- Title
- Testing prospect-refuge theory: a comparative methodological review
- Creator
- Dosen, Annemarie S.; Ostwald, Michael J.
- Relation
- 46th Annual Conference of the Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA). Proceedings of the 46th Annual Conference of the Architectural Science Association: Building on Knowledge: Theory and Practice (Gold Coast, Qld 14-16 November, 2012)
- Relation
- http://anzasca.net/paper/comparing-different-approaches-to-testing-prospect-refuge-theory/
- Publisher
- Griffith University
- Resource Type
- conference paper
- Date
- 2012
- Description
- In 1975, Jay Appleton theorised that certain spatio-environmental conditions engender feelings of safety and security by providing opportunities for outlook and seclusion. This proposition, which has since become known as prospect-refuge theory, has been widely debated in a range of fields and has found an enduring place in environmental psychology. It first became popular in architecture in 1991 when Grant Hildebrand demonstrated its relevance to Frank Lloyd Wright's housing design. Hildebrand used this theory to argue that particular combinations of spatial qualities - including enclosure, light and view - are essential for a liveable space. While prospect-refuge theory has since been widely used to interpret a range of architects' works, and to support many theories of design, only limited empirical evidence is available to substantiate the theory. This paper analyses thirty separate attempts, over a twenty-eight year period, to examine the validity of prospect-refuge theory. The paper is not concerned with the results of these tests, but rather with the methods that have been used, their characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive, critical foundation for future empirical or sociological studies of this important theory as it relates to architecture.
- Subject
- prospect-refuge theory; habitat preferences; design assessment
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1340605
- Identifier
- uon:28525
- Identifier
- ISBN:9780646591698
- Language
- eng
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