Embodied Drawings

The presence of the human figure has always been an element within the representation of architecture, displaying ways in which one’s body dictates a space. Examples of human bodies in relation to space can be seen in art such as Da Vinci’s ‘Virtruvian Man’ as well as a more contemporary illustration, Le Corbusier’s ‘The Modulor’. Both are instances in which the body is regarded as an instrument for deducing mathematical and geometric relations at guaranteeing an aesthetic value. It is perceived that the proportions are ‘a tool of cosmic relationships rather than aesthetic techniques’ (Vesley, 2005) which embodies the premise of designing around the human body and ergonomics.

The artistic approach towards the human body has led to the development of the Fibonacci sequence or the golden ratio. This mathematical sequence can be applied to all elements of the body such as the face, limbs and most notably body height. The ratio is related to interior design in the same way, as it takes this proportion into account. Using the human proportions as a means of measurement for interior design and architecture has allowed for much more holistic design that is very user centred.

The phenomenological and psychoanalytic approach questions the human link to creativity, whether it derives from the mind or the body, with many philosophers providing contrasting views on this. The gap between the mind and the body is widened through views like that of Pallasmaa, that the computer is a technical tool unable to give a correct architectural image. He also believed that the flatness of a computerised 2D image can never feel as human as a space designed from the proportions of the human body and advocated for the importance of the sensory and tactile experience in the human understanding of a space. Rene Descartes, or Cartesio, on the other hand, had a contradicting view, regarding the critique of ocularcentrism; arguing for the supremacy of the mind over the body. The human mind was presented as the thinking substance, whereas the body as the extended substance. It was suggested that the body can not be trusted as a means to know or be creative as that is a trait controlled by the mind. Cartesio’s famous summary of his views ‘Cogito, ergo sum’ or ‘I think, therefore I am’ underlines his beliefs in the separation between the mind and body. This distinction emphasises the importance of the human link to design from all avenues, whether that be through a physical connection such as the body and human senses, or a mental connection through the mind and perception.

Taking all of these alternative philosophies on board, I will consider the human link to interior design within my designs, whether that be by using the human body as a tool for measurement or considering the human mind and source of creativity. I think more emphasis should be placed on the human connection to any given space as it ultimately feeds into a much more positive human experience.

References:

Da Vinci, L. (Circa 1490) ‘Vitruvian Man’ 

Le Corbusier. (1950), ‘The Modulor’

Vesley. D (2005) 'Column, Vase, Obelisk'

Pallasmaa. J, (1996), ‘The Eyes Of The Skin, Architecture And The Senses’, John Wiley & Sons

Descartes. R, (1641) ‘Meditations on First Philosophy’