CE 597
ARCHITECTURE AND BIM FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE BUILDINGS
Reading Assignment 1 Submitted by: Archit Beri
The author has tried to convey through the book that the elements of any cityscape
can be defined, arranged and as a result recorded in people’s minds in the form of a mental map.
The author made it very convenient for the reader to imagine what Florence is like, geographically,
based on the description provided in the chapter. That is the essence the author wants the reader to
have.
The author has also described three different regions having their own unique geological
identities. So, there’s drastic difference between all three. But he’s still able to find a similarity
between them and refers to them as “special places.” To an extent, the claim can be considered
agreeable. If the characteristics of a city make it distinctive enough for the brain to automatically
store them as a “label”, then every city is a special place. Our brain tries to find and store focal
points everywhere we go. So, they have to be something that everyone is capable of noticing, and
not only keen observers.
So how would the brain try to register the focal points? ‘Potential lines of movement’, as
described in the chapter, is the first aspect that we notice, says the author. So basically, the
silhouette of the object/structure plays a major role in making us remember it. For example, we
are able to memorize routes on the basis of the way streets and lanes turn and the directions they
take. And these silhouettes lead to nodes, which are basically means or “options” to go in different
directions. The author also argues that edges play an important role while creating a mental map.
But edges may be real or perceived. For example, cities in USA have designated areas for
commercial activities and residential activities, which have somewhat visible edges. Whereas, in
countries such as India, the transition between two different areas or districts is so gradual that the
edges cannot be defined. Locations, areas, and districts can also be distinguished with the help of
landmarks. And there are various ways to identify a landmark. Location, scale, or its contrast with
the possibility to follow a pattern will only become more difficult. Hence, author’s vision of
“seeing the environment as a whole” is not necessary.