architypes.net - Uplifting Spaces

We seek to occupy environments that excite us and make us feel fully alive.

People sometimes speak of buildings or spaces that feel depressing; this pattern speaks to the antithesis of such buildings and spaces.

Creating environments that are exciting and uplifting sometimes requires doing things that are contradictory to another key pattern, creating protective spaces. Successful buildings must therefore carefully weave together these two patterns. This can be done by creating a single space that combines both uplifting and protective elements. It can also be done by creating smaller protective spaces at the edge of larger, uplifting spaces. This allows people to move between more intimate, protective spaces and larger uplifting spaces based on their current needs.

Note that beauty is one important way of creating uplifting spaces, but of course beauty can also exist without the intention of creating an uplifting environment.

While smaller spaces create a feeling of protection and privacy, large spaces make the users feel uplifted and librated. Large and skilfully designed public spaces tend to create a pleasant atmosphere that can help to improve people’s relationship with each other and establish trust.

The environments that we occupy have more interest if there is an element of mystery. Rather than everything being revealed and evident at first, it is fulfilling if there is some uncertainty, something to explore.

It is very fulfilling for us to have at least some elements of the natural world in our surroundings. This category contains patterns of how this can be accomplished.

It is important to our psychological and physical health to spend time outdoors. Often, buildings are designed in such a way that we do not have convient access to outdoor spaces as part of our inhabiting of those buildings.

Create environments full of joy, humor and fun. Decoration, form and other shapes can all be playful.

Use a rich variety of room sizes, orientations, and materials, while maintaining a coherent whole.

Interior spaces are most pleasant to occupy and most effective when they provide lighting that is as natural as possible.

In many parts of the world, we spend many waking hours at night. Therefore, effective & uplifting artificial lighting is just as important as good natural lighting is during daylight hours.

Often, people will attempt to provide for all lighting needs in a room by illuminating the entire space evenly. This will typically result in a very uninteresting lighting scheme. If done with a ...

The most compelling spaces are often not static, individual spaces unto themselves, but part of a larger series of spaces. This pattern and its supporting patterns are about ways of creating spaces that flow into one another and invite you to explore and experience the set of spaces.