Atmospheres of Injustice

Atmospheres of Injustice: A Phenomenological Manifesto exploring Public Housing 21st Century Architecture Xavier

Barnett

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Word Count: 1999 (Excluding Titles and Captions)

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Atmospheres of Injustice

Introduction Public (Social) Housing is an ambiguous concept with centuries of debate and theories in relation to how to build these spaces. This concept, with many intrinsic links to the fields of philosophy, politics and economics has had various approaches from various groups and governments, however this debate has not led to a clearcut answer of how spaces can benefit the people within. Phenomenology is a concept that has largely been overlooked in the housing debate. Phenomenology generally refers to the study of the human experience within our consciousness. This is seen in the architectural sphere through the human experience of a space and the experiences and senses that a space may present to the individual.

This manifesto will discuss how phenomenology can be better utilised in future public housing projects to improve the experience of a home. Phenomenology has been used as a pre-text for Architecture since the advent of this philosophy, through Avant-Garde projects designed to be experienced, through projects by architects such as Daniel Libeskind and Peter Zumthor. While these projects are engaging and are successful in capitalising on the human experience, they do exactly that.

Capitalise.

> Figure 1- Destruction of Pruitt Igoe at 3:32 pm on July 15, 1972. Photo: US Department of Housing

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Introduction How should phenomenology be used for projects that do more than make money for developers and art guilds, through better social housing projects? This will be explored through two key questions that will be answered. After an introduction to phenomenology, designs of the past will be discussed reflecting on how individualism became deconstructed through post-war housing projects, namely Pruitt-Igoe and Amsterdam Orphanage. This will explore how the dissolution of the individual experience was detrimental to the effectiveness of public housing projects, creating an atmosphere entirely disrespecting how an individual may experience a space. Secondly, the way forward will be discussed, exploring how community engagement and adaptive sensory stimuli is key to individual wellbeing.

> Figure 2- Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum in Berlin (Photo: Jens Ziehe)

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Phenomenology Deconstructed Phenomenology is the study of the human experience, sense of self and consciousness. The movement began in the early twentieth century as purely a field of philosophy, however in the 1970s and 1980s, alongside the rise of post-modern architecture, phenomenology began to be incorporated into the spaces designed at the time. In Architecture, the idea of atmospheres created in a space to evoke emotion, feeling and experience was a key driver of phenomenological architecture, however alongside Reganomics and Thatcherism (sic), certain phenomenological designs began to become capitalistic marketing strategies for a space, rather than a radical approach to improve the human experience.

True phenomenological design incorporates atmospheres differently, however an accurate adaption of this practice on a large, humanitarian scale is yet to be seen.

In design, atmospheres cannot be created in a uniform “one size fits all” approach.

The essence of phenomenology is such that every individual experiences a space differently. There are immense cultural factors in separate places to be considered, with atmospheres interpreted entirely differently depending on cultural background and influences. This must be respected and learnt from. Atmospheres can reaffirm or deconstruct social exclusion, as the individual interprets and responds to a given space, with senses of sight, smell and auditory influences. There must be a direct key between feeling and reality, and this must be respected and interpreted by designers.

> Figure 3- Collage of Phenomenelogical Thinker Heidegger, Phenomenelogical architects Daniel Libeskind and Peter Zumthor, as well as Thatcher and Regan who indirectly influenced the politics of Phenomenology at the time

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What Went Wrong?

To better understand phenomenology in architecture, particularly in public housing, there are a number of precedents that exemplify what not to do when designing spaces for people to live in.

Firstly, the Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis, Missouri, is entirely representative of a failure, through design, policy and phenomenology. There are a numerous design features representing limited atmospheric thought, largely relating to circulation and planning. Pruitt-Igoe featured 33 identical high-rise buildings, with identical circulation and planning irrespective of the surrounding site. Theorist Gehrnott Bohme identifies a key phenomenological theory that first impression is a key factor to how an individual interprets the atmosphere of a space, with Pruitt Igoe’s first impression being open stairwells easily accessible from street level. These stairwells linked to homogenous circulation spaces that became hubs of crime, creating danger between front doors to apartments.

While Pruitt-Igoe featured the “alternate corridor” technique, with corridor spaces mirrored on each level, this turned the spaces into maze-like structures, creating a disorienting feeling among residents. The project, literally described as “vertical neighborhoods for poor people”, was far removed from the remainder of the city, creating an increasing feeling of oppression and seclusion.

> Figure 4- Representation of the confusing “alternate corridor” system present in Pruitt-Igoe (Xavier Barnett)

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What went wrong?

Furthermore, the buildings featured a “skip-stop” elevator system, skipping certain levels and only providing direct access to certain levels of the buildings, creating an increased feeling of confusion and frustration at the state of the complex. Confusing circulation forming a maze-like structure allowed the complex to become a hiding place, with the confusion of the space allowing for perpetrators to come to the project to hide, with emergency services avoiding Pruitt-Igoe as it was seen as out of control.

Pruitt-Igoe was designed as a beacon of Modernist Architecture, which centered entirely on absolute truths and rationalism. Phenomenology clearly rejects this idea, focusing on individualism and consciousness, holding that no two individuals will interpret a space in the same way. Had Pruitt-Igoe been designed with improved atmospheric thought, with less oppressive design, encouraging feelings of pride and interconnectivity, it would have been far more successful. The design itself was far too homogenous, confusing, oppressive and (ir)rational.

This seclusion, along with the danger that the circulation spaces posed, isolated many individuals to their apartments, afraid to leave what privacy and safety they had, further separating an already isolated community from what was beyond the projects.

> Figure 5- Representation of the confusing “skip-stop” elevator system present in Pruitt-Igoe (Xavier Barnett)

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What went wrong?

Another key precedent is the Amsterdam Orphanage by Aldo Van Eyck, completed in 1960. Designed as a structure of “Interconnected” buildings, the space was unsuccessful in creating an interconnected space, with circulation that was inconsistent and confusing, especially for younger children needing to use the space. Rooms became homogenous, and the hierarchy that Van Eyck attempted to remove from the spaces prevailed and resulted in a space that was ineffective and confusing. This model of a tiny city within walls viewed the users as features within a larger network. This hard-line structuralist approach dissolved individualism and individual free will, as well as freedom of expression within a homogenous space.

As with any hard-line idealistic approach to design, there was a clear disconnect between reality and feeling, with the reality of the individual being cut off from society, left feeling depressed and isolated.

> Figure 6- Plan outlining the layout of the Amsterdam Orphanage (Aldo Van Eyck)

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What should be done?

There are several ways that architects should utilise phenomenological ideas in future public housing projects that learn from the past while paving a new way forward through the 21st century.

The key idea is that spaces must be designed in conjunction with the communities that use them, to encourage social inclusion rather than purely social cohesion.

This is so that public housing can allow people to create a space and a home for themselves within their house, creating a comfortable and immersive experience in the space. Community engagement with these spaces is the key to allowing inhabitants to better participate in society, allowing them to enjoy stable work and maintain a safe space to come home to. The human experience must be considered, through a direct connection from architects to community leaders, limiting assumptions of what the individual needs.

Architects must create atmospheres that are uplifting, stimulating and encouraging of self-determination. Atmospheres created by light, sound and touch must be emphasised in spaces, with a connection between senses to create a space that respects the individual’s sense of self. A sense of self spurred on by going above the bare minimum for public housing. Better attention to detail in these spaces is necessary, with better thermal and auditory insulation, as well as better (nonpoliced) security in these spaces, allowing residents to feel at peace in their home.

Ingression (the mood recognised within a space) is key, so that the first impression is uplifting.

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^ Figure 7- Tactile Walls at Hazelwood School (Photo: Alan Dunlop)

^ Figure 8- Quiet Spaces (Photo: Disability Support Guide)

^ Figure 9- Adjustable Windows to Influence Light (Photo: AVW)

^ Figure 10- Obstructive Dividing Walls to Improve Circulation (Photo: Alyn Griffiths)

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What should be done?

Reflecting on Pruitt-Igoe, in which the first impression was a dangerous and confusing stairwell, or a confusing skip-stop elevator ride, rather than a welcoming initial space that guided residents to their homes, considering individual needs and requirements for wayfinding. The homogeneity of the discussed precedents must be entirely avoided, with care taken to create spaces that look and feel different from one another, with external wayfinding being clear, connected through walkable green space. This creates a far more uplifting atmosphere in an otherwise homogenous high-rise setting.

Circulation must both open and obstruct certain aspects of a space, creating an atmosphere that allows for both inclusion and interactivity, while respecting the individual’s right to privacy and a safe home. Light must be used to reinforce this idea, with light being used as a medium for a journey through circulation space.

In private spaces, light and vision must be again used to both obstruct views and connect the individual with the surrounding environment, with the key to this being through consultation with the community itself, in order to get a precise indication of the environmental and atmospheric needs of people. As previously stated, atmospheres are interpreted entirely differently from person to person, community to community and culture to culture. This can be achieved through adaptive spaces.

> Figure 11- Pruitt-Igoe’s direct street connection into stairwell spaces (Xavier Barnett)

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What should be done?

We must design open spaces to allowing for group and community engagement and enclosed spaces for privacy, with circulation that provides direct links between these spaces for a home that is purely comfortable. These phenomenological implications must be contextually relevant to the activities pursued in the space, as referred to by James Dodd in his book “Phenomenology, Architecture and the Built World : Exercises in Philosophical Anthropology”.

In Essence, design decisions must be made to suit the space, for example, natural light must be present where day-to-day activities are conducted. If an upper storey receives this natural light differently due to external factors, say, the kitchen that receives the natural light on the ground floor mustn’t be homogenous on each storey of a building. Considered design decisions for people must be taken, to best allow for the human experience to be better considered on a large scale within our wider society.

The state must take responsibility to allow for this. We cannot allow for housing to be purely determined by property developers. The free market cannot and will not consider the human experience in spaces. The government must fund more social housing developments, engaging community leaders, community members and architects that know how to bring these spaces to fruition.

> Figure 12- Importance of Effective use of light (Xavier Barnett)

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What should be done?

We, as architects, must do away with atmospheric thinking purely as a bourgeoisie design gimmick to benefit the rich. Exploring senses of touch, smell and light within a space should not be purely restricted to precedents such as Peter Zumthor’s thermal baths and should be applied with basic design principles to benefit people who need them. Adaptable ventilation, easy to navigate circulation, adaptable light use and user-friendly tactile wayfinding are key to respecting individual needs. While there will be much difficulty in engaging everyone that needs a home built in the public system, engagement is still the answer in how to better consider the human experience within a home. This is the only way that individuals will be inclined to better participate in our modern-day structuralist society.

> Figure 13- Circulation Plan view of a more phenomenological, sensory design (Xavier Barnett)

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Direct entrance from green space Entrance hall dedicated to wayfinding Communal space Entrance to homes separate from communal space

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Entrance to homes separate from communal space Entrance to homes separate from communal space Additional private entry to green space Direct connection to nature for all

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Conclusion Architects and governments must engage in community discourse and must understand where they will build. New public housing must be on a case-by-case basis and consider the community, the heritage, the country and the individuals within the space. It is not enough to assume that everyone will have synonymous experiences within a building, as everyone will always want to build their own home in their own manner. Spaces must be adaptable to the individual, so that the individual may build their own home how they want. Furthermore, adaptability is key so the spaces can change as society changes.

The spaces must be designed to allow for the inhabitants to interact with the community, rather than be isolated on a high level of a crammed tower block. This is how spaces will allow for social inclusion, leading to a decreased load on the public housing sector. Public Housing must allow for an individual to live and experience the nuances of their life comfortably, rather than to be isolated from society.

> Figure 14- Experiential view of improved welcoming space (Xavier Barnett)

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———. Building Circulation Typology and Space Syntax Predictive Measures. Vol. 30, 2015.

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Image Credits: Dunlop, Alan. “Hazlewood School.” 2014.

Eyck, Aldo Van. “Amsterdam Orphanage Floor Plan.” 1960.

Housing, United States Department of. “Pruitt-Igoe Demolition.” 1972.

Studio Dohmo, Alyn Griffiths. “Obstructive Space.” 2014.

US, Disability Support Services. “Quiet Rooms.” 2020.

Ziehe, Jens. “Jewish Museum in Berlin.” https://www.jmberlin.de/en/press-images-architecture-jewish-museum-berlin, 2015.