Environment, Creativity and Depht

The course provides a general understanding of the relationship between architectural design and character of place, and human perception, understanding and evaluation of it. The course examines architectural environment as depth- and surface structures. Surface structures can be read in the building's function program, style, trends and technical characteristics. Depth structures appear as architectural interpretations of human needs and basic conditions, human beings as sensory and consciousness beings. The course introduces theories and interdisciplinary perspectives on human development and the ways in which the environment affects us. The subjects followed up by theoretical and practical exercises. Perception, observation, analysis, understanding, perception and awareness and assessment of environment's design and character are included in the exercises. Examination of the students own creative processes, transformative and creative work methods are integrated in seminars and excerises.

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the relationships between the physical environment and the experience of wellbeing and meaning, and how an architect can relate to and apply this knowledge. Students will gain knowledge about their own and others' preferences, frameworks of understanding and levels of which architecture and environment can be perceived, and how this understanding can be traded through projects, in collaboration with others and in creative processes.

Seminars with presentation and discussion of theories and methods in architectural theory, environmental aesthetics, depth psychology, perspectives from brain research, neuroscience, creative approaches and flow theory. Awareness exercises concerning own preferences and own creative processes. Students will present exercises in the seminars to be discussed and evaluated during the course.Simple exercises in body awareness and presence are included in the seminars.