Volumen 4.2
2003
Medio Ambiente y Comportamiento Humano
People-Environment Relations and Architecture
Ricardo García Mira* & Myriam Goluboff Scheps**
Guest Editors
*Universidad de A Coruña; Spain
**Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; Spain
Culture Climate Place
A Cultural Perspective of Sustainable Architecture
Roger Tyrrell
University of Portsmouth
Abstract
Much of the body of analysis and synthesis within the realm of sustainable architecture has focussed upon the physicality of the built environment, leaving the complex relationship between culture, climate and place largely undisturbed. The hypothesis that underpins this paper is that for an architectural proposition to represent a truly sustainable design solution, reference to the cultural domain must be implicit. Examination of ancient cultures has shown that this complex matrix has been fully accounted for in determining an appropriate synthesis in the formation of place. Indeed, climatic and cultural dimensions were traditionally central in informing the making of that which we now call architecture. With the rise of international modernism and the seemingly endless expansion of globalism, the particularities that cultural dimensions overlay in the design process have been largely left behind. Yet, in a complex and dichotomous world which simultaneously strives towards globalism whilst pleading for ethnic, social and political diversity it is the cultural dimension, implicit within the many ancient cultures that may provide the key to unlock the paradox. The Malaysian Longhouse represents an ancient typology that is culturally and climatically appropriate. Indeed, it could be argued that the typology is born of culture, climate and place. The Longhouse represents an archetypal dwelling in the Heideggerian sense – here man can poetically dwell in an appropriately modified climate. This paper argues that this paradigm has been seized upon and developed by Ken Yeang in his work in Malaysia. Contemporary demands of an emerging nation are reconciled within the climatic conditions and cultural traditions that define place. Yeang’s towers could be considered as verticised Longhouses, which facilitate social interaction, responding both to climate and the demands of the global economy.
Key-words: Culture, Place, Sustainable Architecture.
Ethical and Ecological Realization Facing the Globalization:
A Contribution from Vernacular Architecture
Laksmi Gondokusumo Siregar
University of Indonesia
Abstract
By a deep realization regarding ethics and by implementing it in the daily life; and also by paying attention to and including the ecological and environmental matter in the planning conceptions, and practicing them as a common agreement of all architects in the world, the environmental ethics and deep ecology realization will provide a strong sense and ideas about dignified realization for the life it self. Respecting and appreciating local environmental condition is something that reflects a mature human dignity, and a high human civilization. Therefore this will be filtering the terrific globalization stream which going through parts of the worlds having different climate and environment.
Key-words: Vernacular Architecture, Globalization.
Data analysis techniques in observational designs applied to the environment-behaviour relation
Ángel Blanco Villaseñor, José Luis Losada López & M.Teresa Anguera Arguilaga
Universidad de Barcelona
Abstract
From the plan about some procedural structures -observational designs- starting from some criteria that constitute the natural axes of the observational studies, we propose in this paper the most appropiate analytical techniques in each case. We consider the adequation of these analytical techniques in function of the criteria that allow us to differenciate between observational designs, and we comment their similarities and differences. The election of each one of these techniques depends on the plan of the study and the kind of data we have collected. Moreover, we propose some illustrations of this observational designs in the field of people-environment relationships.
Key-words: Observational designs, environment-behaviour relation, data analysis techniques.
Sustainable Quality of Life: Cultural Diversity, Environmental Law and Building Citizenship
Maria-Jose Azurmendi * & Itsaso Olaizola**
*University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
**Master Program in Environmental Law at the UPV/EHU
Abstract
This chapter aims to demonstrate the convenience of a more dynamic, interactional, global, pluri- and interdisciplinary, multimodal approach when dealing with general and complex environmental issues, as well as with individual topics, such as: development and sustainable quality of life, culture-diversity as part of biodiversity, regional and local governance, land use planning, city planning, immigration, the building of citizenship, social satisfaction, etc. To this avail, chapter: 1) proposes the MEDS Model (Modelo Espiral de Desarrollo Sostenible / Spiral Model of Sustainable Development), based on the interdependence of those disciplines that are considered as being prototypical in this paper, as regards environmental study: Ecology, Politics, Law and Social Psychology, 2) the MEDS Model emphasizes the presence of Law and Social Psychology, as these two disciplines are less commonly related to environmental studies, 3) some aspects related to this presence are highlighted in relationship to the specific issue of cultural diversity, 4) exemplifying all the above-mentioned by applying the same, at least partially, to the study of building citizenship, sub-subject included in the wide issue of cultural diversity, in the multi-lingual context of the bilingual Autonomous Communities of Spain (BAC).
Key-words: Sustainable, Quality of Life, Cultural Diversity.
An effective definition of Environmental Psychology: Empirical Research in Spain between 1985 and 2002.
Stephany Hess, Ernesto Suárez y Bernardo Hernández
Universidad de La Laguna
Abstract
There are important transformations for the Environmental Psychology in Spain since its birth and first steps until its full development. In this work we try to reflect this evolution. Our main objective is centered in the analysis of the development and extent of empirical Environmental Psychology research in Spain. The last twenty years scientific production has been progressively consolidated. The paper analysis the effective definition of the area; the hypothesis regarding the relevance of green psychology, if those studies directed towards intervention have a relevant place in the psycho-environmental area, also the institutional research centres are identified, the scientific impact attained with regard to publication of the studies is evaluated; and finally, the type of sample, the design and statistical analytical tools utilized are examined. The researched themes show a wide variety of interests that, together with the type of sample used, reflect a significant awareness of social problems. Nevertheless, there are certain limitations to development that represent a challenge for the future. Firstly, it is necessary to direct orientation towards social problems, with a better development of a research that combines intervention and social change as the object of study. Secondly, it is essential to enhance thematic diversity with a diversification of methodological, design and analytic approaches, directed towards confirmatory and causal models. And finally, encouragement must be given to a widening of the conceptual and theoretical parameters of psycho-environmental research by an opening up to multi- and interdisciplinary approaches.
Key-words: Effective definition, Environmental Psychology.
People-Environments Studies in Slovenia
Drago Kos, Ivan Marušič, Marko Polič & Tadeja Zupančič Strojan
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract
The paper is focused on the analysis of the people-environment studies in Slovenia and their development. A survey of both education and research activities and results indicates the variety of focuses and their specific intertwinement within the local circumstances. It is argued that the people-environment studies in Slovenia have been closely accompanying the global development, and that the condition of people-environment studies in Slovenia is comparable to the situation in the European Union.
Key Words: attitudes, environmental psychology, spatial sociology, cognitive maps, quality of life, planning, disasters.
Alain Legendre – Université René Descartes – Paris V, France
Andrew Seidel - Texas A&M University, USA
Arza Churchman - Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
Bob Martens – Vienna University of Technology, Austria
César San Juan – University of Basque Country, Spain
Constantino Arce – University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
David Stea – Southwest Texas State University, USA
David Uzzell – University of Surrey, United Kingdom
Enric Pol Urrútia – University of Barcelona, Spain
Esther Wiesenfeld – Universidad Central de Venezuela, Venezuela
Eulogio Real Deus – University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Florian Kaiser – University of Technology, The Netherlands
Gabriel Moser - Université René Descartes – Paris V, France
Jan Teklenburg – Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Jeanne M. Moore – University of Teeside, United Kingdom
José Antonio Corraliza – Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
José Manuel Sabucedo - University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Jose Q. Pinheiro - University Federal Rio Grande Norte, Brazil
José Romay Martínez- University of A Corunna, Spain
Juan I. Aragonés Tapia – University of Madrid, Spain
Karine Weiss – Université René Descartes – Paris V, France
Liisa Horelli – Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Lineu Castello – University of Porto Alegre, Brazil
María Amérigo Cuervo-Arango –University of Castilla – La Mancha, Spain
Maria Nordström – Stockholm University, Sweden
Maria Vittoria Giulliani – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, Italy
Mauro Rodriguez Casal – University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Mirilia Bonnes – Universita di Roma La Sapienza, Italy
Ricardo de Castro – Junta de Andalucía, Spain
Roderick Lawrence – University of Geneva, Switzerland
Satoshi Kose –Tsukuba Science City, Ibaraki-ken, Japan
Sergi Valera Pertegás - University of Barcelona, Spain
Terry Hartig – University of Uppsala, Sweden
Toomas Niit – Tallinn Pedagogical University, Estonia
Victor Corral – University of Sonora, Mexico
Sociedad Interamericana de Psicología
Universidad de Sonora
Red Latinoamericana de Psicología Ambiental