DISSERTATION PAPER
Plymouth University, School of Architecture, Design and Environment
Faculty of Arts & Humanities
Ba (Hons) Architecture, stage 3
Supervisor: Fiona Zisch
Title: The Mental Channel Between a Conscious User nad Built Environment
CONTENT:
Part I
THE CONSCIOUS MIND
1.1 THE PUZZLE OF CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE
1.1.1 The Moment of The Now
1.1.2 Two Sides of The Coin: Phenomenal Awareness of Binding
THE CONSCIOUS MIND
1.1 THE PUZZLE OF CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE
1.1.1 The Moment of The Now
1.1.2 Two Sides of The Coin: Phenomenal Awareness of Binding
1.2 SUBJECTIVE CHARACTER OF PERCEPTION
1.2.1 Theories of Perception. We All Are Naïve Realists
1.2.2 Phenomenally Transparent Self-Model
1.2.3 What It Is Like To Be?
1.2.1 Theories of Perception. We All Are Naïve Realists
1.2.2 Phenomenally Transparent Self-Model
1.2.3 What It Is Like To Be?
Part II
TWO IN ONE: NAÏVE REALIST AND A CONSCIOUS ARCHITECT. P. ZUMTHOR’S EXPERIENCE
TWO IN ONE: NAÏVE REALIST AND A CONSCIOUS ARCHITECT. P. ZUMTHOR’S EXPERIENCE
2.1. THE MAGIC OF THE REAL by P. Zumthor
2.2. ZUMTHOR AS A NAÏVE REALIST
2.3. ZUMTHOR AS A CONSCIOUS ARCHITECT
INTRODUCTION:
The following dissertation attempts to set up foundation knowledge in the philosophy of mind. The aim of this paper is to provide the reader with a background knowledge of the user’s subjective experience and to clarify the main criteria which affect a conscious perception of the architectural environment. The central discussion is focused on the moment when the world starts to be consciously perceived and reality as such becomes present. The writing will bring to the light the awareness of the information channels that are a significant contribution in understanding relations between the built environment and the people who inhabit it.
To achieve a level of clarity, the dissertation is divided in two parts. Part I will construct a theoretical framework discussing the Puzzle of Conscious Experience, exploring the moment of Here and Now as well as the significance of binding single elements into a simultaneous unity. The author will touch on questions of the Subjective Character of Perception that will help to explain the most common theories of perception and the Self-Model theory – the conscious experience from first-person perspectives. Part I will be mainly based on Thomas Metzinger’s theory published in The Ego Tunnel, The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self and on Antonio Damasio’s writing published in The Feeling of What Happens. Body, Emotion and The Making of Consciousness. The professors were chosen based on their life contribution in the realm of consciousness, becoming the leading cognitive neuroscientists and philosophers.
Part II will concentrate on a deep exploration of a specific architectural space experienced by Peter Zumthor. At first, he will observe the visual image of the space without a clear awareness of his bodily interaction with that moment. Nevertheless, afterwards, Zumthor will be able to achieve the conscious state of mind, which would prove the main argument of this paper. The argument suggests that it is not the space that is created in a particular way, rather the users’ own state of mind and interaction of the body that builds up a context of the experienced space.
This essay will use various terms which offer a wide range of different significations. Therefore, to clarify the phenomena of definitions, the author will mainly refer to Piero Scaruff’s explanation of the terms such as:
· Consciousness - will be used explaining the awareness of existing in general, and brain's awareness of the perceived information;
· The Self – will encompass the awareness of being an “I” in space and time;
· Mind will be referring to an awareness of cognitive processes and the sensations associated with the Self-experience in the world;
· Perception will be looked at as a physical process to construct the sensory information that usually is given by the external qualities in order to understand the representative world.
The following dissertation attempts to set up foundation knowledge in the philosophy of mind. The aim of this paper is to provide the reader with a background knowledge of the user’s subjective experience and to clarify the main criteria which affect a conscious perception of the architectural environment. The central discussion is focused on the moment when the world starts to be consciously perceived and reality as such becomes present. The writing will bring to the light the awareness of the information channels that are a significant contribution in understanding relations between the built environment and the people who inhabit it.
To achieve a level of clarity, the dissertation is divided in two parts. Part I will construct a theoretical framework discussing the Puzzle of Conscious Experience, exploring the moment of Here and Now as well as the significance of binding single elements into a simultaneous unity. The author will touch on questions of the Subjective Character of Perception that will help to explain the most common theories of perception and the Self-Model theory – the conscious experience from first-person perspectives. Part I will be mainly based on Thomas Metzinger’s theory published in The Ego Tunnel, The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self and on Antonio Damasio’s writing published in The Feeling of What Happens. Body, Emotion and The Making of Consciousness. The professors were chosen based on their life contribution in the realm of consciousness, becoming the leading cognitive neuroscientists and philosophers.
Part II will concentrate on a deep exploration of a specific architectural space experienced by Peter Zumthor. At first, he will observe the visual image of the space without a clear awareness of his bodily interaction with that moment. Nevertheless, afterwards, Zumthor will be able to achieve the conscious state of mind, which would prove the main argument of this paper. The argument suggests that it is not the space that is created in a particular way, rather the users’ own state of mind and interaction of the body that builds up a context of the experienced space.
This essay will use various terms which offer a wide range of different significations. Therefore, to clarify the phenomena of definitions, the author will mainly refer to Piero Scaruff’s explanation of the terms such as:
· Consciousness - will be used explaining the awareness of existing in general, and brain's awareness of the perceived information;
· The Self – will encompass the awareness of being an “I” in space and time;
· Mind will be referring to an awareness of cognitive processes and the sensations associated with the Self-experience in the world;
· Perception will be looked at as a physical process to construct the sensory information that usually is given by the external qualities in order to understand the representative world.
Part I
THE CONSCIOUS MIND
The philosophy of mind is a huge subject, covering incredibly exciting theories of the consciousness. In this part the author will focus on two key disciplines which will prepare the reader for the critical analysis of the following chapter. The author will make an attempt to integrate the various aspects of the conscious human mind into a comprehensive way. The goal of Part I is to develop the readers’ awareness of the invisible factors which affect the perception of space.
THE CONSCIOUS MIND
The philosophy of mind is a huge subject, covering incredibly exciting theories of the consciousness. In this part the author will focus on two key disciplines which will prepare the reader for the critical analysis of the following chapter. The author will make an attempt to integrate the various aspects of the conscious human mind into a comprehensive way. The goal of Part I is to develop the readers’ awareness of the invisible factors which affect the perception of space.
1.1 THE PUZZLE OF CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE
1.1.1 The Moment of The Now .
1.1.1 The Moment of The Now .
[...] to achieve a basic understanding of human mind, requires a desire to translate given information into a comprehensive way and an access to this information.[...] in most occasions the connection to the real world is limited for the ordinary and untrained human mind.
‘new space in his mind’ – the space in the Now
1.1.2 Two Sides of The Coin: Phenomenal Awareness of Binding
[...] we have to follow an information stream from our sensory organs. However, [...] human sensory organs are limited and the world which we experience merely by sensing things is just a small fraction of existing reality.
1.2 SUBJECTIVE CHARACTER OF PERCEPTION
1.2.1 Theories of Perception. We All Are Naïve Realists
1.2.1 Theories of Perception. We All Are Naïve Realists
The perception named Naïve realism explains that the integral part of perception of the external world is created by the physical properties of the objects. [...] Almost every human being is creating an illusion of engagement with the world, assuming to have an independent observer’s reality[...]
1.2.2 Phenomenally Transparent Self-Model
A concrete inner state of mind conveys the meaning of the object and has led to activation of an inner mechanism for complete transparent representation.[...] This content has the abstract qualities created by the specific conditions in a head [...]
1.2.3 What It Is Like To Be?
there is a feeling of what it is like to be [...]as well as what it is like for a creature to be the creature.[...] Pointing Nagel’s assumption in the direction of architecture the similar question can be addressed to the user of the space. How is it for the subject himself (the user) to have a conscious experience of the external world?
Part II
TWO IN ONE: NAÏVE REALIST AND A CONSCIOUS ARCHITECT. P. ZUMTHOR’S EXPERIENCE
TWO IN ONE: NAÏVE REALIST AND A CONSCIOUS ARCHITECT. P. ZUMTHOR’S EXPERIENCE
In the final section of this dissertation the concepts discussed previously will be applied to the example of architectural space experienced by the architect Peter Zumthor. The author will illustrate two angles of perception of the same space, in order to understand what being a part of architecture feels like. Part II aims to stress the interface between the physical world, sensory channels and the state of mind that the user of the space is experiencing at the present moment.
2.1. THE MAGIC OF THE REAL by P. Zumthor
At this stage, it should be understood that mind has spatial and temporal qualities. These qualities are relative to the instant in time and the territory of the space the body inhabits, where it is the very specific reference to the perception of the world. Zumthor puts himself in the observer’s position of the physical space to obtain an access to his internal sensations[...]
In the moment when he asks the question: what exactly moved him, he starts to build the model of reality. Zumthor begins to bind single elements into a comprehensive picture [...] He becomes connected with the real world, creating a new space in the Now. [...]He realises the strong interaction between his bodily experiences and the context of the external world
2.2. ZUMTHOR AS A NAÏVE REALIST
Taking the observers’ point of view, Zumthor becomes a ‘space traveller’ of the visual world. He uses a pure descriptive method to share his observations of the atmosphere. Indeed his spatial awareness is mainly based on the physical properties of the objects; the ways they look, smell or sound. [...]
Doubtlessly, he is touched by a mix of the sensory experiences that have a strong influence in the perception of the square, whilst he is very indefinite about the sensual approach. [...] From these observations it is very clear that the true projection of the architecture cannot be experienced purely through the visual image; it requires an interface with other information channels.[...]
On this subject Henry David Thoreau says:
‘It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.’
It cannot deny that Zumthor sees beyond the objects he looks at.
And there is a magic of the real, of the physical, of substance, of the things around me that I see and touch, that I smell and hear. Sometimes, at certain moments, the magic conveyed by a specific architecture or landscape, a specific milieu, is suddenly there; it has materialized like the measured growth of the soul, unnoticed at first.
/Zumthor, P. (2006), p.83
In summary I would like to conclude that this example shows the various channels which influence the access to the conscious perception of the build environment. From Zumthor’s observation it becomes evident that there are no just physical properties and qualities of the space that a user sees and occupies; that is a contextualisation of the objects. It interweaves with our emotional aspects as well as sensory channels which, therefore, create a subjective reaction/experience of the space.
It is with hope and aspiration that this dissertation will be a short insight to the philosophy of mind that could build a foundation in understanding the connection between external environment and a human’s internal world.
