Body posture defined by environment

Abstract

The environment that a person occupies plays an important role with how that person's body is perceived in that space. While in the space the body reacts and conforms to the space in different postural configurations. Body posture directly relates to specific environments. When people think of body posture they automatically think of good posture or bad posture, and although this plays a role in the effects that the environment has on the body's posture, it is not the focus of this thesis. The focus of this thesis is to understand how the body posture of a person is directly influenced by their surroundings. Because architecture is about the human habitation of distinct environments, it is important to understand how people are interacting and reacting in different environments. Body posture is an element of expression that is a result of the person's surroundings and feelings. The environment can range from elements like a physical wall to temperature or humidity of a space. Body posture can correspond to different architectural elements that are placed within the environment. When influenced by the environment the human body will find new ways of inhabiting it. When a person is in a space, they are being influenced by their surrounding through their senses. The body is the interface for the interaction between environment and person. Sight, sound, smell, taste and touch are the receptors that translate information from the environment to the person. The body is its own entity, but there is a set of relationships that it uses to engage with the world around us. Without the body we would not be able to experience our surroundings and without the environment the body would have nothing to experience. Different types of spaces have different affects on body posture. When designing a space, the understanding of how people respond to space according to body posture plays a significant role in how the space that is created. As designers it is important to understand that body posture is in direct correspondence to the environment of the person.