Designing Places for People

This practical handbook shows how to take the needs and characteristics of human behavior and apply them practically to the design of buildings and interiors. Divided into 11 chapters, the book begins with a discussion of the behavioral influences that underlie the way we use our buildings and the behavioral elements that people expect from any architectural space. These include the need for privacy and personal space; the opportunities for informal groups to form; the need to search and find cues to the nature of the space; territoriality and the concerns for personal status and personal safety. Using these elements as a base, the authors cover different types of places for people, including living spaces, work spaces, shopping spaces, learning spaces, hospitals, and public spaces. This book, with its practical drawings, photographs, and design data, is indispensable to any architect, interior designer, or facilities or personnel manager who wants to create places that really work for people.