External space enclosure affords neighborhood-level social interactions /
This research concerns the role of space enclosure in the development of social contracts among neighbors in residential environments. Social interactions occur infrequently in many contemporary urban or suburban neighborhoods, although neighborhoods still occupy a very important place in the lives...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1996.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=739323781&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | This research concerns the role of space enclosure in the development of social contracts among neighbors in residential environments. Social interactions occur infrequently in many contemporary urban or suburban neighborhoods, although neighborhoods still occupy a very important place in the lives of many individuals. The working hypothesis is that frequency of social interaction in single-family neighborhoods is partly associated with the perception of a well-defined space in the front of the house that promotes both privacy control and willingness for social interaction. The front zone provides a bridge between residents and their community and also functions as a controlled territory that facilitates social interaction among neighbors. If privacy control is overachieved, it fosters isolation. A quasi-experimental design was utilized, and face-to-face structured interviews were used to collect the data. During the interview, information about socioeconomic status, and both home and neighborhood perceptions were obtained. In addition, a gaming instrument examined the effect of design variables on neighborhood social interaction. The study population was 110 single- family households in College Station, TX USA. Traditional univariate statistical procedures were applied. The results suggested some design quality attributes of the front zone of single-family home that influence patterns of social interaction. Household income and neighborhood density influenced the relationship of social interaction and space enclosure. The occurrence of space enclosure components (e.g., territorial markers) predicted social interaction variables more than the value of space enclosure variables. The observed relationship of architectural surfaces and transitional spaces to social interactions was limited to their quality rather than their occurrence. Further, personal support was associated with almost all space enclosure components. Designers usually think about the house and the yard as two separate entities. The results of this study suggests that this separation is artificial and residents view their house and yard as components of their home. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Architecture." |
| Physical Description: | xii, 212 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilms Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references: pages 156-163. |