however, are more in the order of: Human scale in architecture ** Humans interact with their environments based on their physical dimensions, capabilities and limits. The field of __anthropometrics__ (human measurement) has unanswered questions, but it's still true that human physical characteristics are fairly predictable and objectively measurable. Buildings scaled to human physical capabilities have steps, doorways, railings, work surfaces, seating, shelves, fixtures, walking distances, and other features that fit well to the average person. Humans also interact with their environments based on their sensory capabilities. The fields of human perception systems, like __perceptual psychology__ and __cognitive psychology__, are not exact sciences, because human information processing is not a purely physical act, and because perception is affected by cultural factors, personal preferences, experiences, and expectations. So human scale in architecture can also describe buildings with sightlines, acoustic properties, task lighting, ambient lighting, and spatial grammar that fit well with human senses. However, one important caveat is that human perceptions are always going to be less predictable and less measurable than physical dimensions. Human scale in architecture is deliberately violated: 
 * Science vs. human scale **
 * __Distance __: __one to two meters__ (human arm's reach, stride, height)
 * __Attention span __: seconds to hours
 * __Lifespan __: approximately seventy years
 * __Mass __<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">: kg
 * <span style="color: #31849b; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; msoansilanguage: EN; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE;"> __<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">Force __<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">: newtons
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">Pressure __<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">: one atmosphere
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">Temperature __<span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE;">: around 300 K (room temperature)
 * <span style="color: #31849b; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191; msoansilanguage: EN; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE; msothemecolor: accent5; msothemeshade: 191;">
 * <span style="color: #31849b; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; msoansilanguage: EN; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE;">for monumental effect. Buildings, statues, and memorials are constructed in a scale larger than life as a social/cultural signal that the subject matter is also larger than life.

<span style="color: #31849b; font-family: Georgia,serif; msoansilanguage: EN; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE;">
 * <span style="color: #31849b; font-family: Georgia,serif; msoansilanguage: EN; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE;">for aesthetic effect. Many architects, particularly in the modernist movement, design buildings that prioritize structural purity and clarity of form over concessions to human scale. This became the dominant American architectural style for decades.


 * <span style="color: #31849b; font-family: Georgia,serif; msoansilanguage: EN; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE;"> <span style="color: #31849b; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; msoansilanguage: EN; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastlanguage: ES-VE;">to serve automotive scale. Commercial buildings that are designed to be legible from roadways assume a radically different shape. The human eye can distinguish about 3 objects or features per second. A pedestrian steadily walking along a 100-foot (30-meter) length of department store can perceive about 68 features; a driver passing the same frontage at 30 mph (13 m/s or 44 ft/s) can perceive about six or seven features. Auto-scale buildings tend to be smooth and shallow, readable at a glance, simplified, presented outward, and with signage with bigger letters and fewer words.

<span style="color: #31849b; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: ES-VE; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">**Space** is what architecture is all about. The architect's job can be simply stated as the manipulation of the forms, patterns, and textures of space. His or her ability is judged by how effective the available space is molded and structured <span style="color: #d6058f; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">



<span style="color: #31849b; font-family: Georgia,serif;">There are two types of space:
 * 1) <span style="color: #31849b; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Reality Spaces or solid spaces:** Defined from the structure and the construction that creates the spaces. It means the solid spaces. “This is the type of space that architecture deals with, reality and solid”
 * 2) <span style="color: #31849b; font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Visual Spaces:** A space created by paintings or prints because they are not real but makes a feeling in us. These are shown in forms of perspectives (a visual view that makes how the imaginary come to life to brings us an idea of spaces). The visual spaces are in 2D mostly in paper to relate the actual form.