Remembering Home

El eni Economi dou

Remember i ng Home / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Remembering home

An architectural research into how sensory memories influence people into calling a house - a home Š Eleni Economidou, 2013

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COPYRIGHT STATEMENT‌‌.....

(1) Copyright in text of this dissertation rests with the Author.

Copies, by any process, either in full or of extracts can be made only in accordance with the permission acquired from the author. This particular piece of text should be included in any copies of such nature.

(2) The ownership of any intellectual property rights described in this paper is attributable to the Manchester School of Architecture, subject to any prior agreement to the contrary, and may not be made available for use by third parties without a written official permission from the University, that will prescribe the terms and conditions of any agreement of this kind.

Remembering Home An architectural research into how sensory memories influence people into calling a house - a home. by Eleni Economidou

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements to the Manchester School of Architecture for the degree of Master of Architecture (MArch)

Manchester School of Architecture University of Manchester Manchester Metropolitan University

Dissertation Supervisor: Victoria Henshaw

Keywords: architecture, home, house, sensory modalities, phenomenology, attachment, memories Š Eleni Economidou, 2013

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DEDICATION

U

To my family - my mother Georgia, my father Yiannakis, my brother Charalambos and my friend Panos-whose company brings my sense of home into being.

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List of Contents List of Figures ................................................. 7 Acknowledgements ......................................... 9 Abstract ........................................................ 11 0.0 Introduction ............................................ 13 1.0 Preface ..................................................... 17 2.0 From House to Home .............................. 41 3.0 Sensory Home ......................................... 51 4.0 Home Recollection .................................. 61 5.0 Research Methodologies .......................... 67 6.0 Research Part I: Questionnaire - different settings of home attachment ......................... 87 7.0 Research Part II: Sensory Memories and attachment to home ....................................... 95 8.0 Deductions ............................................ 111 Appendix I .................................................. 116 Appendix II ................................................. 116 Appendix III................................................ 126 Appendix IV ............................................... 128 Bibliography................................................ 132

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List of Figures Fig.0.0: Calamato M, 2012, Feels like Home Series, digital image, California, viewed 29 December 2012, <http://www.behance.net/gallery/Feels-likeHome/808735>.

Fig.0.1: Von Emmel T, Home is connecting, At home project, San Fransisco, viewed 29 December 2012,<http://www.flickr.com/photos/vonem mel/

Fig.1.1:

Schwarz C., 2011, Grey House, Michigan, viewed 06 January 2013, < http://www.flickr.com/photos/corn_nugget/5 544720096/>.

4940144955/in/pool-1464992@N24>.

Fig.1.2: Caravaggio, 1601, The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Potsdam, viewed 01 January 2013, <http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/car avaggio/>.

Fig.1.5: Francis S., 2012,Richcard Meiers AD,

Fig 7.2.1 Participant’s own photo of her

viewed 03 February 2013 <http://www.architecturaldigest.com/AD100/ 2012/richard-meier-partners-architects-ad100profile >

wardrobe

Fig.1.6 & Fig. 1.7 & Fig. 1.8: Alto A., 1939, Villa Mairea, viewed 27 January 2013, < http://www.archdaily.com/85390/adclassics-villa-mairea-alvar-aalto/>.

Fig.1.9: Poutrain J, 2009, Voir – Senses and Architecture, viewed 06 January 2013, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightexplosio n/4228890148/in/photostream/>.

Fig.1.10: Poutrain J, 2009, Toucher – Senses and Architecture, viewed 06 January 2013, < http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightexplosion /4228120091/in/photostream/>.

Fig.1.11: Poutrain J, 2009, Gouter – Senses and Architecture, viewed 06 January 2013, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightexplosio n/4228120091/in/photostream/>.

Fig.1.12: Hilzy, 2010, Soft Footsteps, viewed 04 January 2013, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/hilzy/429901 6328/>.

Fig.1.3: Unknown, 2010, Humans’ five senses, viewed 12 February 2013, <http://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/blog/e ngage-the-5-senses-with-promotionalproducts/>

Fig.1.13: Poutrain J, 2009, Sentir – Senses and

Fig.1.4: Hiskey D, 2010, Humans’ five senses,

Fig.1.14: Penfield, 1940, Homunculuus, viewed

viewed 01 January 2013, <http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/ 2010/07/humans-have-a-lot-more-than-fivesenses/>.

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Fig 7.2.2 Participant’s drawing of her recollection

Fig 7.2.3 Participant’s photo of her Jasmine plant

Fig 7.2.4 ‘lissalou66’Missouri, 2010, Old Knobs <http://www.flickr.com/photos/lissalou66/42 41103413/>

Fig. 7.3.1 Participant’s sketch of her first home memory

Fig. 7.3.2 Participant’s photo as a child in her living room.

Fig. 7.3.3 Part of participant’s collection of silverware

Fig. 7.4.1 Participant’s sketch of his first home memory in the garage

Cover image: Home Sweet Home,2012 viewed 09 March 2013, <http://www.thekeypieces.co.uk/2012/03/ho me-sweet-home.html>

Architecture, viewed 06 January 2013, <http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightexplosio n/4228120091/in/photostream/>.

07 February 2013, < http://ion.uwinnipeg.ca/~clark/demos/homu nc2.html/>.

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Fig.0.0 Feels like Home Series (Marcos Calamato, 2012) 8 | Remembering Home

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Furthermore, I feel deeply grateful for the three people who agreed to take part in my research as case studies and opened their home, their world to me and shared their story.

Acknowledgements My earnest thanks goes, firstly, to the all those people, my family, friends and academic colleagues, who supported me throughout the writing of this dissertation.

Special thanks go without saying to all the people who took part in my research, sacrificing a fraction of their time to answer my questionnaires and had the willingness to share their feelings and memories of their first home providing me with valuable insights on the subject.

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At the finish line of this piece of writing, I am thankful to all the friends for their opinions and proof reading of the final draft. Their help was much appreciated.

the places facilitating my research deserve some appreciation and acknowledgement as well. My own house; the houses of the people who took part in my research as case studies but also houses described in the literature I have reviewed; have been a real inspiration.

Last but by no means least; heartfelt gratitude is also due to my Dissertation Supervisor, Victoria Henshaw, whose suggestions, support, encouragement and guidance proved to be the driving force and the inspiration of writing this very document.

While it is considered normal to express oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gratitude to friends, family and colleagues in this section,

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Fig.0.1 Home is connecting, At home project (Tiffany Von Emmel, 2010) 10 | Remembering Home

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In the second part, in order to

upon further reading and analysis, the focus

Abstract

This dissertation is an attempt

of

these

discussions

and

and

define

the

findings - after situating the current

concept of home and memory, home

study within the body of literature,

and the senses and memory and

primary

sensory stimuli. As a result, there has

were conducted. The qualitative data

been

was, then, distributed using visual

relatively

little

detailed

sources

Some

-

of

questionnaires,

description of the three notions and

methods.

the way they are intertwined.

participants were selected as case -

the

survey’s

studies in order to be interviewed and

‘How do sensory memories affect

This investigation materializes

people into calling a house, their

in two parts. Initially, these relations

home?’ The main research focus is the

will be analysed through secondary

relationship between body, memory

sources, in the form of a literature

and the psychological attachment to

review,

space.

knowledge of the subject in question,

in

order

to

establish

through which, some initial findings

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support

literature has been the analysis of the

to respond to the research question:

In the past few decades, attachment to home, memories and senses are subjects widely discussed in the fields of architecture. However,

further

will begin to formulate.

therefore,

analyse

the

survey’s

outcomes further.

The

concluding

out-

comes indicate that the senses do have an impact on people when calling a house

their

home

by

triggering

memories through sensory stimuli.

Keywords: senses; experience; memory; imagination; design; spaces; home; psychological attachment; human behaviour; Remembering Home | 11

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0.0 Introduction Investigation’s Main Aims

This study’s main focus is the relationship between the senses, memory and the concept of home and specifically the idea that sensory stimuli affect the individual’s attachment to home.

The research questions answered by examination of primary and secondary data are the following: - Do childhood memories affect people’s attachment to their homes later on in their lives?

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- Which sensory modality triggers the most powerful memories when home is concerned?

- Do sensory stimuli affect people into calling a house, their home?

- In what way each of the five senses affects people and the type of memories they might generate.

The reason behind this topic selection was due to a personal interest in researching the notion of home primarily through the senses, due to the general discomposure of what we call home and furthermore, it can be a great asset for an architect to know beforehand the type of environment that inspires people to call a place their home and which senses he needs to acknowledge to do so.

Research Overview This thesis includes eight other chapters which examine people’s memories of home in terms of their sensory perceptions of the environment.

The First Chapter – Prefaceintroduces the main notions of senses and memory and the connection established between them, as well as the meaning of these terms in relation to architecture from the phenomenological point of view.

The Second Chapter examines the greater idea of Home and the multiple facets of attachment to it.

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The Third Chapter forms an investigation through the often overlooked daily sensory modalities which may exist in our homes. The individuals’ first and most sensual relationships happen inside this space.

The Fourth Chapter analyses the memories of people’s home. From this analysis, certain themes emerge, such as the strong association between olfactory stimuli and home memories, daydreaming and nostalgia.

Chapter Five constitutes the definition of the methods applied in this dissertation in order to answer the

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study’s inquiries by collecting primary and secondary data.

and drawings by a few selected questionnaires’ respondents.

Chapter Six presents the data from the first part of the primary search, the questionnaire. The survey acquired information related to people’s first memory of home and the sensory memories they had in order to investigate its impact on future attachments with this concept.

The Final Chapter summarises the information scrutinized before by illustrating some key findings such as the validation of the bond between senses and dwellings. Furthermore, an additional verdict that this study brought into being is that early childhood

memories

are

crucial

in

attaining a tie with home.

Chapter Seven comprises, likewise, a presentation and analysis of the collected primary data presented as Case studies. The collection of data was established through interviews

It also evaluates the methodology which was employed to investigate the senses’ role. Additionally, it clarifies the reason that this information may be of any help for the architect as the concluding deduction.

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Fig.1.1 Grey House (Corinne Schwarz, 2011) 16 | Remembering Home

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H harmony

uman

since

our

creation, used to live in

with

Nowadays,

1.0 Preface

beings,

this

the

natural

balance

habitat.

has

been

disrupted; we live in a manmade, artificial environment or - what architects would call - a built environment; one which we created in order to satisfy one of our basic,

1.1

physiological

Sensory Experience and Architecture ‘Every touching experience of architecture is multisensory; qualities of matter, space and scale are measured equally by the eye, ear, nose, skin, tongue, skeleton and muscle.’

‘Architecture is the art of reconciliation between ourselves and the world, and this mediation takes place through the senses.’1

needs2 – the need for a

shelter, a dwelling.

[Built ɪnˈvaɪrəmənt) -

environment (bɪlt noun:

the

built

environment consists of buildings and all other things that have been constructed by human beings]3. The experience of this

Juhani Pallasmaa, 2005

built environment happens

Maslow, A.H., A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review, 1943, pp. 370-96.

3 ’built environment’, Collins, Collins English Dictionary, London: Collins, 2010.

2

Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, London: Academy Editions, 1996, pp. 50.

1

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Fig.1.2 The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (Front cover of ‘ The Eyes of the Skin’) (Caravaggio, 1601) Remembering Home | 17

Fig.1.3 Five Senses (Unknown, 2012) 18 | Remembering Home

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before the individual starts making sense

memory cluster in order to associate

of the world4.

memory with senses and create relations

One of the numerous ways to experience through

the

the

built

body;

environment Juhani

is

with spaces experienced at a previous instance7.

Pallasmaa

argues that the city comes to life over our

People spend 90% of their lives

embodied experience5 - forging it into a

indoors; a percentage so high that affects

multisensory experience of reality6.

The

health, well-being and satisfaction levels

unconscious comparison between places

through acoustics, air quality, lighting and

we experience in the past (from macro to

temperature. The way we sense a space is

micro scale- from our country to our

key, hence, attention must be given in

bedroom)

designing them8.

is

inevitable.

Upon

the

circumstance of a new sensory experience In recent times, social sciences are

of a space – for example, a child’s first time into a hospital – the brain turns to the

undergoing

a

‘sensorial

revolution’,

setting the study of the senses under the Peter Zumthor, Thinking Architecture, Bazer: Birkhauser, 1999, pp. 57.

5 Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, West Sussex: John Wiley &Sons, 2005, pp. 40.

6 Jasmien Herssens and Ann Heylighen, Haptics and Vision in Architecture: designing for more senses, In: Ray Lucas and Gordon Mair, Sensory Urbanism Proceedings, London: Flâneur Press, 2008, pp. 102.

4

Barrett P and Zhang Y, Optimal Learning Spaces: Design Implications for Primary Schools, in SCRI Research Report Series, University of Salford: Salford, 2009, pp. 45.

8 Peter and Lucinda Barrett, The potential of positive places: Senses, brain and spaces, Intelligent Buildings International, Vol.2, Iss.3, 2010: pp.218. Print. doi:10.3763/inbi.2010.0042 7

Fig.1.4 Humans’ five senses (Daven Hiskey, 2010) MArch Dissertation

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Fig.1.5 Richard Meier and partner Architects - AD (Frances S., 2012) 20 | Remembering Home

- 12100412- Š Eleni Economidou, 2013

scope

once

revolution

notion immensely diverse. In terms of

muscular and haptic user experience.

suggests that senses can be a socio-

architecture, this can be translated into

Architects

political phenomenon10 - not merely a

stimuli created by the built environment,

Zumthor, Peter Eisenman, Kengo Kuma,

neurological

happening

which generate fusion of all the senses:

Alvar Aalto, Glenn Murcutt and Steven

differently

vision,

Holl)

individually

again9.

This

process -

perceived

haptic

experience,

olfaction,

of

claim

today,

that

design

is

largely

audition and gustation; strengthening our

dominated

periods11.

existential experience13. Some architects

especially

have adjusted their style of architecture in

marginalizing

order to emphasise on one or more

architecture is established in order to

sensory modalities14.

satisfy almost every sensory modality and

in a generic body12, we live in different unique bodies that differ widely in terms of

context,

tolerance

and

in

visionary

(Peter

depending on societies, location and

Contradicting the notion of living

by

though,

western other

images15,

societies, senses.

thus Τheir

even alter the incentives that a building

perceptual

Strong examples in the architecture of Le

might provoke16. This can be achieved by

culture - hence, the perception of space is a

Corbusier and Richard Meier prove their

monitoring the role of naturalness of the

focus on the sense of sight while Erich

environment,

Mendelsohn designed his buildings in a

expressing a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s individuality and

Zardini M., 2005. Sense of the City: an alternative approach to Urbanism, Baden: L. Muller; Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, pp. 22.

10 Constance Classen, Foundations for an anthropology of the Senses, International Social Science Journal, Vol.153, 1997, pp. 401.

11 David Howes, Architecture of the Senses, In: Mirko Zardini, Sense of the City: an alternative approach to Urbanism, Baden: L. Muller; Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2005, pp. 322.

12 Kent C. Bloomer and Carles Moore, Body, Memory and Architecture, London: Yale University Press, 1977, pp. X. 9

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the

opportunity

of

way that empowered the possibility of the Jasmien Herssens and Ann Heylighen, Haptics and Vision in Architecture: designing for more senses, In: Ray Lucas and Gordon Mair, Sensory Urbanism Proceedings, London: Flâneur Press, 2008, pp. 103.

16 David Howes, Architecture of the Senses, In: Mirko Zardini, Sense of the City: an alternative approach to Urbanism, Baden: L. Muller; Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2005, pp. 330.

15 13Zumthor

P.,1998. A Way of Looking at Things, Architecture & Urbanism, Feb 1998, pp.18.

14 Barrett P and Zhang Y, Optimal Learning Spaces: Design Implications for Primary Schools, in SCRI Research Report Series, University of Salford: Salford, 2009.

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Fig.1.6 & Fig. 1.7 & Fig. 1.8: Alto A., 1939, Villa Mairea, Unknown 22 | Remembering Home

- 12100412- Š Eleni Economidou, 2013

the moderation of suitable levels of user

systems (vision, audition, touch, olfaction

stimulation17.

and gustation) such as proprioception

persuasion; buildings have turned into image products detached from existential depth and sincerity’21.

(kinaesthesia: awareness of the location The enrichment of the environment

and motion of the parts of the body by

to accommodate and reflect all the senses

means of sensory organs – proprioceptors

architecture of our times. Instead of the

is an act highly required in our - ever-

- in the muscles and seams)19, nociception

actual experience, the user is treated as the

changing and constantly demanding –

(pain),

spectator of images the architect projects22.

societies in order to maintain spaces which

temperature, feeling hot or cold) and

provide the required levels of gratification

equilibrioception (balance)20.

and pleasure to the

of

Architecture of visual imagery

body has more than the five most known recognised

The visual palette of the architect includes lighting and shadow, colour,

Researchers claim that the human

scientifically

(sense

public18.

1.2 Sensory Modalities’ Range

and

thermoception

Vision has a dominant role in

sensory

Barrett PS and Zhang Y, Optimal Learning Spaces: Design Implications for Primary Schools, in SCRI Research Report Series, University of Salford: Salford, 2009.

18 Peter Howell and Julia Ionides, Design and Communication in a Multi-sensory Environment, In: Ray Lucas and Gordon Mair, Sensory Urbanism Proceedings, London: Flâneur Press, 2008, pp. 103.

‘the ocular bias has never been more apparent in the art of architecture than the past 30 years, as a type of architecture, aimed at a striking and memorable visual image, has predominated. Instead of an existentially grounded plastic and spatial experience, architecture has adopted the psychological strategy of advertising and instant

textures and materiality; through which the architect can manipulate the ambiance of a space and its effect on people.

17

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kinesthesia.(n.d.). Collins English Dictionary Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved February 10, 2013, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/kinesthesi a 20 Gold, R. J., 1980. An Introduction to Behavioural Geography. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

19

Pallasmaa J.,1996. The Eyes of the Skin. London: Academy Editions, pp. 30.

22 Ibid., pp.31.

21

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Lighting, for example, indirect or diffused

can

generate

more reposed with wood27. However, as

emotional

Paul Rodaway supports: ‘in total darkness

responses, while direct lighting can guide

sight is useless. The blind have no use for

the individual’s focus23.

eyes28.

Furthermore,

‘In

the

darkness,

amplified,

noises

odours

are

shadow in traditional Japanese rooms

suddenly

presents an uncertainty and dreamlike

intensified, and we even rediscover the

luminance24. Meanwhile, colour makes

sense of touch’29. Therefore, designers

long-term and instant impression on the

should reconsider their focus on visual

eye of the spectator25; it has the capacity to

perception

and

bring a space to life and enrich its

stimulation

of

meaning. Textures, on the other hand, can

experiences.

contemplate alternative

are

the

sensory

be perceived not only via vision but through the sense of tactile experience; defining the psychological depth of a room26. In terms of materiality, people are

Junichiro Tanizaki, In praise of the Shadows, Michigan: Vintage classics, 1993, pp. 12.

28 Paul Rodaway, Sensuous Geographies, London, UK & New-York, NY, USA: Routledge, 1994, pp.107.

29 Mirko Zardini, Sense of the City: an alternative approach to Urbanism, Baden: L. Muller; Montreal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 2005, pp. 45.

27

Steven Holl, House: Black Swan Theory, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2007, pp. 99.

24 Junichiro Tanizaki, In praise of the Shadows, pp. 12.

25 Steven Holl, House: Black Swan Theory, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2007, pp. 41.

26 Ibid., pp. 37.

23

Fig.1.9 Voir – Senses and Architecture (Poutrain Jérémie, 2009) MArch Dissertation

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Touching Architecture

accuracy32; such as the warmth of a sun-

‘[…] tactile sense appears to be the only sense which can give a sensation of spatial depth is touch, because touch ‘senses weight, resistance and threedimensional shape of material bodies, and thus makes us aware that things extend away from us in all directions’30.

Touch,

is

one

of

the

most

prevailing senses; it provides the ability to orientate one’s self through space. Tactile perception, in terms of Architecture, is more spatially direct and hospitable than vision; however, it is a sense of high proximity31. Furthermore, through the haptic sense, one has the ability to ‘read’ temperature, texture, density/resistance and

weight.

temperature

The with

skin a

high

can

trace

level

of

Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, London: Academy Editions, 1996, pp. 58.

31 Julien Richard, Night City and “Schizophrenia”, In: Ray Lucas and Gordon Mair, Sensory Urbanism Procedings, London: Flâneur Press, 2008, pp. 182.

heated

wall

on

a

sunny

day.

The

awareness of gravity is yet another parameter captured by haptic experience, through the bottom of the foot; which traces the hardness and texture of the ground. Weight can be perceived via touch when lifting an object.

Moreover,

‘The

door

handle

is

the

handshake of a building’ mentions Juhani Pallasmaa in his book ‘The eyes of the skin’33. Touch creates a connection of time and tradition and through its impression the

user

handshakes

numerous

generations.

30

Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, London: Academy Editions, 1996, pp. 58.

33 Ibid, pp. 56.

32

Fig.1.10 Toucher – Senses and Architecture (Poutrain Jérémie, 2009)

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The taste of Architecture

inducements had built up36. With the same

’Our sensory experience of the world originates in the interior sensation of the mouth, and the world tend to return to its oral origins. The most archaic origin of architectural space is the cavity of the mouth ’34.

Some people might argue that there is no connection between taste and architecture; nonetheless, certain details and colours- both experienced through vision

–

might

evoke

sensations

of

gustative nature35. Junichiro Tanizaki’s

fullness of experience, a fine architectural space opens up and presents itself37.

Hearing Architecture ‘Sight isolates, whereas sound incorporates; vision is directional, whereas sound is omni-directional. The sense of sight implies exteriority, but sound creates an experience of interiority. I regard an object, but sound approaches me; the eye reaches, but the ear receives. Buildings do not react to our gaze, but they do return our sounds back to our ears.38’

description of uncovering a bowl of soup

The link between space and sound

is proof of the spatial qualities of taste. The

is

author

intentional, it happens to improve hearing

describes

a

symphony

of

stimulation of all sensory receptors apart

motion.

Sometimes

motion

is

due to proximity39. However this link can

from taste which is, in effect, recreated and projected

in

anticipation

34 35

Ibid. pp. 59.

Ibid., pp.60.

the the

mind

due

other

to

the

sensory

Junichiro Tanizaki, In praise of the Shadows, Michigan: Vintage classics, 1993, pp. 27.

37 Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, London: Academy Editions, 1996, pp. 60.

38 Ibid., pp.49.

39 Grégoire Chelkoff, Ambience Formers in Built Environment: Experimentation with Sound and Motion, 36

In: Ray Lucas and Gordon Mair, Sensory Urbanism Proceedings, London: Flâneur Press, 2008, pp. 40.

Fig.1.11 Gouter – Senses and Architecture (Poutrain Jérémie, 2009)

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Fig.1.12 Soft Footsteps (Hilzy, 2010) 30 | Remembering Home

- 12100412- Š Eleni Economidou, 2013

have an alternative interpretation; space

from the visual receptors42, modifying the

returns the sounds we produce, through

understanding of a space into a more

motion, back to our ears40. One can hear

dynamic experience.

the sound of his footsteps on the ground as he moves from one room to another.

Sounds are dependent on the materiality of the space, motion and its duration and the individual receiver himself. Moreover spaces facilitate reflections of auditory provocations. Spaces are understood and

Architecture and the sense of smell ‘For all its overlay of cultural associations, smell is the most direct of our senses. The odour molecules fly straight to the receptor cells at the back of the nose. And there is no way, except in the very short term, we can close scent down, in the way we can sight. To stop smelling we would have to stop breathing. Smells continue to operate below the level of our consciousness.’43

appreciated through these echoes41 and

The parameter of odour is often

the visual images, but sometimes, acoustic

undervalued

perceptions remain merely the insentient

acknowledged

background experience. Nevertheless, the

However, there is evidence demonstrating

and by

one

of

most

the

least

designers44.

sense of hearing sharpens in darkness where there is little or no data collection

Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin, London: Academy Editions, 1996, pp. 49.

41 Ibid. p . 50.

40

Julien Richard, Night City and “Schizophrenia”, In: Ray Lucas and Gordon Mair, Sensory Urbanism Procedings, London: Flâneur Press, 2008, pp. 182.

43 Mabey R., Fencing Paradise: the uses and abuses of plan. London: Eden Project Books, pp. 99.

44 Herssens J. and Heylighen A., 2008. Haptics and Vision in Architecture: designing for more senses. In: Lucas R. and Mair G., Sensory Urbanism Procedings.

London: Flâneur Press, pp. 102.

42

Fig.1.13 Sentir – Senses and Architecture (Poutrain Jérémie, 2009) MArch Dissertation

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the great impact of olfaction on human

urban

sensory

odours and places in time, is achieved

behaviour45.

expectations of the sense-walk participants

through memory; the nostrils stir an image

had a big impact on their perception of a

once forgotten. As Joy Monice Malnar and

The interpretation of smell impressions

place

urban

Frank Vodvarka, in their book Sensory

takes place in the part of the brain which

environment especially when the sense of

Design, state; the particular odours of a

deals with motivation and emotions,

smell

place mark it in depth and invoke still

therefore, leading to a direct, holistic

Nevertheless, the olfactory ambiances

behavioural reaction46. In other words,

have the power to connect places through

smelling

instinctive,

time50; by detecting a particular smell the

inadvertent and even subconscious actions

individual can be instantly transported

of the individual, coloured by emotion47.

through space and time to where that

According to the research on the role of

specific smell was predominant in his

expectation of two different aspects of

personal experiences51. This link, between

can

lead

to

environment48,

-in

this

came

the

instance,

into

the

consideration49.

other sensory memories52.

urban ambience (smell and sound) on peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiences and perceptions of

Monice Malnar J. and Frank Vodvarka F., 2004.

Sensory Design. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp. 132.

46 Vroon P., Van Amerongen A. and De Vries H.,1994. Smell: The Secret Seducer. trans: Paul Vincent, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, pp.

04.

47 Ibid., pp.04 45

MArch Dissertation

Henshaw V. and Bruce N., 2012. Smell and sound expectation and the ambiances of English Cities.

Montreal: 2nd International Congress on Ambiances, pp. 449.

49 Ibid., pp.453.

50 Bouchard N., 2012. Le theatre de la memoire olfactive.

Montreal: 2nd International Congress on Ambiances, pp.184.

51 Plailly J., 2005. La memoire olfactivehumaine: Neuroanatomie fonctionnelle de la discrimination Et du jugement de la familiarite. Lyon: Universite Lumiere Lyon 2(Thesis).

48

Monice Malnar J. and Vodvarka F., 2004. Sensory Design. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp. 133.

52

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1.3 Experience of the Senses and Memory ‘[…] for an architecture that views the sensory response and memory of human beings as critical functions of the building, and thus vital to the design process.. a house should be constructed of sensation and memory’53

Joy Monice Malnar and Frank Vodvarka, 2004

example of this impulse might be the

sensory modalities; memories may be

kitchen. This word may recall to our

triggered through our senses56. These

memory an image very specific, one of a

memories might appear in the form of a

place we firstly associated with the word;

vivid daydream of a scene encountered in

a stereotype. Memory of such nature may

the past, a photograph, a distinguishable

be another way of experiencing spaces; it

sound or a characteristic smell. Memories

is

are

capable

of

atmospheres55.

holding

architectural

Buildings

are

like

interconnected

with

nostalgia,

sequentially, arousing certain emotions

landmarks in people’s memories; they

such

Ever since our birth, we’re taught to link

host certain events or actions having the

memories play an influential role in our

words with visual images or other sensory

role of a stage while people are the actors.

lives. Every place may be remembered not

stimulus. Certain actions such as a specific smell or an auditory experience might trigger memories, from the unconscious, of a past once forgotten, most frequently, of the entity’s childhood.

54A

simple

Memory is also able to preserve emotions, creating an emotional bond between

Monice Malnar J. and Vodvarka F., 2004. Sensory Design. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp. 287.

54 Holl S., Pallasmaa J. and Perez-Gomez A., 2006.

Questions of perception. New York: William Stout, pp.

32..

MArch Dissertation

person

and

the

place,

longing.

In

consequence,

only because it is unique but also because our bodies took part in experiencing it and made memorable associations of it57.

providing a meaning to the experience.

It

53

the

as

has

been

observed

by

phenomenologists that the notion of memory has an erratic bond with the Zumthor P., 1999. Thinking Architecture. Bazer: Birkhauser, pp. 10.

55

Holl S., Pallasmaa J. and Perez-Gomez A., 2006.

Questions of perception. New York: William Stout, pp.

32.

57 Bloomer K.C. and Moore C.W., 1977. Body, Memory and architecture. London: Yale University Press, pp. 44.

56

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1.4 Atmospheres, Memory and Phenomenology ‘One of the most important ‘’raw materials’’ of phenomenological analysis of architecture is early childhood memory… The inner architecture of the mind emerging out of feelings and memory images is built on different principles from the architecture developed out of professional approaches. I cannot bring to mind from my own childhood a single window or door as such but U can sit down at the windows of my many memories and look out at the garden that has long disappeared or a clearing now filled with trees. I can also step through the innumerable doors of my memory and recognize the dark warmth and special smell of the rooms that are there on the other side.’58

Juhani Pallasmaa, 1985

Peter Zumthor, in his book ‘Atmospheres’, provided his own etymology to the term59.

Atmospheres can be expressed as the Pallasmaa J., 1985. The Geometry of Feeling: a look at the phenomenology of architecture. Arkkitehti 3, Helsinki, pp. 44-49. (English translation, pp. 98-100.)

59 Zumthor P., 2006. Atmospheres, Bazer: Birkhauser, pp. 11.

sensorial qualities that spaces radiate; they

writing, exercising61. Thus, body memory

stimulate emotions and assist people in

can be expressed as a person’s implicit

getting in contact with their surroundings.

knowledge, - meaning the acquired skills, habits and experience- his lived past62.

Body Memory

Age, memory and perception

Juhani Pallasmaa argues that an

Recollection can be parallelised

embodied memory has an essential role as

with a foundation that flourishes one’s

the basis of remembering a space or

personality. When remembering the

place60.

childhood, a special connection is

Long

repeated

patterns

of

movement and perception become a habit

established between the present and past

of everyday life capturing them in a

self, its variation causing revelation. The

party’s muscle -or other type of body

reason behind this unexpected discovery

memory-

is the difference in scale and physicality of

becoming

a

route;

a

task

performed with one’s ‘eyes closed’. These patterns include reading, riding a bicycle, drawing, playing a musical instrument,

58

MArch Dissertation

Fuchs T., 2003. Retrieved 05 Feb. 2013 from: http://www.klinikum.uniheidelberg.de/fileadmin/zpm/psychatrie/ppp2004/manusk ript/fuchs.pdf/ pp. 01.

62 Ibid., pp.02.

61

Pallasmaa J., 1985. The Geometry of Feeling: a look at the phenomenology of architecture. Arkkitehti 3, Helsinki, pp. 449.

60

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the former and current self’s body. A case

careful when referring to this movement

in point could be the memory of standing

due

on a stool to reach the kitchen counter.

subjectivity due to its self-referential

to

the

underlying

danger

of

character. Even so, phenomenology yet remains a popular subject of investigation

Phenomena and ‘logos’

Definition: to let that which shows itself be seen from itself in the very way in which it shows itself form itself63.

The

study

interpreting

human

amongst

the

circles

of

architecture).

Perception, in terms of sensory experience, is relative to the liaison among the individual

and

the

public

realm.

spatial perception -and later on, body

Consequently, this cognition is contained

memory-

within

acquired

experience

of

spaces

Phenomenology64. architecture

through

This

provides

sensory

is field a

called of

the

sensory

environment. expressed

as

Its

stimuli

definition

a

mental

of

the

can

be

procedure

better

concerning association, remembrance and

understanding of the world and its

recognition. Therefore, the concepts of

existence65. (Nevertheless, one must be

architecture, senses - thus atmospheres and

Heidegger M., 1927. Being and Time. Trans. by John Macquarrie J and Robinson E., Oxford: Blackwell, 1962, Introduction II, § 7C. 64 Ponty M., 1965. Phenomenology of Perception.

London : Routledge, pp. vii.

65 Leach N., 1997. Rethinking Architecture: A reader in cultural History. London: Routledge, pp.80.

63

MArch Dissertation

memory

are

under

constant

interaction.

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Blunt and Dowling (2006), Crawford

2.0 From House to Home

(2005), Cooper Marcus (1995)). On the 2.1

front burner of this swift domestic focus is

Atmospheres, Memory and Phenomenology

the question: What converts a house into a home? Which semantic feature is the one

‘At home our pleasure is in our hands. The sense and security and relaxation that arise from domestic well-being are deep human needs.’

Claire Lloyd, 1998 Formerly a rather neglected and out of focus of academic study, interest in home and the manufacture of its atmosphere is

that demarcates the two notions apart?

What is the ambivalence of this word ‘home’? A clear definition is yet to be specified.

House and home are two

different notions that people find difficult to distinguish66.

The use of the two words is habitually interchangeable due to the expectancy that the house we live in is also our home67.

nowadays a vastly growing subject of exploration among the circles of social sciences and humanities (Blunt A. and Dowling R., 2006) - a fact rather evident from the many publications of numerous disciplines (Busch (2003), Miller (2010),

MArch Dissertation

66 Cooper

Marcus C.,1995. House as a Mirror of Self.

Conari Press: California, pp. 23.

67 Chawla L., Spring 1995. Reaching Home: Reflections on Environmental Autobiography. Environmental and Architectural Phenomenology, Vol.6 No.2, Kansas: Kansas State University, pp. 12.

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people we want to be with (Chawla, 1995).

memories, experiences, nostalgia, and

These two observations may only lead to

interactions of our lives70. Its configuration

the unsophisticated supposition that the

happens through a positive feeling of

Anne Battimer(1980) defines the

home’s meaning is circled around two

attachment, as a place of familiarity,

relationship to place as the exchange

poles; one’s desire for familiarity and

belonging, safety, selfhood and affiliation;

between home and horizons of reach. The

cosiness and the imaginative horizons of

thus, people often underline their sense of

concept of home embodies our yearning for

reach which extend past of one’s location.

self through a home investment of some

2.2 Home and Horizons of reach

appropriateness,

security,

shelter,

and

repose

community,

territory,

while,

horizons of reach are an expression of

one’s social attachments and reaching of one’s dreams are all fulfilled in the place where s/he lives, one can find the true happiness in life68. Nevertheless, there is usually a conflict between the place where we are, what we want to be, and which Buttimer, A., 1980. Home, Reach, and the Sense of Place. In: Buttimer A. and Seamon D., eds., The Human Experience of Space and Place.

London: Croom Helm, pp. 167.

can be associated with negative feelings;

The multiple facets of home

venture, movement and novelty. The geographer notes that when the home,

kind. Contrariwise, in limited cases, home

2.3

have

seen as a place of rejection, violence,

A word as powerful as home cannot

hostility,

a

possibly

single,

static

interpretation.

danger.

anxiety

Examples

of

and such

Nicholas Ponge (1994) gives his own

circumstances can be: domestic violence,

interpretation:

of

forceful home abandonment, childhood

experience of time, light and place, the

traumas, dispossession, loss and even

home has the potential for poetic language

marginalisation. These experiences may

and relative autonomy’69.Home acts up as a

trigger the action of searching for a new

‘As

an

instrument

vessel holding the everyday feelings,

68

MArch Dissertation

estrangement,

Gorman-Murray, A., and R. Dowling. Aug. 2007.

"Home," M/C Journal, 10(4). Retrieved 02 Feb. 2013 from <http://journal.mediaculture.org.au/0708/01-editorial.php>.

70

Ponge N., 1994. Selected poems. Ed. Guiton M., New York: Wake forest University press, pp. 12.

69

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place to call home, reconfiguring the notion

closer to home than in any other type of

by relocating oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self71.

dwelling. This may possibly occur due to the primeval nature of this kind of

2.4

shelter73. The writer built her own hut and

A Hut for Home

dwelled it for a year of her life; an action

It is not implicit for a place to be a

embedded within the framework of her

house or even an enclosed space in order

research on living in primitive structures

to be called a home; it can be a hut, a

which led to some thought-provoking

neighbourhood or even a whole country.

findings. In a brittle but permanent type

The occurrence of dwelling is manifested

of shelter as the hut, one can find true

when one feels at home in places his being

peace of mind and, also, catch a closer

exists. Dwelling is the basic character of

foretaste of the otherwise disregarded

being in keeping with which mortals

natural spectacles of the outdoors through

exist72. The human primal need for shelter

the sensory receptors. This capacity and

feeds the desire to feel like he belongs, to

spectre of experiences are not present in a

feel at home. Ann Cline (1997) states a hut

conventional house. It is an enclosed

as one of the best places to dwell; feeling

structure that shelters from nature but also keeps people at a distance from it.

Brown, M. 2000.Closet Space: Geographies of Metaphor from the Body to the Globe. London: Routledge, pp.50.

72 Heidegger M., 1971. Poetry, Language, Thought.

New York: Harper and Row, pp. 158.

71

MArch Dissertation

Cline A., 1997. A Hut of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own. Massachusetts :MIT Press, pp.21.

73

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2.5 Childhood home

Looking at the literature, and especially Bachelard’s work (1969), it is

a mirror reflecting the dweller’s inner

universe that provide an understanding

self74.

and reminiscence of who they are77. One fastens oneself to the places once dwelled

2.7

reflecting on the connection to traditions

Bonding

possible to identify crucial establishment

and

one

tendency of establishing elusive emotional

datum raises yet another question; which

understanding of the concept of home;

connections

and

one of the places that people lived in they

such as the childhood home. By and large,

forthcoming dwellings75. As Busch (2003)

consider to be their home? Views diverge

the first five years of a person’s life are

claims, the vulnerable bonding of this sort

when it comes to this query that imports

spent in his childhood home. These early

is also possible even in the case of

every entity nearly. It is a vox populi that

memories compose the foundation of

spending only a few nights there – ‘brief

home is the residence one grew up in

forthcoming space experiences the people

visits reveal what we mean when we talk

while the other points of view claim that

which

lies

the

with

former

will encounter in their lives. A home and

about

Another academic, Bognar

home is where one currently resides.

its insides are, as a matter of fact, an

(2000) claims that people build their

According to well documented researches,

outline of the person that resides in it and

individual

urban

his or her character. The notion of home is

74

also a symbol of the individual’s role in the society while its interior has the part of

MArch Dissertation

home’76.

their

have

from

generation to the next. This particular

upon

individuals

bequeathed

the

concepts

Most

values

cosmos,

miniature

of

the

Busch A. 2003. Geography of Home: Writings on Where We Live. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 16.

75 Miller D.,2010. Stuff, Cambridge: Polity Press, pp.109.

76 Busch A. 2003. Geography of Home: Writings on Where We Live. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 12.

Bognar, B., 2000. A Phenomenological Approach to Architecture and its Teaching in the Design Studio. In: Seamon, David & Robert Mugerauer, Dwelling, Place, and Environment: Toward a Phenomenology of Person and World. Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff, pp. 189.

77

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48 | Remembering Home

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citizens may possibly be demarcated into three categories: those who feel at home in the countryside, those who consider their holiday cabins or rural houses as their home and the minority of those who feel at home in the city78 - evidence that people have the propensity for bonding with places connected with homeliness, family memories and nature rather than the daily monotonous rote.

One of the main cases in question of the research undertaken is the level of influence sensory modalities have upon the individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attachment to the concept of home; a subject examined through posed questions about each one of the senses.

Cooper Marcus C.,1995. House as a Mirror of Self.

Conari Press: California, pp. 04.

78

MArch Dissertation

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3.0 Sensory Home

the level of hardship of grasping an

the softness feel of a carpet under one’s

abstract, but fairly specific, time period is

feet, the hearing of the indiscernible sound

relatively high; as a result, the individual

of cars as they pass by or leaves as they get

integrated with it through recollections of

carried away by the light breeze of wind,

the places one has lived in80.

the smell of Crayola crayons or the one of

3.1

baby food. All these descriptions of

Sensory Modalities at home

‘Home, sweet home: sweet to look at, listen to, to touch, smell and taste. The home is our emotional heartland, a place where the rhythm of events is under our control, a potential pleasure zone for our sensual being’79.

Ilse Crawford 2005

T

surface when stroked against one’s skin,

he feeling of the texture of a particular door, partition or other

sensory imagery have the ability of a

Sensory Control

sudden and instant, virtual transport of

‘For so much of what we feel, or sense, constitutes comfort and the notion of home is rooted in our primal instincts’81.

the mind to a rather familiar setting – the one of a childhood memory of home.

Ilse Crawford

Sensory

modalities

have

the

Crawford I., 2005. Sensual Home. London: Quadrille Publishing Ltd, pp. 14.

MArch Dissertation

2005

potential to unexpectedly reunite the individual with his or her past at an This

In general, society, in our time,

connection lies within the sphere of the

endures one sort of sensory deprivation; a

subconscious and revives through our

disastrous consequence of the prolongued

unanticipated

time

and

place.

sensory receptors, which are capable to trigger such recollections accordingly.

79

3.2

Claire Cooper Marcus (1995) claims that

Cooper Marcus C.,1995. House as a Mirror of Self.

Conari Press: California, pp. 04.

81 Crawford I., 2005. Sensual Home. London: Quadrille Publishing Ltd, foreword.

80

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censorship

from

the

the last forty years, little has been done to

senses

lie

accommodate all of the senses in the

dormant, especially in continuous interior

modern home; on the contrary, the main

environments, such as shopping malls,

focus was once again on the look rather

In a home the most inducing and

airports

than the feel. The clinical looks of the Early

mouth - watering smells come from the

conditioned offices, where everything falls

Modern

was

kitchen85. In the Anglo-Saxon societies,

under a system of control. Working

misinterpreted as sterile and sense-free.

such types of olfactory stimuli were

environments nowadays are profoundly

There is the overbearing necessity for the

considered to be undesirable; nevertheless,

lacking

with

sensible home to smell, feel, sound and

in this day and age, it is an inextricable

harmful effects upon the users. Home, as

taste the way it looks. The dwelling can be

factor of domestic comfort providing the

Ilse Crawford defines it (2005), is the last

full of sensory stimulants by keeping the

space with its own inimitable character.

stronghold of the senses83. The privileged

lighting levels low, with the use of

The possibilities for olfactory delight in

portion of the population, with a roof

candles, by allowing sounds of nature

our homes are vast and never-ending;

above its head, adjusts its home to

inside, by cooking using fresh ingredients

there are scents oozing from its fabric, for

encompass the omnium of the senses and

instead of pre-prepared microwavable

example the bricks getting warmer by

reinstate the fragile equilibrium amongst

meals, by allowing sunlight in and even

sunlight disperse the smell of soil.

body and mind. On the other hand, over

by using multi textured surfaces such as

religionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

of

the

senses

strictures82.

and

any

Our

uniformly

sensory

lit

and

impulses

air-

Movement

carpets or wood flooring84.

Lloyd C., 1998. Sensual Living, New York: Conran, Octopus Ltd, introduction.

83 Crawford I., 2005. Sensual Home. London: Quadrille Publishing Ltd, pp. 15.

82

MArch Dissertation

84

houses

3.3 Smell at home

85Seremetakis

N., 1993. The Memory of the senses: Historical perceptiom, commensal Exchange and Modernit, In:Visual Anthropology Review,Volume 9 Number 2, Fall 1993, pp.05.

Ibid., pp. 17

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3.4 Homely touch

washing and sleeping routines87. Other

A

surfaces

descriptions of the Filipino women’s daily

providing

pleasure

in

the

everyday routine are the doorknobs,

fact

evident

from

Lucy

Law’s

routine:

The domestic comfort relies upon

buttons, furniture, utensils, and windows.

‘The Philippines is experienced each

the soothing and stimulus of our skin

Often overlooked, our feet can be as

Sunday through a rediscovery of home – a

through the various textures and surfaces

sensitive to temperature changes and

visualization of place through food and other

(wood, metal, concrete, brick, fabrics) in a

textures such as flooring as our hands88.

sensory procedures which represent Filipino

house environment but also fresh air86.

What is more, the skin covering the whole body acts as a sensory shell, with nerve cells covering the totality of its exterior collecting data related with temperature, pressure, discomfort and pleasure.

One

of

the

most

3.5 Tasting Home

Home is the framework to the cremations

women as national subjects. ‘Home cooking’, therefore,

turns

out

to

be

a

vigorous

manufacture process: a dislocation of place, a conversion of Central, a sense of home’89.

of food provision and consumption, a palace for the culinary pleasures. The

apparent

kitchen is seen as a playground for adults

experience of touch in a domestic space is

while cooking is considered the leisure.

the one involving textiles due to the

This sense of home, is, moreover, deeply

frequency of their use. Human beings use

connected to the senses of smell and taste.

3.6 Home and Vision

The design of our home nowadays is mostly dominated by the sense of sight; the eyes are the ones the individual

fabrics at least twice a day, during the Lloyd C., 1998. Sensual Living, New York: Conran, Octopus Ltd, pp. 37.

88 Pink. S. 2004. Home truths: Gender domestic objects and everyday life. Oxford: Berg, pp. 74.

87

Pink. S. 2004. Home truths: Gender domestic objects and everyday life. Oxford: Berg, pp. 73.

86

MArch Dissertation

Law, L., 2001. Home cooking: Filipino women and geographies of the senses in Hong Kong, Ecumene 8(3), pp. 266.

89

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primarily seeks to satisfy in the domestic

Volume has its own role in the

environment. Natural light is one of the

realm of the senses. The scale of various

controlled factors in the house that is

house elements compared to the human

essential for the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-being.

body, high ceilings and big openings, can

Meanwhile fenestration provides a view

sometimes be compelling.

Curvatures

primarily, manmade sounds. These noises

towards the exogenous environment; both

seem attractive due to the resemblances

and sounds around the home can be

providing the sense of belonging and

with the human body. Open plan living in

divided into several categories. One of

enticing or preventing one to enter the

housing gives the feeling of flow and

those categories is the alarming sounds

outside world.

openness.

which are meant to notify the user, such as

3.7 Sounds at home

The domestic soundscape yields,

the

doorbell,

the

telephone

or

the

Colour in the domestic space is

Home is the showcase of a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

equally important as lighting90; it is the

individual personality projecting stories

sounds are so embedded in our lives, stay

poetry of a space bringing it to life and

from the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past, interests or beliefs

unnoticed; these may be sounds of

with the placement of various souvenirs,

cooking, washing or bathing. Voices form

paintings, photographs or other decorative

a separate category; vocal sounds and

enriching its hue,

meaning91.

vibrancy

and

Depending on its saturation

the

individual can have a fairly multifaceted,

means placed in conspicuous

places92.

private and emotive response.

intercom.

Furthermore,

daily

routine

especially voices of loved ones can greatly affect people.

In addition, music, a

category on its own, is a dominant Lloyd C., 1998. Sensual Living, New York: Conran, Octopus Ltd, pp. 73.

91 Steven Holl, House: Black Swan Theory, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2007, pp. 41.

instrument of improving moods

90

MArch Dissertation

Lloyd C., 1998. Sensual Living, New York: Conran, Octopus Ltd, pp. 80.

92

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and

manipulating

Crawford without

mentions music

is

emotions93.

(2005), missing

a

As

The perceived concept from the

house

literature behind home and the senses is

vital

that home is not a single entity, a

a

dimension94.

The acoustic properties of a room have a great importance at defining the very essence of the space and the aura it reflects. For instance, reverberation levels impact on the way a room is perceived, whether it is comfortable or welcoming. A carpet or thick curtains can be a simple remedy reducing the reverberation levels.

Nonetheless, the dependency of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

structure, but a diffuse and multifaceted situation that assimilates memories and imageries, desires and fears, the past and the present. A home is also a set of ceremonials,

private

routines

and

procedures of the everyday. Home cannot be shaped at an instant; it retains its temporal dimension and continuum and is a steady creation of the family's and individual's version of the world95.

tolerance to noises and echoes is based on acquaintance and background of the space. At home, the owner is the controller of the sounds he receives.

Pink. S. 2004. Home truths: Gender domestic objects and everyday life. Oxford: Berg, pp. 69.

94 Crawford I., 2005. Sensual Home. London: Quadrille Publishing Ltd, pp. 91.

93

MArch Dissertation

Pallasmaa J., (2005). Identity, intimacy, and domicile: Notes on the phenomenology of home. In MacKeith, P. (Ed.), Encounters: Architectural essays (pp. 112â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 126). Helsinki, Finland: Rakenmustieti Oy, pp. 115.

95

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P

henomenologists (Heidegger,

early childhood, but I do remember the

Ponty) claim that one of the

resistance of its weight and the patina of its

4.0 Home Recollection

solidest memories a person has is one

wood surface scarred by decades of use, and I

from his first home. The memory of home

recall especially vividly the scent of home that

4.1

can be stimulated unexpectedly through

hit my face as an invincible wall behind the

sensory incentive. The possibilities are

door. Every dwelling has its individual smell

infinite;

of home’99.

Sensory Modalities at home

‘A house constitutes a body of images that give mankind proofs or illusions of stability96, and, 'It is an instrument with which to confront the cosmos'97Bachelard writes. And he is speaking about the home, a house filled with the essence of personal life. Home is a collection and reinforcement of personal images of protection and intimacy which help us recognize and remember who we are.98’

Juhani Pallasmaa 2005 Gaston Bachelard G. (1969). The Poetics of Space.

Beacon Press, Boston, pp. 17.

97 Ibid., pp. 46.

98 Pallasmaa J., (2005). Identity, intimacy, and domicile: Notes on the phenomenology of home. In MacKeith, P. (Ed.), Encounters: Architectural essays (pp. 112– 126). Helsinki, Finland: Rakenmustieti Oy, pp. 113.

96

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stimulus,

a a

photograph, ramification,

distinguishing characteristic a

distinctive the

stirred

olfactory sound, taste.

a By

memory

influences our emotions.

Even though several years may pass, the odour memory is not affected but stays intact.100. Nothing revives the past so completely as a smell that was once associated

4.1.1 Home - Memory and Smell

Frequently, the most resilient recollection

with

it.

Specific

olfactory

stimuli hold the capacity to force people in remembering forgotten places and lure them into vivid dreaming101.

of home is its emitting smell. An example of this is the description of Pallasmaa (1995): ‘I cannot remember the appearance of the door to my grandfather’s farmhouse in my

Pallasmaa J.,1996. The Eyes of the Skin, London: Academy Editions, 1996, pp. 54.

100 Rabe, J. 2001. Smell. A neglected sense in Architecture. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, pp. 15.

101 Pallasmaa J.,1996. The Eyes of the Skin, London: Academy Editions, 1996, pp. 54.

99

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4.2 Home and Daydreaming ‘The house is a box for existential objects of life. It is a vessel for the imagination, for laughter and emotion and a silent place for the poetics, a room for reverie’102.

Kim Johnson Gross, Jeff Stone (1993)

The home guards daydreaming, shields

treasures they once accommodated104.

equally required for one’s mental well-

This

that first home

being106. The recollection of one’s first

memories do not fade easily. For instance,

home can be a challenging task; quite

if an individual once enjoyed a, no longer

often, imagination takes over - however,

substantial, particular space in his home,

day

then, there is a possible chance of him

experiences alive.

to

dream

in

peace103;

it

the

reason

dreaming

sustains

childhood

dreaming about that specific area without any adverse features105.

4.3

The oneiric house, Bachelard (1969)

the one who dreams and permits the individual

is

mentions,

is

the

house

of

missing

reinforces the thoughts and precludes

recollections, of reveries; it is the vault of

them from getting lost. The imagination

our childhood home. He is unsure about

recreates places, with an effect on people’s

the number of levels of this conventional

mentality, out of recollection or out of

house. Conversely, the presence of an attic

their past daydreams. The dwellings of the

and a basement are crucial, because the

past, through the angle of the dreams,

attic is the figurative storing room for

appear intact, holding strong to the

pleasant memories that the inhabitant is

Home Nostalgia ‘It is clear that the experience of home consists of and integrates an incredible array of mental dimensions from that of nationality and being subject to a specific culture to those of unconscious desires and fears. No wonder sociologists have found out that the sorrow for a lost home among slum residents is very similar to the mourning a lost relative’.

Juhani Pallasmaa, 2005

willing to return to, while, the cellar is the Johnson Gross K., Stone J., Iovine J., 1993. Home.

N.V: A.A. Knopf, pp. 32.

103 Gaston Bachelard G. (1969). The Poetics of Space.

Beacon Press, Boston, pp.06.

102

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crypt 104 105

for

Ibid., pp. 05.

Ibid., pp. 10.

unpleasant

reminiscences;

Pallasmaa J., (2005). Identity, intimacy, and domicile: Notes on the phenomenology of home. In MacKeith, P. (Ed.), Encounters: Architectural essays (pp. 112–126). Helsinki, Finland: Rakenmustieti Oy, pp. 117.

106

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Memory

as

a

quality

enables

the

personalisation of the home. In this day

outlining

an

image

of

self,

protect

reminiscences or tell a story109.

reminiscence refers to a temporal one.

Albeit the individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to make a

and age, where mass produced products

Home is habitually used to endorse

comeback to the actual house where one

take over the market, a home with the

the logic of stability and independence,

grew up in, he or she may not ever

signature of its owners has become a vital

with potential self-determination related

actually return to the original home of

necessity107.

with the capability to uphold home on

childhood, as it happens to exist mostly in

room might be full of affection, indicating

their

the sphere of the imaginary111.

the natural outcome of this stated fact.

reminiscence, full of objects to remind

Objects lying around in a

own.

Homes

are

places

of

Memories generated through the

Nostalgia is a powerful force when

people of family. Even though elders do

senses

the concept of home is concerned; people

not accommodate children regularly, they

attachment with home. A question posed

imprint themselves in the places they lived

retain their parental character by having a

on the first memories will help define the

keeping things because of what they

space in their home for their grown-up off

sort of this attachment.

remind them of108.

springs and their children to visit110.

As Steven Holl

mentions in House: A Black Swan theory

Nostalgia involves more than a

(2007), objects reflect the soul of a roomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

longing for factual places or real persons.

inhabitants; their purpose is frequently

Notwithstanding

the

fact

are

the

ones

liable

for

the

that

homesickness denotes a spatial separation, Holl S.,2007. House: Black Swan Theory, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 53.

108 Busch A. 2003. Geography of Home: Writings on Where We Live. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 29.

107

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Holl S.,2007. House: Black Swan Theory, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 124.

110 Blunt A., Dowling R., 2006. Home: Key Ideas in Geography, London: Routledge, pp. 114.

109

Rubenstein R., 2001. Home Matters: Longing and Belonging, Nostalgia and Mourning in Women's Fiction. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 04.

111

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5.0 Research Methodologies From the existing literature, many academics

have

tried

to

define

a

connection between memories, the senses and the notion of home. Nevertheless, no

questionnaire’s pool of data, according to the respondents’ answers.

5.1.0 The Questionnaire

research has acknowledged all of the

The collection of primary data was

concepts at the same level. This is the aim

crucial in order to conduct the research

of this dissertation. This chapter describes

and support the statements -previously

the methodologies used in order to collect

analysed in the literature review of this

all the primary data to support the claims

paper. The data in question had the nature

of this paper.

of written questionnaires, administered

The chosen methods vary in terms

randomly amongst residents within the

of their nature and structure. Firstly, a

Greater Manchester County, in order to

questionnaire with open ended questions

gain a varied range of data from people

was conducted in order to collect some

who stayed within the bounds of the same

initial qualitative and quantitative data.

region. The participants were approached

The

was

through acquaintances’ groups of the

introduced had the form of case studies –

investigator in order to accommodate a

private

The

trust relationship and consent but also to

the

be easier tracking them down.

second

methodology

individual

interviewees

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were

that

interviews. selected

from

Participant

Age of earliest childhood memory

Visual memories Aural memories

Notion of Home

Olfactory memories Gustation memories

Room typology

Colour association

Box 5.1.0 Questionnaire’s terminus Plan

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Appendix

I

was

answered

by

30

individuals. With the purpose to protect

5.1.1

5.1.2

Aim

Data Collection

the respondents’ anonymity, pseudonyms was directed towards identifying the way Participants' Age groups

memories affect people’s attachment to a certain place (room or other) and their role, in particular, upon calling a house,

7% 10%

7%

participants was presented in the form of open ended questions. The purpose behind this decision was allowing the participants to answer in their own words, whereas, avoiding them to choose specific,

home.

6%

All the data requested from the

The main aim of this questionnaire

were adopted for all individuals112.

ready-made answers. All of the data can Most of the questions posed by the

13%

be found in Appendix II.

survey had to do with the participants’

13%

first sensorial memories of spaces they had 17%

27%

experienced the sense of ‘home’ (Box 5.1.0). The methodology was inspired by

5.1.3 Part I Data

With the intention of determining

Busch (2003)113.

A. <10 C. 20 - 30 E. 40 - 50 H. 60 - 70

the range of this questionnaire, in terms of

B. 10 - 20 D. 30 - 40 F. 50 - 60 I. >70

the

MArch Dissertation

backgrounds,

the

survey’s first part enquired quantitative

Chart 5.1.3a Participants’ Age Groups Background 112 Sullivan C., Gibson S. and Riley S.C.E., 2012.

Doing your Qualitative Psychology Project. London: Sage, pp. 58.

participants’

data about each participant’s age, gender Busch A. 2003. Geography of Home: Writings on Where We Live. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 23.

113

and ethnic background.

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5.1.3.a

mixed or other ethnic background. The

Age

minority who took part in this survey The age of the participants varied

from: <10 to >70. The reason behind this segregation was investigating whether the informants’ age had an impact on their responses i.e. the similarities and/or contradictions amongst the memories of a specific age group. The majority of the participants belonged to the age group of an age between twenty to thirty years old (Chart 5.1.3a).

were the people with Asian or Asian British Background.

5.1.3c

23%

Gender

Yet another personal piece of information

the

respondents

had

10%

to

provide the questionnaire with was their

37%

7%

gender. Researches (Sutin A. R. and Robins R. W. 2007, Loftus E., Banaji M.,

23%

Schooler J. and Foster R., 1987) on memory claim the existence of gender differences

5.1.3b

Participant’s Gender data

Ethnic Background

The participants were required to provide info on their ethnic Background.

Most

Participants' Ethnic Background

of

them

had

a

white

ethnic

Females 57% Males 43%

A. B. C. D. E.

White / multiple ethnic groups Mixed / multiple ethnic groups Asian /Asian British Black / African / Carribean / Black British Other ethnic group

background (See Chart 5.1.3b {37%}), while, second came the participants with a

MArch Dissertation

Chart 5.1.3c Participants’ Gender data

Chart 5.1.3b Participants’ Ethnic Background

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5.1.4.

the greater majority of the people who

conducted by Agneta Herlitz and Jenny

Part II Data

took this survey answered that they

Rehnman (Herlitz A. and Rehnman J.,

The

in

memory114.

Based

on

a

research

second

part

of

this

2008), women constantly outperformed

questionnaire requested for qualitative

men when required to remember verbally

data from each participant; requesting

defined items and recognize odours or

personal

faces. On the other hand, men advanced

personal memories and more specifically

on episodic-memory tasks where visual

the ones about their first home.

and spatial processing was a

necessity115.

As

5.1.3c,

illustrated

in

Chart

the

questionnaire in question was answered by 17 female and 13 male participants.

information

regarding

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Age in memory 3 6 9 2 3 4

4 5

4

2

1

1

6

7

9

11

No. of Participants

5.1.4a Participant’s age when remembering the very

Chart 5.1.4a Participants’ age data

first space they considered as their home 5.1.4b

part of the questionnaire is an attempt to

Room/space recalled when remembering fist

find connections between the informants

home

memory, the age that they remember to be Loftus E., Banaji M., Schooler J. and Foster R., 1987. Who remembers what?: Gender differences in memory. Michigan: Michigan Quarterly Review, 26, pp. 64.

115 Herlitz A. and Rehnman J., 2008. Sex Differences in Episodic Memory. Stockholm: Association for Psychological Science, Vol.17, Iss. No. 1, pp. 55.

old.

their

The first question of the second

114

recalled their first home at around 4 years

The second piece of information

when they first called a space their home

requested

from

the

questionnaire’s

and data collected in the following

participants was related with people’s

questions regarding one’s senses and the

memories. The question asked from the

sense of home. As shown in Chart 5.1.4a,

participants to name a particular room or

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space when recalling the memory of their

5.1.4b.1

and dreams117; it can be the centre of the

first home. Ten (10) of the informants

The living room

universe for some people118. It is where

retort the living room, as the memory they

The living room is the most public

they sleep and wake up with their very

had of their first home, while the second

part of an otherwise private dwelling - the

first and very last thoughts of each passing

most prevalent response was the bedroom

home116.

In a residence, it is mostly used

day; it is a very personal space for specific

(Chart 5.1.4b).

for the common social activities of the

people to use; it serves both intimacy and

occupants where they can sit, talk, relax

isolation119. In contradiction to the living

and entertain themselves. It is also a space

room, the bedroom is a space where one

of welcoming people into the house but in

can be truly alone, to gather his or her

this instance the participants remembered

thoughts and tranquilise his or her

it as the family room where all members of

feelings. A child in this room can act

the family come together for common

without being interrupted, thus, ‘gaining’

activities.

control and independence, consequently,

Space/room in memory 10

8 4

3

1

1

1

1

1

shaping his or her personality.

5.1.4b.2 No. of Participants

The bedroom

The bedroom’s natural function is

Chart 5.1.4b Participant’s memory of a room

the one of a sanctuary, where one sleeps Steven Holl S.,2007.House: Black Swan Theory, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 106.

118 Busch A. 2003. Geography of Home: Writings on Where We Live. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 118.

119 Ibid., pp. 120.

117

Busch A. 2003. Geography of Home: Writings on Where We Live. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 152.

116

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5.1.4b.3

too, and occasionally as a social chamber. It

family or others, characteristics such as:

Kitchen

was a neatly kept place and its rows of coppers

materiality, colour and furniture and

Four of the survey’s responders

became the display pieces that so often glow in

things

stated the kitchen as the most remembered

the [paintings of the] Dutch little masters’122

physiognomy: a fireplace or a carpet.

room when they recalled their first home.

The soothing procedures which take place

5.1.4d

This is no wonder since the kitchen has,

in this section of the house unveil a

Feelings Description

nowadays, a primary role in people’s

different view of the sensory realm; there

The fourth questionnaire question

lives; a social ‘hub’ rather than one for

can be no culinary experience without

was asking from the responders to

food preparation120. It can be considered as

sight, no satisfying smell without an

describe their feelings at that particular

a lab - the part of the house where science

unmatched taste.

moment they remembered. Most of the

fuses with creative imagination121 arousing and celebrating one’s senses. It is likely to

that

shaped

the

space’s

answers were associated with positive 5.1.4c Room Description

feelings such as: happiness, cosiness,

be imprinted onto childhood memories

The third question of the survey’s

tranquillity, eagerness, affection, safety

since it is associated with security and

second part asked the respondents to give

but a few of them showed a different side

warmth; a room of nurturance and also

a description of their answer in the

remembering their childhood, such as:

entertainment. ‘The kitchen is often served as

previous question in five or less sentences.

anxiety,

the burgher dining room, often as the bedroom

Most of the descriptions had to do with

claustrophobia. This might occur due to a

certain activities such as: cooking, eating

childhood emotional trauma emancipated

or playing, other people for instance,

from perpetual feeling of stress or a

Steven Holl S.,2007. House: Black Swan Theory, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 109.

121 Busch A. 2003. Geography of Home: Writings on Where We Live. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, pp. 40.

120

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Giedion S. 1948. Mechanization takes command.

New York: W.W. Norton and Company pp.527.

122

worry,

fear,

and

even

certain traumatic event that ensued in that exact room.

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5.1.4e

5.1.4f

5.1.4g

Recalling smell

Recalling taste

Recalling sound

were

The sixth piece of information

The seventh of the questions in the

asked if they had any memory of the

requested from the participants of this

second part of the survey was inquiring

room/space smelling in a particular way

questionnaire was whether they had any

for any memory associated with sound

and if so to give a description of it. It is

memory of any olfaction-related memory

during their recollection of memory of a

evident from the Chart 5.1.4e that 28 of the

when remembering the room/space of

room or space in their first dwelling and if

participants

distinguishing

their first home and if so to define it. The

so to describe it. As one can witness from

categories of smells such as: greenery, fire,

answers to this question can be divided in

Chart 5.1.4g, most of the sounds, the

powder, fresh linen, shampoo, food,

four main categories: sweets, hot drinks,

respondents recollected, were voices while

vegetation and other uncategorised smells.

warm food and other (Chart 5.1.4f).

second came the wind-related sounds and

11 1

4

3

1 Christmas tree

1

Father's odour

1

Mother's…

Warm beverage

wood paint

Fresh linen

Food Burning logs Powder Hair products Freshly cut grass

4 3 2 2 2 1 1

Taste rememberance

No. of Participants

Chart 5.1.4e Respondents’ memory of a smell

1

1

peoples’ footsteps as they passed by.

12

Sound in recollection 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1

No. of Participants Chart 5.1.4f Partaker’s memory of a taste

1

1

1 moving…

Smell in memory

Doorbell

six

footsteps

here

participants

outdoors smell

8

survey

Voices Wind people…

TV Cars Nature outside Fire burning Music Rain

The

No. of Participants Chart 5.1.4g Participant’s memory of a sound

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5.1.4h

From the Chart 5.1.4h one can draw the

Colour association with memory

conclusion that the colour blue was high

participants

The concluding question of the

amongst the respondents’ preferences.

recruited

survey prompted the respondents to

While second in line were the colours

acquaintances’ groups of the researcher in

associate a colour with their memory. The

green, dark and white.

order to accommodate a trust relationship

reason behind this query is the belief that 5.1.5

a certain feeling, smell or sight along with

Questionnaires’ potential impediments

As a common rule, engaging with

trigger recollections of things associated

the general public can sometimes be a real challenge; people tend to feel threatened

Colour - memory association

No. of Participants

1

1 Pink

3

Grey

3

Yellow

3

Red

White

4

Bright

4 Dark

4 Green

Blue

7

Chart 5.1.4h Memory association with colours Zimmer H.D., Steiner A. and Ecker U.K.H. 2002.

How ‘’Implicit’’ Are Implicit Color Effects in memory?

In: Experimental Psychology 2002; Vol. 49(2): 120Ð131, Saarbrücken: ” 2002 Hogrefe & Huber Publishers, pp. 121.

123

MArch Dissertation

through

approached

and

friendship

and

tracking down the selected participants

it. Thus, seeing a specific colour might

with

were

and gain their consent but also to facilitate

colour affects memory through imprinting

it123.

In addition, the questionnaire’s

when

other individuals

invade their

personal space, let alone question them about their personal lives. Conversely, it is in my belief that this method provided a better and more direct approach in collecting the supporting data. The totality of the participants were willing to provide all the information needed, albeit their personal character.

who would qualify as Case Studies in the second part of this research.

This

relationship between the researched and the partaker can sometimes lead to a number jaundiced

of

weaknesses

data

or

even

including lack

of

objectivity124; however, this was not the case since all of the informants answered the questionnaires in private and they were more than

willing to provide

accurate data for this investigation.

Sullivan C., Gibson S. and Riley S.C.E., 2012.

Doing your Qualitative Psychology Project. London: Sage, pp. 45.

124

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to investigate the relationship of her ‘home

Case Studies

Case Study criteria

away from home’ as well as the traumatic

This part of the research adopts a

As mentioned before, three out of 30 of the

experience of leaving her childhood home

methodology introduced by both Cooper

participants were selected in order to be

behind. The last Case Study’s objective is

Marcus C (1995) and Pink S. (2004). Three

interviewed as Case studies. The 3 subjects

the relationship a woman in her forties has

of the 30 questionnaire’s respondents were

were a mature lady, a young boy and a

with the house she is currently living as

selected to be further interviewed as Case

woman in her forties (See Table 5.2.1). The

well as the exploration of the space she

Studies. The interviews took part in the

reasons behind this assortment vary. At

used as a hide-out in her childhood home.

informers’ homes providing this research

the outset, the different age groups as well

with an unmatched intuition of their

as

situation.

As Miller (2001) highlights,

investigate -factors that determined the

doing research in the interviewees home

selection. The young boy was marked out

can be intrusive; on the other hand, the

not only for his youth – since the objective

informants feel more at ease to talk about

of the questionnaire was memories and for

their memories in a more familiar setting

him they were rather recent- but also the

than in a neutral space surrounded by

nature

strangers125.

questionnaire which were referring to

to

the

what looked like a childhood traumatic experience.

Pink. S. 2004. Home truths: Gender domestic objects and everyday life. Oxford: Berg, pp. 29.

125

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The

elderly

woman

was

Harry

<10

M

Mixed

4

Anna

40-50

F

Mixed

3

Ellie

<70

F

White

9

Age in

responses

to

Ethnic

his

-interesting

Age

of

were

memory

gender

Participant

the

Background

5.2.1

Gender

5.2

Table 5.2.1 Case Studies Key characteristics table

selected due to the fact that she was a refugee; therefore, it would be interesting

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5.2.2 General

procedure

of

approaching

the

interviewees

instead of one. Other means such as

remarkable

photographs were avoided due to the

unanticipated fallouts126.

because of their limitations to provide an

to say or show anything that would not

objective and genuine vision of reality

feel

from

with.

The

general

occasionally

disapproval of the informants but also

Initially, the interviewees were briefed not

comfortable

and

the

interviewees’

perspective.

objective asked from the three respondents

Contrastively, a drawing has the capacity

was to provide with a description of their

to capture feelings frequently difficult to

feelings and inner thoughts about their

express with words and introduce a whole

childhood home plus representing it on a

new perspective of observing different

piece of paper, imprinting on it their state

matters. Such media are able to evoke

of mind at the memory’s time of being.

stories

or

inner

queries

of

the

interviewees’ psyche and even open a 5.2.3 Media Methodologies

The research in this part involved both spoken word and the interviewees’ drawings/ representations of their first

door

for

them

to

approach

their

subconscious. This form of operative participation is commonly directed by it (the subconscious), therefore, providing

home, as a consequence, reinforcing the investigation’s findings by introducing two sensory modalities, sound and vision,

MArch Dissertation

Weber S. 2008. Visual Images in research. In: Knowles J.G.. and Cole A. L. (eds.) Handbook of the Arts in Qualitative Research, London: Sage, pp.44-45.

126

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6.2 Analysis of the Qualitative data

6.0 Research Part I: Questionnaire - different settings of home attachment

7

In terms of Gender (Chart 6.2.1), both

6

participants

second and third most popular answers 4

were the bedroom and the kitchen.

3

In terms of Age (Chart 6.2.2) the

This chapter is a summary of the insights

most popular answer - the living room - is

2 Outdoors Other room School Kindergarden Bedroom Living Room Kitchen

method employed due to the phenomenological nature of this research.

female

they remember associated with home. The

Questionnaireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Overview

gained from the written questionnaire; a

and

presented the living room as the first room 5

6.1

male

1 0

the answer of the age group between 2030 years old.

In terms of Ethnic Background (Chart 6.2.3), the majority of the people with

Kitchen Bedroom School Outdoors

Living Room Kindergarden Other room

a

Mixed

Ethnic

Background

answered the living room. From the other participants no pattern seems to emerge

Chart 6.2.1 Memories sorted by room and

signifying that the Ethnic Background has

Gender

MArch Dissertation

Remembering Home | 87

little or no influence upon calling a house,

6.3

home.

Participants’ Correlations Other

In order to answer the research’s queries, some correlations amongst the

<70

collected data collected are worthy of note.

Asian <60-70>

Judith and Markos (Fig 6.3.1) were selected (See Appendix III) due to the

<50-60>

Mixed

similarities of their answers. They both

<40-50>

remembered their living room. In both cases they recalled a social activity in the

Black

<30-40>

room and the senses associated with the <20-30>

memory are exclusively the voices of White

<10-20>

people in the room. Neither Judith nor Markos recalled a specific taste, while

>10

0 0

1

2

3

4

Outdoors Other room School Kindergarden Bedroom Living Room Chart 6.2.2 Memories sorted by room and Ag e group Kitchen

88 | Remembering Home

2

4

6

Judith remembered the smell of fresh cut

Outdoors

Other room

grass. They both had feelings connected

School

Kindergarden

with cosiness, affection and tranquillity.

Bedroom

Living Room

Chart 6.2.3 Kitchen Memories sorted by room and Ethnic Background

- 12100412- © Eleni Economidou, 2013

Fig 6.3.1 Living Room Memories correlations MArch Dissertation

Remembering Home | 89

Another correlation of data is shown in

of gender, age in memory and sound.

Fig. 5.3.2 between Ellie and Jake (See

However, their feelings toward their

Appendix III). Both respondents’ answer

memory are widely different; Veronica

about the room description was the

had a recollection of what it seems like an

Bedroom. Their answers were similar in

upsetting experience. She felt anxious,

terms of the senses they remembered.

asphyxiating but also respect while Anna

They remembered playing and other

felt light hearted, free to explore, cosy and

activities involving their siblings. They

cheerful as well as free to explore. Anna

both endorsed positive feelings when it

had a reminiscence of her living room

came to that particular memory. They

while

experienced

Grandmother’s bedroom. In relation to the

happiness,

affection

and

Veronica

sensory

smell and taste of warm food. When it

Veronica had recollections since they were

came to hearing stimuli their responses

three years old of the sound of people who

were set apart. Jake remembered the

passed by. Veronica remembered the smell

sound

of talk and old wood and the taste of baby

footsteps

whereas

Ellie

remembered the sound of the wind.

Yet another example of correlation is illustrated in Fig.6.3.3, where Anna’s

both

Anna

her

eagerness. They both remembered the

of

modalities,

remembered

and

food, while Anna remembered the smell of freshly washed curtains but had no recollection of any taste.

6.3 Data Analysis Conclusions

From the collection of the data convincing themes and patterns begin to materialise.

From the quantitative data: 1. Gender as a factor did not appear to affect the room the participants remembered as his or hers first childhood home memory. The majority from both sexes had recollections of their living room.

2. Most of the people in their 20s-30s had recollections of their living room.

3. The second most remembered room irrespective of the participants’ gender, age and ethnic background is the bedroom.

and Veronica’s responses had similarities

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Fig 6.3.2 Bedroom Memories correlations MArch Dissertation

Remembering Home | 91

4. Participants of the <10 years old

5. Most of the people remembering

age group had memories related

the smell of food had positive

with spaces outside the limits of a

recollections of their first home.

house.

From the qualitative data: 1. Most of the memories related to the living room are related to positive emotions.

2. The majority of the participants remembered smells and tastes as well as sounds.

3. Social activities were primarily remembered when it came to the living room and the kitchen.

4. Traumatic experiences had no impact on what the participants remembered.

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Fig 6.3.3 Sound Correlations and Feelings differences MArch Dissertation

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7.0 Research Part II: Sensory Memories and attachment to home

lacking confidence to speak, like small children

or

language

is

participants not

whose

English127.

first The

understanding of the illustrations lies upon the tête-à-tête with the interviewee.

7.1

Every single line in each sketch can have a

Overview

This chapter illustrates the results of the primary data collected from the Case Studies which had the nature of

subterranean meaning, the text –if anyand the size of the letters, the small details, the colours or lack of.

7.2.1

interviews.

As mentioned in Chapter 5, the interviewees were asked to produce a drawing of their connection to their first home. The reason behind this request was the polysemy that drawings can offer. By merging audio and visual methods, such

Case Study I

The first interviewee, as formerly cited, was an elder lady. Her story included her being forced out of her home and now as a refugee she was more than welcome to host the interview into her newfound home away from her homeland.

as dialogues and sketches, provides a better

inside.

This

proved

to

be

particularly helpful especially to people

MArch Dissertation

Prosser J.and Loxley A., 2007. Enchancing the contribution of visual methods to inclusive education, Journal of Research in Special Education Needs, 7, 1 (2007), pp.61.

127

Fig 7.2.1 Participant’s photo of her wardrobe

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Fig 7.2.2 Participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drawing of her recollection

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Ellie mentioned that she had very vivid recollections of her first home. She

place and time, making me feel like a small child again.’’

It

described the room in question in great

was,

to

a

certain

extent,

detail. It was considered as the main room

prominent that her recollections of that

of the house were her parents, her sisters

house jarred her, since she was forced out

and she dined and slept every night.

of it. However, she said she felt genuinely happy when remembering her first home

7.2.2

and a bit nostalgic as well.

Sensory recollections

Ellie mentioned that the sense of

7.2.3 Nostalgia

smell had a key role in her recollection of her home; it had the power to instantly

Ellie mentioned that in terms of

and mentally transport her to another time

objects she had kept photos that reminded

and place.

her of her childhood home. She had a similar wardrobe (Fig. 7.2.1) to the one in

In her own words: ‘’[...] the one of fresh home cooked stew coming straight out of the oven. […] each traditional food smell reminds me of home but that specific one has the capacity to take me back to that

MArch Dissertation

the room and she cultivated plants that, when bloomed, their smell reminded her of home (Fig. 7.2.3). ‘’I have kept some old photos and indeed some of the objects I have in my house still remind me of my childhood home [...]. I have searched

Fig 7.2.3 Participant’s photo of her Jasmine plant

Remembering Home | 97

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and found a beautifully carved wooden wardrobe with a mirror on the outside just like the one we had in our room, now placed in the master bedroom. […] I have also planted some flower plants in my backyard whose scent reminds me of the ones we had in our home; like petunias, calla lilies, the jasmine and the almond tree;[…]’’.

This illustrates an example of how our homes are, in fact, containers of collections

of

memorabilia128.

Photographs,

paintings,

collections,

furniture, vegetation are all reminders of other

people,

places,

ceremonials,

experiences and even values momentous

Surrounded by our things, we are sheltered from the many forces that would deflect us into new concepts, practices and experiences. These forces include our own acts of imagination, the constructions of others, the shock of personal tragedy and simple forgetfulness. Things are our ballast. They stabilize us by reminding us of our past by making this past a virtual, substantial part of our present129’.

Belk (1990) also supports: ‘ ‘With consecrated sentimental memories aroused by sacred belongings, it is not so much that these objects “stand for” particular events evoked in documentary fashion, as that they are the stimuli for an evolving network of vivid memories; that is, they “lead to” other memories in an interwoven net that grows rich in associations, moods, and thoughts’130.

for their owner.

McCracken (1988) explains: McCracken G. 1988. Culture and \consumption: New Approaches to the Symbolic Character of Consumer Goods and Activities. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, pp.124 .

130 Belk W. R., 1990.,"The Role of Possessions in Constructing and Maintaining a Sense of Past", in NA Advances in Consumer Research Volume 17, eds.

Marvin E. Goldberg, Gerald Gorn, and Richard W. Pollay, Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research, pp. 670.

129

‘Surrounded by our things, we are constantly instructed in who we are and what we aspire to. Surrounded by our things, we are rooted in and visually continuous with our pasts.

Cooper Marcus C.,1995. House as a Mirror of Self.

Conari Press: California, pp. 72.

128

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Fig 7.2.4 Old Knobs (lossalou66, 2010)

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connected with them like dining or

7.2.4

sleeping.

Sketch analysis

appreciation

It

also for

demarcates

informal

an

socializing.

The sketch Ellie was asked to

Furthermore, the gratitude for warmth

produce (Fig. 7.2.2) manifests the power of

and cosiness is shown through the detail

the sensory modalities and memory to

of the fabrics and furniture (embroidered

peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home attachment. The loss of a

tablecloth, the finishing of the bed sheets,

home by force heightens the distress of the

the wardrobeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carvings) and the ritual of

experience than if it happened through

dining as it is illustrated in the drawing132.

natural disaster, sudden death or a divorce and it can be as painful as losing a dear one131. She chose to draw, from a third person perspective, her loved ones but also the furniture which reminded her of that specific memory. The furniture (table, bed and wardrobe) seem very significant to her as they mark passages of moment due to their connection with certain ceremonies

and

events

indissolubly

131Cooper

Marcus C.,1995. House as a Mirror of Self.

Conari Press: California, pp. 242.

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132

Ibid., pp. 77.

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Fig. 7.3.1 Participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sketch of her first home memory 102 | Remembering Home

- 12100412- Š Eleni Economidou, 2013

remembered the smell of the washing

7.3.1 Case Study II

detergent

that

freshly

washed

linen

7.3.3 A special childhood place

curtains emitted. She also had vivid visual The second participant in this

recollections of what the room looked like.

study was a young lady, Anna. The recollection she had of her first home was one of her in her secret hideout in the ‘formal’ living room.

As Anna mentioned, the room was kept closed and they only opened its doors for formal social gatherings and events or special celebrations that included food consumption and discussions.

6.3.2 Sensory recollections

In terms of senses associated with this memory Anna decided to mention that she had no recollection of taste whatsoever but when it came to smell she

MArch Dissertation

The place Anna describes is a sacred place for a child. It is the spot where she felt

Her description was: ’[...] I remember the glossiness and shine radiating from most of the objects in the room and especially through the showcase, part of a wooden long piece buffet furniture that my mother used to display her ‘formal’ set of silverware which was never used(fig.7.3.3)[…] in my mind I had connected shine with glamour and wealth and therefore thought that the living room had a high value in the house[…] I often laid on the thick carpet playing with my doll which had a red velvet dress.[…]The window shutters were always closed to prevent damaging the furniture from the sunrays. […]on top of the showcase furniture there were two terracotta vases with peacock feathers.’

comfortable to explore and stimulate through playing and pretending other situations. She re-invented a space in her home into a hiding place she had the control of and the opportunity to explore her self-identity and esteem133.

In her own words: ‘[…]The dark room was lit when I secretly crept in to play with my doll. Every time I switched on the lights in the room it appeared to me as a secret world coming to life right before my eyes. I used chairs as my dollhouses and I let my imagination run free. Everything was so shiny and bright that inspired me to set various scenes when I played […]. Sometimes I played in the dark so that no 133

Ibid., pp. 44.

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Fig. 7.3.2 Participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photo as a child in her living room.

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one could discover where I was; it felt adventurous. I felt free and light-hearted […]’

room (Fig 7.3.2). The similarities with the

7.3.4

the two vases, the showcase furniture with

Sketch analysis

the objects it contained and the painting

As one could estimate the sketch

drawing she produced are evident such as

above it.

Anna produced (Fig 7.3.1) was focused on the visual aspects of the memory that is evident from the colours and the object she has drawn. She has used words to describe her feelings emphasising on the feelings

of

euphoria.

She

drew

the

furniture in the room and also her toys and herself. By drawing the carpet and the furniture she shows an appreciation for the cosiness the space provided. The thrill and the stimulation helped imprinting this memory134 which was so vivid that Anna had to search through her photo albums and found a photo of her in that very 134

Ibid., pp. 45.

Fig. 7.3.3 Part of participant’s collection of silverware

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Remembering Home | 105

Fig. 7.4.1 Participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sketch of his first home memory in the garage 106 | Remembering Home

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7.4.1 Case Study III

reminiscence was of his home garage

He also remembered how dark the room

where he spent time playing with his

was due to the closed doors.

older brothers.

In Harry’s own words:

The third participant in this second part of the research was a young boy,

The room, as Harry described, was

Harry. The reason behind the selection of

quite dark and quiet and they used it

this partaker was not only his age but also

every afternoon to play basketball or

the nature of his memory which had to do

football or other games of their own

with a space consider detached from the

invention.

main house. The feelings associated with this memory, in contradiction with the other

Case

Studies’

memories,

were

7.4.2 Sensory recollections

‘[…]it was dark and the walls reflected my brothers’ voices as they called me to pass the ball to them. The floor was made out of concrete and the room was dirty and filled with stuff we did not need in the house. […] I have memories of the smell, it smelled like a closed space filled with dust; it was a dirty room and dust covered everything, the walls, the stuff we stored there, the floor[…]Taste. Well because of the smell I got the funny taste of dirt in my mouth[…].’

negative. In admission, it is easier for such

When it came to the senses Harry said that

a young person to express his emotions

he remembered the smell of dust as it

and personality not only through spoken

covered all the surfaces of the room. He

word

drawings.

had a recollection of the taste similar to

Undeniably, a child’s drawing can reveal

dirt due to the smell and remembered his

As previously mentioned Harry’s

much more than the one of an adult and it

older brothers’ voices calling him to play.

feelings when he remembered his first

is

but

usually

also

harder

through

to

decode135.

7.4.3 A traumatic Experience

memory associated with the notion of

His

home were fairly unpleasant. In the Diem W. G., 2001. A therapeutic perspective : The use of drawings in child psychoanalysis and social 135

MArch Dissertation

science, In: Handbook of Visual Communication, London: Sage, pp. 119 - 133.

questionnaire the emotions he described

Remembering Home | 107

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having, particular

when

he

memory,

remembered were

that

anxiety,

7.4.4 Sketch Analysis

excitement, impatience and fear. When Harry’s drawing (Fig. 7.4.1) is an

asked, he responded that the room was small and dark and had spider webs hanging from the ceiling, a fact that disturbed and caused dysphoria to the boy.

His description was: ‘[…] I felt scared when we played in that room, it was dark and had no windows and especially after that one time that while we were playing basketball, my brothers noticed a big spider walking on my arm. I felt disgust and panic at the same time.[..]Other feelings connected to that room? Well, every time I heard my brother calling me to play after we all finished our homework I felt an anxiety and happiness.

When it got dark my mother would call us for dinner and we would stop playing even though we did not really want to […]’

impression of the moment his brothers realised the spider web on his arm. Their expressions indicate their surprise and revulsion at the sight of the spider. He drew the webs magnified on the wall above him, a fact that overstates his fear and his potential childhood trauma. The fact that he only drew the persons in the memory but not any objects in the room is evidence of how important it is for children to have a space to explore their identities and set as their territory136, as well as Harry’s appreciation for family bonding and time for play137.

136

Cooper Marcus C.,1995. House as a Mirror of Self.

Conari Press: California, pp. 23.

137

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Ibid., pp. 77.

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notion of home is bound to our childhood memories. As Gaston Bachelard (1969)

8.0 Deductions

phrases it: ‘’Not only our memories but the things we have forgotten are ‘housed’. Our soul is abode. And by remembering ‘houses’ and ‘rooms’, we learn to ‘abide within ourselves’’138.

8.1 Research Overview

The

primary

purpose

this

Furthermore, through researching home,

research was the investigation of whether

another theme emerges; the theme of

and in what way sensory stimuli trigger

objects associated with our attachment to

reminiscences

other places makes its appearance:

affecting

of

people’s

perception of home.

In order to investigate this, a literature

review

was

conducted,

manifesting that there is indeed an inherent

association

between

‘’ Unless we stop and consciously reflect upon it, most of us are scarcely aware of how much our homes, as well as being functional settings for daily life, are containers for collections of memorabilia.’’139

sensory

modalities, memories and the conception of home. Attachment to home is a result of the recollections generated by sensory interactions with the environment. The

MArch Dissertation

Gaston Bachelard G. (1969). The Poetics of Space.

Beacon Press, Boston, pp. xxxiii.

139 139 Cooper Marcus C.,1995. House as a Mirror of Self. Conari Press: California, pp. 72.

138

Remembering Home | 111

However, as mentioned, many academics have conducted researches in order

to

delimit

the

link

8.2

8.3

The questionnaire’s outcomes

The Case Studies’ outcomes

between

remembrance, sensory modalities and the

The primary research data was

The second part of the research’s

concept of home. Nonetheless, none of

collected through a questionnaire about

data was collected though Case Studies

these

people’s first memory of home.

formed by selected personal interviews

investigations

have

fully

and illustrations of the memories in

acknowledged all concepts at the same

The aim was the determination of

level. Hence, it was considered critical to

an established connection between the

conduct a research with primary data to

senses, and people’s first memory of their

answer the paper’s research questions.

childhood home. The majority of the

investigate

respondents

established by different age groups but

had

positive

emotions

question.

The aim of the Case Studies was to the

associated with their experiences of their

likewise

first home, even though; this fact might be

experiences.

a result of picturing the past as an ideal situation due to nostalgia. The results suggest that age and sensory experiences have an impact on the way people feel about their childhood home even though pleasing spaces render positive emotions.

different

individuals

attachments

with

different

In the case of Ellie, a refugee, the attachment is maintained through objects the participant kept in her current home.

In

terms

of

the

senses,

olfactory

perceptions dominate the interviewee’s memory and they are the ones that set off the action of recollection.

112 | Remembering Home

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For the second Case Study it is

The data suggests that sensory

their dwelling. The recollection of spaces

evident that her attachment to home is

modalities do influence people into calling

through the sensory modalities instantly

indisputably linked to the notion of a

a house a home and also that traumatic

manifests emotions and cultivates the

hiding place to express her individuality,

childhood experiences do not always

sense of belonging. Ilse Crawford’s (2005)

explore

the

imply breeding disrepair but a rather

broach towards the subject:

environment – in this instance, the living

healthy relationship with their future

room-

her

home. Each room in a home has its own

surroundings. Her memory was mostly

particularities. The room each individual

triggered through visual imagery rather

had a recollection of, revealed what he or

than any other sensory stimuli.

she yearned for in their current home. For

and

and

stimulate

be

in

with

control

of

The third participant of this part of the

research

traumatising

had incident

experienced that

a

influenced

adversely the child’s memory of home but on the other hand, from the sketch and the interview he provided, it is clear that he cherished his time with family and distinctly his brothers, as well as, time away from chores allowing him to explore neglected corners of the house.

MArch Dissertation

‘Home, sweet home: sweet to look at, listen to, to touch, smell and taste. The home is our emotional heartland, a place where the rhythm of events is under our control, a potential pleasure zone for our sensual being.’140

instance, if one remembered of the

Remembering

kitchen, the assumption is that one has an

strongest functions of the human brain,

appreciation

precious

for

social

activities,

might

memories

be

one

stored

of

in

the

our

celebrating rites, a place for nurturance

unconscious can be so detailed that if

and a gratitude towards family bonding.

remembered, one can ‘recreate’ spaces to a

This can be remembered through the

high degree of similarity like Anna.

sounds of the pans, smells of cooking, the taste of food; all the senses come into play.

From the data collected it was evident that one of the most powerful

Besides, memory is a momentous factor when it comes to people bonding with

Crawford I., 2005. Sensual Home. London: Quadrille Publishing Ltd, pp. 14.

140

Remembering Home | 113

senses in term of triggering the memory is smell. A single sniff has the ability to take

due to their own individual character. The

8.4 Research Methodologies’ Evaluation

a person back to the past at an instance like a déjà vu.

analysis of the data separated them into pieces of information suitable for a

The applied methodology had a

comprehensive understanding.

phenomenological format due to the Additionally, children may feel

nature of the data it had to deal with and

However, inaccuracies may arise

secure in the most peculiar spaces, they

the decision to rely on people’s opinions -

when it comes to open ended questions

need to have their privacy at times to

and their resemblances or dissimilarities -

and personal experiences. Each individual

express their identities and explore the

rather than upon theoretical approaches.

has a unique way of perceiving the

surrounding, thus, stored in their memory

The form of the posed questions render

environment, his own memories. This is

as their first home.

the data collected from the questionnaire

the

as empirical; thus, open to analysis made

questions enounced with perfect clarity.

using phenomenological tools.

reason

behind

the

selection

of

In the case of a reassessment of the

Unquestionably, research through

questionnaire, the questions would be

scientific theories has been implemented

altered to include questions related with

to guarantee that the themes in question

objects that remind people of that first

were under full contemplation. Some

home-memory of theirs.

initial qualitative data was collected in the first part of the questionnaire but with regard to the second part, answers vary

114 | Remembering Home

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The collected data demonstrate

But how are these findings related

that childhood memories are fundamental

with architecture and the architect’s role in

in achieving a connection with home. If

the society? Without including an architect

The discoveries are relevant to the

the bond one establishes with the notion of

in the design process of a house, the

research questions as they address all

home is a strong one, the hypothesis could

fundamental leap to becoming a home will

aspects they include. According to Israel

be that one has been nurtured and brought

not happen. As Israel (2003) mentions,

(2003), the connection between home and

up in a caring environment.

people who design the built environment

person can be expressed through the

factor concerning dwellings, revealed by

are

following philosophies: The basic need for

data, is that they already contain links to

awkwardness, yet nevertheless, create

shelter must be satisfied, the sense of self

the past and already match the personality

spaces which enable interactions and

and the sense of environment are, in some

of the owner142. This ‘recreation’ of our

special bonds between the individual and

sort, intertwined, this connection has its

first home happens through keeping

the theme of home143 and dispense the

roots in childhood and evolves as the

furniture from the past, maintaining the

sense of belonging.

individual matures. Factors like society,

same smells, holding on to similar noises

culture, psychology and even aesthetics,

or sounds, painting the walls; all these

shape this bond amplifying its meaning –

actions that even subconsciously enervate

a meaning one can be aware of, thus,

our senses.

8.5 Findings’ significance and insinuations

Another

nurturing the design of dwellings capable of holding this meaning141.

Israel T., 2003. Some Place Like Home.

MArch Dissertation

for

reducing

Consequently,

feelings

of

domestic

architecture should be applied based on the fundamental principles taught by this study. What takes hours to define, days to

West Sussex, England: Wiley-Academy, pp. viii.

Gosling, S. D., Ko, S. J., Mannarelli, T., & Morris, M. E., 2002. A room with a cue: Personality judgments based on offices and bedrooms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, pp. 380.

142

141

liable

143

Israel T., 2003. Some Place Like Home.

West Sussex, England: Wiley-Academy, pp. vii.

Remembering Home | 115

design,

and

months

to

build

will

potentially embed itself as a memory for years to come. A dwelling engaging all five senses provides its residents better chance

for

a

positive

experience,

a

psychological attachment, the feeling of belonging the feeling of home.

Appendix I Appendix II

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Remembering Home | 117

Appendix I

Prefer not to answer ď&#x201A;¨

Questionnaire

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Appendix III Questionnaire’s respondents’ pseudonyms list: Respondent’s No.

Respondent’s Pseudonym

Respondent’s No.

Respondent’s Pseudonym

1.

Sarah

16.

Darius

2.

Lukas

17.

Mrs Cho

3.

Veronica

18.

Brenda

4.

Mr Thomas

19.

Emily

5.

Clara

20.

Vick

6.

Ms Lynn

21.

Catherine

7.

Mr Howard

22.

Ms Amanda

8.

Mrs Martha

23.

Mr Daniel

9.

Mrs Judith

24.

Mrs Elena

10.

Mr Mario

25.

Tony

11.

Ms Anna

26.

Ms Patricia

12.

Markos

27.

Mrs Georgia

13.

Mrs Ellie

28.

Nicholas

14.

Jake

29.

Mr Patrick

15.

Ms Heather

30.

Harry

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Appendix IV Interview Transcript #1 (example) Interview with ‘Mrs Ellie’, [Partaker no.13] Interviewer: Eleni Economidou Narrator: Mrs Ellie Date: 13th January 2013 Place: Narrator’s Home Persons present: Eleni Economidou : (I) Mrs Ellie : (N)

I: Mrs Ellie can you tell me a little about your personal background, who your parents were, where you were born and so forth?

N: Well, I‘m an immigrant, my family and I came in UK during the 70s when my country was invaded. My parents were both farmers and had their own land which they cultivated and they grew olive trees and vineyards. We came with the optimism of building a new future but always kept the 128 | Remembering Home hope of going back home. I was 32 years old when we left. I have not visited my home

building a new future but always kept the hope of going back home. I was 32 years old when we left. I have not visited my home yet.

N: Yes. The reason behind it is that I want to keep my memories intact and prevent the defilement of the images I have as I grew up in that specific setting. I think my recollections would be deeply traumatised if I returned to a derelict place that little would remind of what it once was.

difficult conditions a lot easier. It had only four rooms, the kitchen, the bedroom used also as the dining room, the living room and the bathroom. A large garden full of all sorts of flowers and trees decorated its exterior. It was cool in the summer time and warm at winter times. We were a poor family, but we didn’t feel deprived, not by a long chalk. We lived in simplicity and we were happy; we were mostly autonomous since we cultivated the land behind our house and farmed a few animals such as chicken and goats.

I: You’ve already answered the questionnaire. Do you mind talking a bit about that recollection of your first home?

I: Which one of the rooms is the one you remember from your very first memory of this home of yours?

N: I must tell you that that particular memory is one of the most vivid I have from back home. I’ve lived in that house since the day I was born [she was born at home] with my parents and sisters and later on with my spouse and child until the day we were unduly and violently persecuted. My earliest memory, of that house, was from when I was 9 years old. It was a lovely house made out of plinths with straws and mud built with love and this made living under difficult conditions a lot easier. It had only four rooms, the kitchen, the bedroom used also as the dining room, the living room and the bathroom. A large garden full of all sorts

N: Well, this room had a large area [the bedroom] and thus, had multiple functions.

We all slept in the same room and we also dined there together. It had 3 beds, my parents’ bed was a high four poster bed covered with lace curtains, my sister and I had a double wooden bed with a high bedhead and a small wooden rocking crib for my infant baby sister. There was a wooden table with chairs around it where food was served every night. It had a large window next to the bed facing the road and - 12100412© Eleni Economidou, with 2013 a large carved wooden wardrobe a mirror on the outside. I remember a piece of paper was attached on the inside face of its

I: Is there a reason behind this decision?

window next to the bed facing the road and a large carved wooden wardrobe with a mirror on the outside. I remember a piece of paper was attached on the inside face of its door with our names written on it along with our birth dates so that we would remember our birthdays.

I: Do you remember any certain activities happening in that space?

N: I remember a lot of events in that particular room, my sister and I preparing the table for our family dinner, me lingering on the window sill watching the rain outside and waiting for my parents to return home, my sisters and I playing, my mother telling us bedtime stories.

I: Do you remember any particular feelings of that memory? Can you explain them?

N: For once, I felt happy and that true family homeliness feeling I only get when my own children come to visit. I felt affection and love towards the people around me but at the same time a bit uncomfortable as we all slept in the same room and therefore it was a bit crammed. It is one of the things of my childhood that I remember with nostalgia but also with feelings of pain and lament MArch Dissertation due to the conditions of our disorderly retreat.

but also with feelings of pain and lament due to the conditions of our disorderly retreat.

I: Do any particular smells or tastes transfer you back to that specific memory?

N: Yes, the one of fresh home cooked stew coming straight out of the oven. My culture is closely related with food related rites and each traditional food smell reminds me of home but that specific one has the capacity to take me back to that place and time, making me feel like a small child again [beaming].

I: What about sounds? Do you remember anything particular? Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ve said that you heard the rustling of the leaves..

N: Well, I remember leaning on the window sill and as the glass was thin you could hear the wind whistling and the rustle of the leaves outside.

I: Why did you associate this memory with the white colour? Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve written that it was because of the colour of the walls and decoration. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

N: Sure, the walls were painted white and every fabric in the room was white lace or other embroidery. This room will always be

N: Sure, the walls were painted white and every fabric in the room was white lace or other embroidery. This room will always be associated with brightness in my memory and that is why I picked the white colour.

I: I have asked you to produce a sketch of this memory, I am very glad you did, do you mind describing what you have actually drawn?

N: Well, it is the room in my memory, the moment when my sister and I help my mother prepare the table for dinner.

Everyone is there. I have drawn the wardrobe and a painting of a peacock I remember hanging next to it, the table, the window and my bed next to it.

I: Have you kept any objects from that particular era? Or do you have any replicas or other items that remind you of them?

N: I have kept some old photos and indeed some of the objects I have in my house still remind me of my childhood home; it is something I planned on purpose actually. I have searched and found a beautifully carved wooden wardrobe with a mirror on the outside just like the one we had in our room, now placed in the master bedroom.

Remembering Home | 129 We even chose a neighbourhood with lots of green space to remind us of home. I have

room, now placed in the master bedroom.

We even chose a neighbourhood with lots of green space to remind us of home. I have also planted some flower plants in my backyard whose scent reminds me of the ones we had in our home; like petunias, calla lilies, the jasmine and the almond tree; every time their flower s bloom I feel like I am instantly transported back home.

I: That is great! So, in a way, you still preserve a mental connection with your first home. I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all. Thank you so much for this opportunity for an interview with you Mrs Elie, thank you once again for your contribution and your willingness to provide me with all this information and invite me in your home.

N: The pleasure is all mine. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a nice occasion to share my story with you; a great opportunity to walk down the memory lane.

I hope I have been of some help to you.

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Student no.: 12100412 MArch dissertation Remembering Home MSA School of Architecture University of Manchester Manchester metropolitan University

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