Selected Bibliography Architecture - Form Space and Order | Page 341
ANTH R O PO METRY
Anthropometry refers to the measurement of the size and proportions of the
human body. While the architects of the Renaissance saw the proportions of
the human figure as a reaffirmation that certain mathematical ratios reflected
the harmony of their universe, anthropometric proportioning methods seek not
abstract or symbolic ratios, but functional ones. They are predicated on the
theory that forms and spaces in architecture are either containers or extensions of the human body and should therefore be determined by its dimensions.
775
900
The difficulty with anthropometric proportioning is the nature of the data
required for its use. For example, the dimensions given here in millimeters are
average measurements and are merely guidelines that should be modified to
satisfy specific user needs. Average dimensions must always be treated with
caution since variations from the norm will always exist due to the difference
between men and women, among various age and racial groups, even from one
individual to the next.
650
700
225
825
1400
580
390
740
220
1200
900
1710
825
480
650
840
720
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