The aesthetic factors of comfort and well-being in the use of spaces intended for work activities
We shall continue in our endeavour to describe the characteristics of Active Architecture with ever greater precision, this time focusing on certain aspects relating to the aesthetics of architectural space – that is, on aspects inextricably linked to its proportions, its materials and the relationships between its parts. These aspects lie closer to the realm of philosophy than to that of technology, yet they are no less influential in determining the formal quality of the working environment.
We would like to emphasise once again, as already mentioned in the previous article, how workplace architecture actively contributes to achieving high standards of wellbeing and quality of life – factors that are crucial to the success of any business – and how the benefits derived from a healthy, safe, harmonious and empathetic environment translate into a reduction in occupational risks, improved health for those involved in production processes, and greater job satisfaction and fulfilment. All these factors lead to a significant increase in productivity for the company.
Having outlined the technical factors, we can now describe the aesthetic factors relating to the perception of ‘beauty’ in the form of harmony, poetry, abstract impressions and sensations belonging to the world of art.
The pursuit of beauty is regarded by many as a spontaneous activity on an intellectual level, just as breathing is on a physiological level. Human beings are constantly in search of beauty, which is perceived to a greater or lesser extent depending on one’s cultural background, sensibility, education, upbringing and way of ‘feeling’. The deepest sense of beauty corresponds to a set of sensations handed down over millennia of human evolutionary history, in the same way as our genetic heritage, and very often linked to the primordial instinct for survival. Many of these sensations were fragments of ‘collective memory’ relating to the edibility of berries or fruits, the usefulness of skins for clothing, the use of natural elements for survival and, like genetic information, were slowly modified from generation to generation in line with cultural and biological evolution. Other sensations may be shaped by a lighter set of experiences, formed through an individual’s direct experiences as a result of daily inputs from the historical, cultural and environmental context in which they live, relating mostly to a spiritual sphere specific to the human intellect.
One of the architectural elements that therefore comes into play in the individual and subjective search for a form of beauty is the dimensional relationships between the parts of a space, its proportions and the relationships that are established. In a word: form. For example, a space based on simple geometric elements (lines, arcs, triangles, cubes, spheres, etc.) – and therefore belonging to Euclidean geometry – is immediately ‘readable’ to the eye and comprehensible to our brain: this corresponds to a form of beauty. Other forms, on the other hand, which can be traced back to fractal geometry, embody logical structures – albeit extremely complex ones – in which the human intellect is still able to perceive the sublime as mathematical beauty or, often, as a form of beauty belonging to the natural world: a cloud, a succulent plant, the scales of a fish, etc. Still other forms may draw inspiration from the collective imagination, which has its roots in the history of a specific community, and which all those who belong to it will probably judge to be ‘beautiful’.
Colour also has a decisive influence on the emotional atmosphere of a space, as there is a strong correlation between a particular shade and a person’s emotional state. The relationship between moods and colours has now been scientifically proven, to the extent that colours have been identified as suitable for various human activities in different contexts: from residential living to hospital stays, and from leisure to education. The most suitable colours have been identified for the various areas of the home, just as specific colour schemes are generally associated with passageways rather than social spaces. The relationship between the activity we are carrying out and the colours surrounding us also contributes to creating an enveloping harmony, which makes the place where we work seem beautiful.
The presence of greenery plays a fundamental role in creating a pleasant environment: plants have a positive effect not only on air quality but also on mood. The presence of natural elements in general – such as vegetation, water, stone, wood, etc., is a decisive factor in the aesthetic quality of the workplace, as it establishes a connection with the outdoor space and blends the artificial environment with the natural one, bringing together two fundamental aspects of human existence within a single space.
The principles of architectural aesthetics are deeply profound and complex themes, precisely because of their close relationship with art and emotion, and it is certainly reductive to extrapolate from such a complex subject the few points listed above; nevertheless, they prove to be an effective summary for a practical and ‘operational’ approach aimed at creating aesthetically pleasing workplaces.
