Every type construction invokes a feeling within ourselves, whether its conscious or subconscious. A cemetery is obviously associated with sadness whereas a living room with a fireplace brings comfort and warmth. Humans are greatly adjusted to vision, vision and sound are our primary tools of communication. In workplaces, subtle visual features of the building can make the difference between a fine and a devastating day at the office.
Can you buy Happiness?
Live happily ever after, isn’t that what we all want? In a civilised nation we can afford to pursue happiness because survival is something we take for granted. But why do you need to live in a first world country to be happy? After all, money doesn’t bring you happiness right?
Nonsense! Of course money helps you be a happier person, up to a certain point that is. Our ancestors used to work seven days a week just to earn a living. Then people started looking at how much money they were making compared to their neighbours. A nickel in a neighbourhood of pennies is happier than a dime in a neighbourhood of quarters. With the post-industrial society people saw new opportunities rising. Individuals started looking at HOW they could best earn their money. Children started moving out of their peasant villages to pursue the American dream. At last! Work wasn’t there to support our lives, work became part of our lives.
Educated middle class youngsters are no longer looking for a job, they want a profession. A profession that corresponds to their abilities, to their view of the world. A profession that tells other people exactly who they are.
Atmosphere
It’s not just what we do that affects our mental state but also our work atmosphere and environment. People can still be content with a crappy job if they’re working at the right place with the right people. A garbage collector in a small friendly town with a tropical climate would probably be happier than a professional actor who gets abused by the directors and producers.
Architecture
There’s not a moment where we would doubt the relation between aesthetics and happiness. None of us wants to live in a house we would describe as “ugly”. In the book “The Architecture of Happiness” by Alain de Botton it is explained how the aesthetic value of a building can affect our mood.
What is an ugly building? What is a beautiful building? What kind of construction work makes people happy? For millennia the answer in the west appeared to lay in classic architecture, inspired by the Greeks and Romans. Temples, palaces, cathedrals… they were all geometrical masterpieces that reflected grandeur and serenity. The 19th century saw a rise of conflicting tastes that developed further until there was no longer a clear definition of a pretty building. Architecture became a field of philosophy, a specific kind of design is linked to a certain ideology.
Just as art has now become a matter of taste and preference, a specific kind of architectural design is linked to the necessities of an individual or group. A building nowadays has a variety of functions:
- Service: We need a roof above our heads but what else does a building work for?
- Status & identity : We want other people to understand who we are and what we’re capable of.
- Feeling: What association do you and other people get by looking at your property?
In small workspaces the emphasis is usually laid on the first function, a team of programmers would look for an office with enough plug contacts. Large companies that can afford building their own offices tend to emphasize the second function, an impressive building to attract clients. The importance of the third function is often overlooked. In the modern society where constructions are all about functionality we have forgotten what a building tells us, what it tells to the inhabitants.
Sandro Algra.B