An introduction to proxemics
“He’s nice, a bit of a close talker…”
This quote from Seinfeld introduces us into the field of proxemics — a study of spatial relationships between people and their effects on human behaviour.
Proxemics. n; the interrelated observations and theories of man’s use of space as a specialised elaboration of culture — Edward T Hall, anthropologist
Hall coined the phrase in the 1960s, and completed several studies associated with how people behave across distances. He has attributed four zones where thresholds are crossed and behaviours therefore alter:
- Intimate space: under 450mm apart
2. Personal space: 450mm to 1.2m apart
3. Social space: 2m to 3.6m apart
4. Public space: 3.6m to 7.6m
Of course, there are many variables to this, from culture appropriations to context. An Indian train experience is very different to that in Singapore; a loud rock concert is very different to a peaceful picnic on a Sunday afternoon. Hall’s point is to be aware of how human behaviour is inherently linked to the size of our immediate environs.
The relationship to architecture is obvious. If a certain behaviour or atmosphere is to be encouraged, take note where this sits in the proxemic’s ‘zones’ and design accordingly. A cosy restaurant desires to foster connections in the ‘personal space’, so ensure your dining chairs are spaced no less than 450mm and certainly no more than 1.2m. If you have a large dining room area, break the space down into smaller ‘rooms’ to create a greater level of intimacy. This may be as transparent as partitions that imply spatial divisions, or more solid to create private exclusive dining rooms.
Conversely, if designing an urban space to be used by the public as a thoroughfare, consider distances over 3.6m to facilitate movement. If you wish for people to loiter and stay in the urban space, ensure distances between the extents of the space do not go beyond the social space zones.
I feel that an understanding of proxemics in the home environment is tantamount. Lounge rooms (at least in Australia) seems to be getting bigger and bigger — a room up to 8m wide isn’t unusual. However, if the interactions we wish to foster are around family connection, a large room only counteracts this intent. The distance between the sofa in my lounge room and the armchairs opposite is only 1.5m, for the intention to encourage conversation.
We don’t need MORE space in our home environments; if anything, we need to carefully curate SMALLER spaces to encourage greater interactivity, designing out any hindrances that form a barrier against this.
A cohousing project of mine is designed to have the main living areas in each private dwelling to be 4.1m to 4.6m wide, including the walkway (depending on the dwelling). The common house, on the other hand, has living/dining spaces up to 6.3m wide. Being a more public space, the size of the rooms justifies the preferred behaviours within.
In short, an awareness of proxemics is important to understand how people will use a space. As architects, we can harness this knowledge to our advantage — with these insights, the way people interact can be fostered and encouraged through careful forethought in design.
