Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

A comparative study of spatial animism in the theory of empathetic architecture and Christopher Alexander's self-mirror test

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

Elham Parvizi 1
Saba Sandani 2
Hosna Sadat Shams Dolatabadi 3

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

2 MA Student in Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Islamic Azad University, Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Architecture, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22035/isih.2024.5163.4934
Abstract
Emotional feedback or the possibility of emotional sharing with every phenomenon around a person can be an indicator his liveliness. The ability of humans to interact with their surroundings has always been of great importance because its realization increases the quality of human life. In Christopher Alexander's theories, the degree of aliveness of space and the perception of it through emotion is considered important. On the other hand, the animation of space is also discussed in the empathetic domain, and the function of the mirror neurons of the brain in architectural spaces and the ability of human beings to imagine vividness in relation to it, enables them share the emotion. Given the importance of living space and human interaction with it, this research seeks to find the differences and similarities of these two perspectives so that ultimately the conceptual and practical model derived from these two theories can help design living spaces. This research is qualitative and descriptive-analytical type, which compares these two attitudes by examining the main features of living space in Alexander's "Self-Mirror Test" and "Empathetic Architecture" through inductive reasoning and logical analysis. The findings show that a living space in empathy theory can reflect a range of good and bad feelings, but in the mirror self-test, spaces with good feelings are more alive and provide the quality of innate human presence. This research can assist in designing spaces that not only meet the practical needs of individuals but also take into account the emotional and affective aspects of their lives. Considering the emotional and experiential characteristics of space, the design of empathetic and vibrant environments can have more positive effects on human psychology.

Keywords

Self-Mirror test
Space Biography
Living Space
Empathetic Architecture
Subjects
Akbari, A. (2013). Az zaban-e riāzīyāt tā sākhtārgarā'ī dar me'mārī: Barresī-ye tahavvulāt dar āray-e se dahī-ye Christopher Alexander bā morūri bar āsār-e vī [From the language of mathematics to structuralism in architecture: A review of the developments in the thoughts of Christopher Alexander over three decades]. Monthly Art Book Magazine, 180, 22-28.
Alexander, C. (2002). The Nature of Order, Book 2: The Process of Creating Life: An Essay on the Art of Building and The Nature of the Universe. Berkeley, California: The Center for Environmental Structure publishing. doi: 10.2307/j.ctv27ftw6c
Alexander, C. (2004). The Nature of Order, Book 4: The Luminous Ground: An Essay on the Art of Building and The Nature of the Universe. Berkeley, California: The Center for Environmental Structure publishing. doi: 10.2307/j.ctv27ftw7w
Arnheim, R. (1966). Toward a psychology of art: Collected essays. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.
Asadi, Sh., & Torabi, Z. (2017). Entebaq-e pānzdah khaslat-e bonyādi-ye Christopher Alexander bā farsh-e Irāni [Adaptation of Christopher Alexander's fifteen fundamental properties with Iranian carpet]. Journal of Islamic Art Studies, 13(26), 25-50.
Cyrus Sabri, R., & Akbari, A. (2013). Mafhum-e nazm, Christopher Alexander va elm-e jadid [The Concept of Order: Christopher Alexander and the New Science]. Soffeh, 23(2), 31-42.
Eqbāli Zārch, F. (2011). Tarāhī-ye eqāmatgāh-e kūvrī dar hamsāyegī-ye rūstā-ye Mīṣr: Bā nangarishī be mafhūm-e markaz dar andīshehā-ye Christopher Alexander [Design of a desert residence neighboring the village of Mīṣr: With a focus on the concept of center in the ideas of Christopher Alexander](Master's thesis). Faculty of Architecture, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
Fesmire, S. (2003). John Dewey and Moral Imagination Pragmatism in Ethics.Indiana, US: Indiana University Press.
 Franklin, M. (2010). Affect Regulation, Mirror Neurons, and the Third Hand: Formulating Mindful Empathic Art Interventions. Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 27(4), 160–167. doi: 10.1080/07421656.2010.10129385
Freedberg, D., & Gallese, V. (2007). Motion, emotion and empathy in esthetic experience. Trends in cognitive sciences, 11(5), 197–203. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2007.02.003
Gallese V. (2014). Bodily selves in relation: embodied simulation as second-person perspective on intersubjectivity. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society. 369(1644), 20130177. doi; 10.1098/rstb.2013.0177
Geiger, M. (1910). Über das Wesen und die Bedeutung der Einfühlung. In F. Schumann (Ed.), IV. Kongress für experimentelle Psychologie. Leipzig, Germany: J.A. Barth.
Golabchi, M., & Zeinalh Farid, A. (2014). Mimāri-ye Ārkitāypi [Archetypal architecture]. Tehran, Iran: University of Tehran Press.
Hale, J. (2009). Merlow Ponty Baraye Me’marān [Merleau-Ponty for architects]. (G. Saleh Karimi; 1st ed.). Tehran, Iran: Fekr-e No Publications. (Original work published 2009)
Hedayatnia Ganji, M. R. (2013). Barresī va arzyābī-ye vizhegīhā-ye kālbodī va fazā'ī-ye Qal'eh-ye Gourtān bar mabnā-ye andīshehā-ye Christopher Alexander [study and evalutiona of somatic and spatial features of ghourtan castle based on christopher alexander theories] (Master's thesis). Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Isfahan University of Art, Isfahan, Iran.
Johnson, M. (2014). Morality for humans: Moral understanding from the perspective of cognitive science. Chicago, US: University of Chicago Press.
Le Corbusier. (2016). Vers une architecture [Vers une architecture ] (J. Goodman;  1st ed.).Los Angeles, California: Getty Publications. (Original work published 1923)
Merleau-Ponty, M. (2013). Phenomenology of perception [Phénoménologie de la perception] (D. Landes, Trans.; 1st ed.). Oxford, England: Routledge publishing. (Original work published 1945)
Mohajeri, N., & Ghomi, S. (2008). Ruykardi tahlili bar nazariyehaye tarrahi-ye Christopher Alexander [An analytical approach to Christopher Alexander's design theories]. Journal of Urban Identity. 2(2), 45-56.
 Najarnejad Mashhadi, M., & Afzalian, Kh., & Sheybani, M., & Seyedalhoseni, S.M. (2021). Dark-e sarasht-e alghūhā-ye māndegār-e me'māri-ye Irān (bā enteghāb-e mafhum-e māndegāri az didgāh-e Christopher Alexander bar alghūhā-ye me'māri) [Understanding the Nature of maintenant Patterns in Iranian Native Architecture (By adapting the concept of maintenance from Christopher Alexander's perspective on architectural patterns)]. Journal of Architectural Thought. 5(9), 1-18. doi: 10.30479/at.2020.11932.1359
Noorani Yazdi, M. S. (2013). Tarāhī-ye dābstān-e pesārāneh dar Yazd bā tā'ammolī bar ravābet-e taqāron va ḥayāt dar me'mārī: Bar asās-e āray-e Alexander dar mowred-e taqāron [Design of a boys' school in Yazd with a reflection on the relationship between symmetry and life in architecture: Based on Alexander's views on symmetry]. Master's thesis, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.
Nosraty, N., Sakhaei, S., & Rezaei, R. (2021). The impact of social media on mental health: A critical examination. Socio-Spatial Studies, 5(1), 101-11. doi: 10.22034/soc.2021.212042
Pallasmaa, J., & Böhme, G., & Borch, C. (2018). Atmosfer-e me’marāne [Architectural atmospheres : on the experience and politics of architecture] (M. Nik Fetrat; 1st ed.). Tehran, Iran: Fekr-e No Publications. (Original work published 2014)
Parvizi, E., & Ardestani, Z. (2022). Tabyin-e mafhum-e edrāk-e hamdelāne-ye ensān az fazā-ye sākhte shode (me'māri va shahr) [Explain the concept of human empathy perception of the constructed space (architecture and city)]. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 10(1), 91-107.
Portugali, J. (2021). Chapter 11: New concepts in complexity theory arising from studies in the field of architecture: an overview of the four books of the nature of order with emphasis on the scientific problems which are raised. In Handbook on Cities and Complexity (Pp. 210-232). Cheltenham, England: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781789900125.00020
Rahmani, M., & Nadernejad, A. (2013). Bazshenasī-ye tavānāyi-e “ehsās” barāye khalk-e yek me'māri-ye zende bā estenād be āray-e Christopher Alexander [The Role of Feeling in Creating Architecture based on the ideas of Christopher Alexander]. Soffeh, 23(3), 7-18.
Robinson, S., & Pallasmaa, J. (2017). Zehn dar Me’mari [Mind in architecture: Neuroscience, embodiment, and the future of design]. (H Azemati, F Jam; 1st ed.). Tehran, Iran: Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University. (Original work published 2015)
Sánchez, M., & José, M. (2022). Dynamic cartography: Body, architecture, and performative space. Oxford, England: Routledge publishing.
Sarami, N., & Mondegari, K., & Nadimi, H. (2019). Khāstgāh-e mafhum-e “tahī” dar andisheh-ye “Christopher Alexander” [Origin of the concept of “The Void” in Christopher Alexander's thought]. Journal of Architectural Thought. 3(6), 29-43. doi: 10.30479/at.2020.11196.1265.
Tahouri, N. (2002). Sokūnat-e shā'irāneh va sākhtegan-e jāvodāneh: Barresī-ye vajūh-e tashābeh dar āray-e Heidegger va Alexander [Poetic dwelling and eternal creation: A comparison of the views of Heidegger and Alexander]. Quarterly Journal of the Academy of Arts, 3, 70-113.
Tidwell, P. (2021). Me’māri va hamdeli [Architecture and empathy] (M. Golshan, & N. Esmaeili, Trans.; 2nd ed.). Tehran, Iran: Ketābkade-ye Kasrā. (Original work published 2015)
Send comment about this article
Enter Name.
Enter a valid email address.
Enter a vaid affiliation.
Enter comments (At leaset 10 words)
CAPTCHA Image
Enter Security Code Correctly.

  • Receive Date 30 January 2024
  • Revise Date 25 June 2024
  • Accept Date 14 August 2024

Home

Editorial Board

Publication Ethics

Reviewers

Submission

Contact Us