Task 1 - Phenomenology

After reading 'place' by Christian Norberg-Shulz, 1980, I have started to get an idea of what phenomenology is. The way I interpreted it is Phenomenology is the build of of objects, both natural and man made, creating a place, or an area with context. Within this place there are conditions that our senses react too, giving us a feeling or emotion.For example, if you read my recent blog post on the park tunnel, I explain how I felt when I entered the tunnel. At the time, it was sunset, and the light created shadows, and the yellow sandstone illuminated. Also it was very cold, and the greenery outside was dark, and this gave me a certain feeling. However, if it was a summers day, much warmer and the bright sun shone down on the tunnel creating a very dark interior, with bursts of light either side, my experience would be very different. This could be further changed if someone put lighting inside the tunnel, and if there was some sort of constant noise or music in the background.  In relation to architecture, phenomenology is very important as an architect usually wants to create an emotion when some one enters the room, and they must structure the size, dimensions, aesthetics and atmosphere inside the room so that you arrive at the intended emotion.
In addition to this, it is important that a building fits in its location, and becomes part of the landscape, rather than on the landscape. with a good study of the site, the building can be designed using the correct shape, size and materials to either keep the existing natural experience of the place or to create a new one.
 There are also more practical implications, for example, building a farm where the land is fertile, building a settlement, village or town near a river so there is water, on flat land so the foundations are firm, or raised above the ground so that the buildings aren't affected by floods. This means building so that the building and nature can compliment each other, and work efficiently together.

'Our every day life-world consists of phenomena. It consists of people, of animals, of flowers, trees and forests, of stone, earth, wood, and water, of towns, streets, and houses, doors, windows, and furniture. And it consists of sun, moon and stars, of drifting clouds of night and day and of changing seasons. But it also compromises more intangible phenomena such as feelings' - 'Place', by Christian Norberg-Shulz, 1980

Although the above quote is the initial quote in 'place', I found it the most powerful, and the most meaningful as it is listing all the material things our lives are made up of, weather they be natural or man made. However, these material things are only important due to the feelings and emotions they give us, and furthermore, the reason for living is because of the feelings we receive.

References: -  'Place', Genius loci: Towards a phenomenology of architecture, London academy editions,  Christian Norberg-Shulz, 1980
 - Pallasmaa, Juhani, 'multi-sensory experience', The eyes of the skin: Architecture and the senses, Chichester, Wiley academy, 2005