BUILDING - HUMAN BODY
Relationship between building architecture and human body today is become closer and closer. This relationship happen very early, since architecture exist, human started to use human body scale as a standard to estimate length, height, width, etc.... in architecture.
For example :
- Marcus Vitruvius had mention about how the space arrangement of the temples related to human body.
- Le Corbusier felt that Proportioning Grid was destined one day to serve as a basis for prefabrication, should set above both the system of the foot-and-inch and the metric system.
- Lance Hosey mentioned that no architect can be without Graphic Standards, and with it every architect is empowered and equipped to practice architecture.
Buildings metaphor of human body? Yes, from original text, we learn that constructing temples of immortal gods, have so arranged the members of the works that both the separate parts and the whole design may harmonize in their proportions and symmetry.
Abstraction of human body? Yes, a lot of architecture contemporary design is abstract from human body, we can see through their form, sometimes arrangement of spaces.
Direct response to human body? Absolutely yes, nowadays, architecture should always consider about human comfort. Anthropometry must be consider, especially in an enclosed space and think about user ability, different human required different volume of spaces to carry out function/activities, and for special users like: OKU (Orang kurang upaya), old folks and kids, detail of building structure, eg: hand rail, ramp, lift, tactile paving... user ability is very important especiallt for public spaces and building.
Combination of it? YES to all above. Culture, religion and history value must be considerate to preserve and conserve their originality and identity. Different races also having different human body size according to genetic factor. Modern practice of measuring bodies began in large part to reinforce existing social strata.
House of Disable People's Organization
Architect :
Cubo Force4
Location : Blenkinge Boulevard, Denmark.
Area :
12600 sqm
The unique thing about the disabled people's associations in Denmark is the fact that they are gathered under one umbrella. Despite considerable differences between the individual organisations, the general consensus is that the scope for generally promoting the issues of disabled people is greater when you join forces.
Approximately 20 different organisations are now represented in the House of Disabled People's Organisations, forming the basis for close collaboration resulting in a new dynamic synergy. The organisations' objective with this new house was to create 'the World's Most Accessible Office Building'. High ambitions and a complex task where intense user involvement and a new strategic approach proved to be the way forward to achieve that goal.
Universal Design
By building the design strategy around Universal Design where the main focus is on the principles of 'equal access', the House of Disabled People's Organisations is a fully accessible building that can be used equally by all. Solutions that support and encourage all users to be as self-reliant as possible have been incorporated.
Solutions should not just be unbiased in their conceived form, but it is equally important that they prove to be a dignified solution for the individual person using them. When considering unbiased solutions, Cubo Force4 have had a very strong focus on the numerous contradicting interests regarding the physical environment that exist among the various groups of disabled people, but knowledge and understanding gained in respect of the individual has made it possible to find the optimal compromise and hence the best solution for everyone.
New knowledge
Accessibility is often associated with the guidelines set out in our building regulations, but working with Universal Design does not merely demand extensive knowledge about requirements and standards, but perhaps even more importantly, adequate knowledge and understanding of the needs of the functionally disabled users. The building, therefore, is the result of a process in which accessibility is not based on building regulations, but on detailed information about the users. Such knowledge is essential in order to be able to build with full accessibility for everyone.
Clarity and navigation
The House of Disabled People's Organisations as well as the surrounding area lend themselves to easy and intuitive navigation. By using simple methods and clear routes that naturally lead the body on its way, it is possible to help the majority of users to navigate: signs that can be seen and touched, or corridors where light, shadow, colour, and form define directions.
In the House of Disabled People's Organisations, for example, a blind person will be able to navigate using the corners in the atrium's five-cornered shape and easily find his/her way to the office areas in the building.
Had the atrium been designed in a round shape, navigating in it would seem like being in a perpetual motion machine in which the blind person would continue to walk round and round. This example shows that general design and Universal Design are closely linked; a fact which has had major influence on the design of the House of Disabled People's Organisations.
The House of Disabled People's Organisations is a pioneering project confirming the fact that accessibility will not only be substantially improved, but that it can be done without the total construction costs rising above those of a similar construction project.
Where formerly accessibility has resulted in unfortunate and tiresome extra additions in architecture, they have now shown that it is possible to achieve an unbiased, universal design without stigmatising additions, but alone by designing the relevant solution from the start. With the right working methods and timely implementation of knowledge, the House of Disabled People's Organisations show that unbiased buildings must become a standard in future construction.
Last but not least, Lance Hosey had stated that :
'Body sizes and shapes vary according to physical and cultural differences, including sex, race, age, nationality, occupation, and socioeconomic conditions and the use of a single fimensional set ignores human activities.'
From this we can understand how important is the relationship between human proportions with architecture design, especially in human comfort and space quality for every user.
