I had been having trouble coming up with a solid essay plan, mainly because I didn't know enough about the subject I am researching and I was a bit confused about what I should be researching.
I seemed to be quite set on looking at 'scary' architecture, like that of the Nazi's, but I didn't have much substance to what I was trying to say, and I think I was trying to fit too many examples into one essay.
I had a brief tutorial about our essays, and it seemed that when doing an essay on 'psychology and architecture' and then mainly looking at Nazi architecture, or prisons, they are more aimed at an essay about 'architecture of control' rather than psychology.
So I have taken a step back and gone back to my original idea about how architectural design is use to affect us psychologically -and look at actual environments and how space is used, mainly interiors rather than the whole expanse of a building.
Some examples I could look at:
- pubs, coffee shops (designed to make people feel comfortable, relaxed)
- shopping centres (frustrated, confused, overwhelmed)
- churches (sense of awe, fear in God, love of God)
- hospitals (clinical feel, sterile, clean)
-Hulme flats (where design has gone wrong, meant to be a utopian design, turned into the complete opposite)
I've also been looking quite a bit at reportage illustration of interior spaces, as it is very relevant to this subject - as reportage captures a moment, and usually depicts how the artists feels at that point towards what they are drawing; so when drawing an environment, the response aimed to be felt through the design would probably be depicted in the drawing which would be interesting to explore.
