Human Scale REVISED

Human Scale

According to Chapter 3 in the textbook, human scale is defined as objects or places designed to relate to the size and proportions of the human body.

A branch of Engineering that has developed because of the study of human scale is Ergonomics.

Ergonomics is the applied science that coordinates the design of devices, systems, and environments with our physiological and psychological capabilities and requirements.

Ergonomics can be simply defined as

HUMAN ENGINEERING.

Anthropometry can be broken down into two roots  anthropo – Greek meaning “human”  metry – Greek meaning “the process of measuring” Anthropometry literally means “the process of measuring humans.”

The formal definition is the measurement of the size and proportions of the human body.

Anthropometry is based on functional ratios and average human dimensions. Functional ratios affect •Things we handle •Height and distance of things we reach •Dimensions of furnishings we use for sitting, working, eating, and sleeping

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (October 6, 1887 – August 27, 1965), also known as Le Corbusier, is one of many architects to study human scale. Le Corbusier is famous creating the proportional system know as Modulor.

Le Corbusier began studying human scale around 1942. His first published study, entitled The Modulor: A Harmonious Measure to the Human Scale Universally Applicable to Architecture and Mechanics, was in 1948.

Modulor is based on two things: Proportions of the human body & Mathematics In mathematics, the numbers below represent a series.

0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13, ? The next term should be 21 because the pattern is to add the previous two numbers to get the next term. 8+13=21

Section of Unité d'Habitation

View of Unité d'Habitation

Leonardo Da Vinci studied human scale during the Renaissance with his painting The Vitruvian Man. His studies were based on the findings of the Roman author, architect, and engineer Vitruvius (80-70 BC to 15 AD).

Vituvius stated the span of a humans arms is equal to his or her height.

Anthropometry is problematic because of variations from the normal.

Variations between individuals

Variations between racial groups

Anthropometry is problematic because of variations from the normal.

Variations in gender

Variations in ages

Ching, Francis D. K. Architecture: Form, Space, and Order. 3rd ed. Hoboken: John Wiley, 2007.