Perception Aspects in Underground Spaces using ... - TOI - TU Delft

•= Layout including both spatial and functional organization•= Adjacency of different functions in the building•= Construction/structure in a sense of positioning and whether it is massive or transparent•= Dimensions of construction/structure•= Furniture positioning and design (see overview for these last three aspects)The aspects discussed up until now (A 1-4 ) are the determinants of public safety. Now the aspectsof comfort will be explained in more detail (B 1-4 ).Wayfinding and orientation (B 1 )“Environmental information is fundamental in the making of decisions and decision plans as wellas their execution. The provision of adequate environmental information is furthermore a crucialdesign issue. Signs, maps, verbal descriptions, as well as architectural and urban spaces can beseen as information support systems to wayfinding” (Passini, 1992, p. 76).Orientation is one of the important aspects for an underground building especially due to a factthat there are not so many reference points and limited relation with the surface. This togethermakes it more difficult to understand one's position in space.“Disorientation is not only an inconvenience – it is potentially quite stressful… One key isdesigning an environment with ‘imageability’, a term that refers to ‘the ease with which a placecan be mentally represented’. These mental images can be incorporated into an overall cognitivemap to maintain orientation” (Carmody and Sterling, 1993, p. 193).Lynch classifies five elements that are relevant for the city image, being paths, edges, districts,nodes and landmarks (Lynch, 1960). Although the elements that Lynch considers are for the city,some parallels can be made and applied to the buildings (Carmody, 1993). Passini (1992) whostudied the wayfinding in underground space draws these parallels as well. He defined them inthe following way:•= Paths are the circulation system, which includes corridors, promenades that are part ofhorizontal circulation and stairs, elevators and escalators that are part of vertical circulation.•= Walls inside the building could be viewed as the edges•= Districts are considered to be certain areas with specific functional characteristics•=•=Nodes are defined as important circulation intersections, halls and indoor squaresLandmarks are a clearly remembered element such as particular shop, sculpture or decorativeelements. According to Passini, not only objects but also the space itself, can serve as areference point, and could be considered a landmark.These five elements all together can contribute to the imageability and therefore contribute to theformation of a cognitive map. Cognitive map represents “an organization of the physicalenvironment in simplified form” (Passini, 1993, p. 40). Evans (1981) showed that the landmarksare used as initial anchor points in the environment and by connecting these landmarks intonetwork a path structure is formed. In addition, the exact location of the landmarks improves withexperience. This means that in time a cognitive map improves and becomes more accurate.Following aspects can have a role in determining wayfinding:•= Layout – the above mentioned elements are organized through layout•= Adjacency – closeness of different functional groups and distinction between them- 33 -