Beatrice Park

Is it Important for Architects to Understand Proxemic Characteristics in Different Cultures?

May 18, 2011

SoCiology

In this age of globalization, there are many multinational architectural firms, and many

architects design for clients of foreign nations. It is always important for an architect to

understand the lifestyle and culture of the clients. And one branch of study closely related to

people's lifestyle and culture is proxemics.

PROXEMICS

In simple words, proxemics can be described as the

study of physical space between people during

interaction.1 Edward T. Hall defined proxemics as "the

study of man's transactions as he perceives and uses

intimate, personal, social and public space in various

settings while following out of awareness dictates of

cultural paradigms."2 A person permits or prohibits people from entering certain stages of space

surrounding her, depending on the relationship and situation

(See figure 13). For an example, one will allow her family

members to enter her intimate space and hug her. But her

neighbor, a mere acquaintance, will have to stay in the wider

and distant social space. If the neighbor enters her intimate

space, she will be alarmed or even offended. These ranges of

1 Abdul Muati Amad, Arbai'e Sujud, and Hamisah Zaharah Hasa, "Proxemics and its relationship with

Malay Architecture," Britannica, Last modified 2007, http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/

18/27166211/Proxemics-and-its-Relationship-with-Malay-Architecture.

2 Edward T. Hall, quoted in "Proxemics and its relationship with Malay Architecture," Britannica, Last

modified 2007, http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/18/27166211/Proxemics-and-its-Relationshipwith-

Malay-Architecture.

3 Proximity, JPG, http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2009/03/

Figure 1

interaction spaces differ for individuals. One's social space can be another's personal space. And

according to sociologists and anthropologists, different cultures and nations have different

standards of proxemic spaces.

PROXEMICS IN DIFFERENT CULTURES

Even within the Western World, each nation has its characteristic proxemic standards.

France is a relatively crowded society, and the people experience greater physical

proximity. Compared to Americans, French people make more intense eye contact and physical

interaction.4

Compared to Americans, Germans tend to be more strict

about the range of distance that indicates intrusion. In the US,

sticking one's head or body part into another's house is usually

not considered as territory invasion, as long as one's feet are

outside the house. Yet Germans find such behaviors alarming.

Germans have a close-door pattern business, while the Americans

have a open-door pattern business. Germans generally feel that

having an open door can lead to intrusion, while Americans

generally feel that keeping a door closed leads to ostracism.5 The many websites that guide

Americans how to behave in front of a closed door seem to prove the cultural difference and the

unease when people of different proxemic habits interact.6

4 Edward T. Hall, "The Hidden Dimension," trans. Gwangmoon Kim, Jongpyoung Park. (Seoul: Sejin,

2005), 186-191.

5 Edward T. Hall, "The Hidden Dimension," trans. Gwangmoon Kim, Jongpyoung Park. (Seoul: Sejin,

2005), 173-180.

6 Simon Tribe, "Come on in, My Door Is Always Closed," Spiegel Online International, http://

www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,412990,00.html

As European nations show very distinct proxemic characteristics, it is not amazing that

Middle Eastern nations differ greatly from the US. Public spaces in Middle Eastern countries

tend to be more crowded and houses tend to be wider. Physical contact in public spaces is more

common in Middle Eastern countries, and this is not because people are rude, but because the

proxemic behavior pattern is different in Middle Eastern countries. Even when in public areas,

Americans keep a distance from other people to protect privacy. Yet in Middle Eastern nations,

public areas are purely public, and a person cannot claim private space. For an example, in an

empty plaza in the US, one will feel uncomfortable when another individual stands right next to

him. But in a Middle Eastern plaza, this is a more natural situation. Overall, Middle Eastern

people do not demand as much physical privacy as Americans do. Thus the distance between

people interacting is much closer. 7

In Malaysia, a visitor's relationship with the owner determines where he is permitted to

enter. A stranger must remain at the landing section, a friend may walk up to the verandah, and a

relative may go as far as the main room. Compared to Americans, Malaysians are more open to

letting other people in their intimate space - when people sit in a circle, they may sit as close as

their knees touch. 8

THE LINK

Then how does proxemics link to architecture? The common types of houses in a country

can reflect the proxemic characteristics of the people.

7 Edward T. Hall, "The Hidden Dimension," trans. Gwangmoon Kim, Jongpyoung Park. (Seoul: Sejin,

2005), 199-210.

8 Abdul Muati Amad, Arbai'e Sujud, and Hamisah Zaharah Hasan "Proxemics and its relationship with

Malay Architecture," Britannica, Last modified 2007, http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/

18/27166211/Proxemics-and-its-Relationship-with-Malay-Architecture

In the US, quickly built gigantic "McMansions" are becoming increasingly common. The

average single-family house size increased from 983 square feet in 1950 to 2434 square feet in

2005. The number of homes with four or more bedrooms reached 40% in 2004.9

Middle Eastern people tend to dislike closed space more than Americans do. To satisfy

Arabians, a closed space must be wide enough for the occupant to walk around: around a

hundred square meters. The ceiling must be high, and nothing should block the view. Although

both Americans and Middle Easterners like to have big houses, houses in Middle Eastern nations

tend to have fewer walls that divide the rooms.10 This could be linked to the proxemic

characteristics of the two nations. Americans want more physical privacy and less interference.

Thus each member of the family will demand a separate room. Yet in a Middle Eastern

household, the members demand less physical privacy, and many rooms are not needed.

The Germans demand even greater physical privacy than the Americans and are more

sensitive about intrusion. Thus, in contrast to the lighter doors in the US, doors in Germany tend

to be heavy and to have very sturdy locks. 11

A study on Malay proxemics reveals that even within one nation, the regional

characteristics can affect the housing style. The comparatively close minded easterners -

demanding more privacy - build elevated floors. In the south, where unmarried women must not

approach strangers during feasts and minimize interaction with the guests, houses often have

9 Lisa Smith, "McMansion: A Closer Look At The Big House Trend," Investopedia. http://

www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/07/mcmansion.asp

10 Edward T. Hall, "The Hidden Dimension," trans. Gwangmoon Kim, Jongpyoung Park. (Seoul: Sejin,

2005), 199-210.

11 Edward T. Hall, "The Hidden Dimension," trans. Gwangmoon Kim, Jongpyoung Park. (Seoul: Sejin,

2005), 173-180.

attics for the women to hide. 12 This is a custom uncommon in the US where women may

interact with visitors. Thus the attics in the two nations differ in purpose and feature.

CONCLUSION

An architect must always keep in mind that the goal of any building is to enhance the

inhabitants' life. An office must be suit for working and ideally raise the productivity. A house

must be suit for living, and ideally make the owner comfortable.

When a building's features force people to act against their proxemic habits, people can

be stressed. When an American enters a German office, where all the doors are closed, the

American will think that he is left out and ignored. On the other hand, a German at an American

office might think that the employees must be sloppy for leaving all doors open. An American at

a Malaysian gathering hall will feel offended that strangers are sitting so close up to him.

The features of a building will continuously influence the people's experience in the

building, and the experience must not be distressful ones. Thus, when an architect designs -

especially for a foreign culture - it is important to thoroughly observe and research the proxemic

characteristics of the nation.

ASSESSMENT

The majority of my findings come from scholarly articles. Professor Hall, the author of

The Hidden Dimension, taught communication at the Illinois Institute of Technology and

Northwestern University. He is also a member of the Building Research Advisory Board.13 He is

a reliable source, yet it is unfortunate that his research methods were not explained in the book.

12 Abdul Muati Amad, Arbai'e Sujud, and Hamisah Zaharah Hasan "Proxemics and its relationship with

Malay Architecture," Britannica, Last modified 2007, http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/

18/27166211/Proxemics-and-its-Relationship-with-Malay-Architecture

13 Hall, Karin B. "Edward T. Hall." Edward T. Hall. http://www.edwardthall.com/

The report Proxemics and its Relationship with Malay Architecture was written by

communication professors of the Universiti Putra Malaysia. Their report included diagrams to

illustrate the relationship regional proxemics and housing. The sources of information are

reliable, but one potential flaw comes from the fact that the reports, except for the article on

McMansions, are based mainly on observations rather than statistical data.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Amad, Abdul Muati, Arbai'e Sujud, and Hamisah Zaharah Hasan. "Proxemics and its

relationship with Malay Architecture." Britannica. Last modified 2007. http://

www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/18/27166211/Proxemics-and-its-

Relationship-with-Malay-Architecture

Hall, Edward T. "The Hidden Dimension." Translated by Gwangmoon Kim, Jongpyoung Park.

Seoul: Sejin, 2005.

Hall, Karin B. "Edward T. Hall." Edward T. Hall. http://www.edwardthall.com/

Tribe, Simon. "Come on in, My Door Is Always Closed." Spiegel Online International http://

www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,412990,00.html

Smith, Lisa. "McMansion: A Closer Look At The Big House Trend." Investopedia. http://

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