Exploring the Connection: Space and the Human Experience
The enigmatic relationship between space and the human experience
The relationship between space and humanity is a captivating journey that goes beyond the physical realm. From the places we call home to the vast landscapes we navigate, our surroundings hold the power to shape our thoughts, dreams, and connections.
Have we truly contemplated the profound impact of our environments on our well-being? How does it shape our sense of self and influence our aspirations?
Let's embark on this journey together, diving into the depths of this intriguing connection. In this writing series, I will try to unravel the enigmatic relationship between space and the human experience, uncovering the transformative potential that lies within our surroundings.
You can also watch my YouTube video of this article:
Space to Scape
Space and experience are interrelated concepts. Spaces provide the context and setting for our experiences, while experiences shape our perception and utilization of space. Understanding the relationship between space and experience is essential to create and enhance meaningful and impactful environments.
The occupation or shaping of specific spaces creates scapes. "Scape" refers to a specific type of environment that is characterized by certain qualities, such as visual elements, sensory experiences, or cultural associations. Spaces provide the physical and conceptual framework within which scapes can be perceived, experienced, and created.
Although there are many types of space and scape, I will focus on the three types in this series of articles and cover them over three books I read last semester.
The first book is The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard. Bachelard examines the emotional relationship with a space; with his book, I will focus on mindscape, which is the internal representation and organization of knowledge, memories, and mental constructs within an individual's mind.
The second is Learning from Las Vegas by Venturi, Brown, and Izenour; Venturi and others present an understanding of the characters of urban space. The authors' viewpoint allowed me to examine the cityscape concept, which is the visual and physical representation of a city or urban environment. It encompasses a city's overall appearance, architecture, layout, and design.
And finally, Kolesch and her colleagues' book Staging Spectators in Immersive Performances. They explain how people engage with sensory spaces in a more immersive manner. This book helped me think about sensoryscape, the multi-sensory qualities, and experiences associated with a particular environment or space. It includes the sensory elements, stimuli, and perceptions that shape our sensory engagement and experiencing ways a place.
You can also watch the video series of this essay here:
