Abstract
How do we know how to behave in public places? How do we understand how to coordinate our daily lives with the strangers around us? Why is there so little conflict in the superdiverse environment of the down-at-heel London high street? (a ‘main street’) The answer to these questions is that there is an underlying sociospatial structure, the depth structure, which helps us make sense of the architecture and spatial arrangement of places. Understanding depth structure enables people occupying or traversing the zones within it to anticipate and understand the behavioural expectations, norms and decorum of each zone: it is a ‘communicative’ structure. It is implicit and explicit knowledge of the depth structure which enables people to navigate the complex social landscape of Tottenham High Road, in a convivial manner. The paper begins with overview of the theory of depth structure - a new term developed by the author in a doctoral study of Tottenham High Road 2011-16. The second section explores the methodology which underpins the study and its phenomenological and architectural methods. The third section discusses the details of three case studies from Tottenham High Road: a hairdressing shop called Crazy Cut; Seven Sisters Market; and a Quaker Meetinghouse. The concluding section embeds the ideas developed in the case studies into the existing – and sometimes parallel - theoretical context of similar theories such as Space Syntax; Pattern Language. Authored by an academic architect, this paper breaks new ground in understanding sociospatial ordering through concrete examples.
Presenters
Jane ClossickSenior Lecturer in Urban Design, The Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design, London Metropolitan University, Tower Hamlets, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Architecture, Urban design, Depth structure, Sociospatial ordering
Digital Media
This presenter hasn’t added media.
Request media and follow this presentation.
