Selected Bibliography Architecture - Form Space and Order | Page 347

H U MAN SCALE

Human scale in architecture is based on the dimensions and proportions of the
human body. It has already been mentioned in the section on anthropometric
proportioning that our dimensions vary from individual to individual and should
not be used as an absolute measuring device. We can, however, gauge a space
whose width is such that we can reach out and touch its walls. Similarly, we can
judge its height if we can reach up and touch the ceiling plane overhead. Once we
can no longer do these things, we must rely on visual rather than tactile clues
to give us a sense of the scale of a space.

For these clues, we can use elements that have human meaning and whose
dimensions are related to the dimensions of our posture, pace, reach, or grasp.
Such elements as a table or chair, the risers and treads of a stairway, the sill
of a window, and the lintel over a doorway, not only help us judge the size of a
space but also give it a human scale.

While something that is monumental in scale makes us feel small in comparison,
a space that is intimate in scale describes an environment in which we feel
comfortable, in control, or important. Intimate settings of tables and lounge
chairs in a large hotel lobby tell us something about the expansiveness of the
space as well as define comfortable, human-scale areas within it. A stairway
leading up to a second-story balcony or loft can give us an idea of the vertical
dimension of a room as well as suggest a human presence. A window in a
blank wall conveys something about the space behind it and also leaves the
impression that it is inhabited.

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