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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1975)
Professor: buildinqs communicate nonverbally By Martha Bohiing When you walk into a church you lower your voice because of the way you've been taught. If you walk into a building structurally similar to a church, you will also lower your voice. That is the hypothesis of Amos Rapoport, professor of architecture and anthropology at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, who said Friday that buildings are capable ' of a form of nonverbal communication often ignored in architectural planning. Rapoport spoke to a group of about 70 students and professionals in connection with an architectural symposium on "The Interconnectivity of the Social Sciences and Urban Design." According to Rapoport, buildings tell observers something about the people in them, and observers react to the inhabitants accordingly. Symbolic meaning This nonverbal communication is part of the symbolic meaning of the building, Rapoport said, and one of the four areas with which an urban planner must be concerned. The other three are space, time and arrangements allowing for human communications. According to Rapoport, one of the concerns of the architect must be an individual's need for privacy. He said there" are five mechanisms for achieving privacy, but that architects deal with only two: separating people in space and physical structures which increase privacy. These include doors, walls, curtains, drawers and locks, he said, but ignore separation by time, social rules and etiquette and psychological withdrawal. Three ideologies Rapoport said there are . three architectural ideologies for the interaction between man and his environment. The first, he said, is environmental determinism, which says that beautiful buildings will cause beautiful lives. The second idea, according to Rapoport, is that the environment can inhibit or facilitate behavior, but cannot determine it. The third concept is that the environment acts as a catalyst, hastening changes that are already beginning, he said. Possible reactions There are three possible reactions to a bad environment, according to Rapoport. People can migrate to a new environment or redesign the one in which they live. According to Rapoport, some of the problems of the interaction between man and his environment are being solved by the collaboration of the designer and the social scientist. If neither of these options is available, people will be forced to change their behavior, he said. If people are forced to live in a bad environment it can directly affect their moods, responses and behaviors. He said the two disciplines compliment each other. According to Rapoport, the designer usually is knowledgeable about physical environment, but has trouble understanding abstract concepts. On the other hand, he said, the social scientist understands conceptualization but knows less about physical environments. Cover all areas By working together they can cover all areas, he said. Rapoport said one of the problems confronting the planner who wants to use the mannenvironntent studies done by the social scientist is that there are thousands of studies, often presenting contradictory information, and the architect doesn't have time to study them all. He suggested that to be useful the studies need to be fitted into some sort of a larger scale conceptual framework and then made available to the planners. Rapoport's speech was the final presentation in the two-day symposium. .A ' J ltojirMiiiMfF Y-7i trr': " kmmmmtmmrmmm.mmta " Photo by Steva Boerner Amos Rapoport, professor of architecture and anthropology at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, who spoke Friday at an architectural symposium. IFC to hold scholastic retreat The Interfraternity Council (IFC) will conduct an all-fratcrnity retreat March 18, according to Ken Havelka, IFC scholarship committee chairman. The committee was dropped two years ago but was revived this year, Havelka said. The retreat will be a meeting of each of the house presidents and scholarship chairmen, and will be an effort to rebuild the IFC scholarship committee, he said. University people who are sources of information also will attend the retreat, Havelka said. The groups will then divide into five sections, and will cover the topics of motivation, university and IFC in relation to scholastic programs, services and incentives, rush and pledging and working the program, he said. Havelka. said that contrary to popular belief, the Greek fraternities on campus have a lower grade point average than that of independents. The committee hapes to initiate programs, such as a proposed seminar committee which would help teach fraternity pledges how to study, he said. Other plans include outlining good . scholarship programs with guidance for each house scholarship chairman, he said. CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL Please help us Send contributions to: MEMPHIS, TENN. 33101 If jipi49 m U ISLAM P Kfi kw a nan an iron Live in the heart of Northern California-America's most famous work and play land. Ideal, smog-free climate, short drive to the Golden Gate, the wine country, lots morel Work in a challenging environment at the West Coast's oldest and best-known naval institution, with unmatched potential for professional growth, reward and recognition. SEND YOUR RESUME TO EMPLOYMENT OFFICE Cod 170.2 Mare Island Naval Shipyard 't SAN hKAINUUJ Vallejo, California 94592 An Equal Opportunity Employer U.S. CWzenshfp Required page 1 1 monday, march 10, 1975 daily nebraskan
