Functionalism Revisited: Architectural Theory and Practice and the Behavioral Sciences

Description

A range of current approaches to architecture are neglected in our contemporary writings on design philosophies. This book argues that the model of 'function' and the concept of a 'functional building' that we have inherited from the twentieth-century Modernists is limited in scope and detracts from a full understanding of the purposes served by the built environment. It simply does not cover the range of functions that buildings can afford nor is it tied in a conceptually clear manner to our contemporary concepts of architectural theory. Based on Abraham Maslow's theory of human motivations, and following on from Lang's widely-used text, Creating Architectural Theory: The Role of the Behavioral Sciences in Environmental Design, Lang and Moleski here propose a new model of functionalism that responds to numerous observations on the inadequacy of current ways of thinking about functionalism in architecture and urban design. Copiously illustrated, the book puts forward this model and then goes on to discuss in detail each function of buildings and urban environments. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables About the Authors Preface Part I Introduction: Architectural Theory and Functional Theory 1 The Inheritance: Architectural Practice and Architectural Theory Today 2 A Framework for Theory in Architecture Part II Creating a Theory of Functionalism 3 Concepts of Function in Architecture 4 Experiencing Architecture: The Foundation for a Theory of Functionalism 5 Functionalism Updated Part III The Functions of the Built Environment: Theory and Practice Basic Functions 6 The Accommodation of Activities: Behavior Settings and Architecture 7 Shelter and Salubrious Environments 8 Physical and Psychological Safety and Security 9 Architecture, Financial Security, and Profit 10 Identity and Community 11 Identity, Individualism, and the Unique 12 Buildings as Signs and Status Symbols Advanced Functions 13 The Cognitive Function of Architecture: The Environment as a Source of Learning 14 Experiential Aesthetics and Intellectual Aesthetics Part IV Externalities: Buildings in Context 15 The Function of the New as a Shaper of its Environment Part V Conclusion 16 Architectural Theory, Functional Theory, and Design Methodology References and Bibliography Index