Why do some people love their homes, and yet others feel ill as soon as they drive up to it? What is it about a built environment that can arouse passion? What differentiates a built environment like a house from a home? When does a house become a home? Does our workplace also express our feelings? Do we go to places that express our unconscious?
Using your home to express yourself.
Nothing new here. We know that we express ourselves by hairstyles, clothing, brands we consume and so on.
What is less recognised is that our homes can be representative of our unconscious - latent memories from childhood or even a reflection of our values to other people.
Do teenagers leave their rooms in disarray as a symbol of defiance? Do some people purchase a completely inappropriate style of dwelling for their current situation, only to later realise it is reminiscent of their childhood dwelling?
It appears that the places we occupy and visit have powerful influence over our unconscious search for wholeness.
Our “places” lead us to a representation of our wholeness.
We have now completed over 100 in-depth interviews with people who are passionate about their homes, as well as the places they are likely to “be seen” - and are able to express these passions. It is an on-going study.
Quite literally, where we go and where we dwell are expressions of our unconscious desires to become complete.. Places - home, shops we visit often, restaurants we frequent - are reflections of our unconscious desires to relive our happy past, or to eradicate it and tell the world that we have changed.
This also applies to objects
The unconscious drive towards completion or wholeness includes the objects about which we feel an emotional attachment. “I love this painting” or “I am really attached to this dining room table” are expressions of this. These become part of the process of becoming who we truly are.
The house as a symbol
This has been discussed extensively, but what hasn’t had much discussion is the psychological impact of the contents and arrangement of these contents in the home, office, restaurant and so on.
We have found that many people are unable to change their dwelling, office or places they visit, but the layout, objects and their positioning are powerful expressions of self.
We grow up discovering self
A child building a cubby house or a fort is carrying out an act of creativity so important in discovering self.
A teenager putting up posters and scattering their clothes around their room is expressing who he or she is, at the same defining their self.
When a young adult moves away from the parental home for the first time they expend a lot of effort creating their own picture of who they are - and for them it is a process of self-discovery as well. And so it goes on throughout our lives.
Public spaces
Architects and designers are really only now starting value this notion of unconscious self when it comes to designing public spaces, retail spaces and offices.
This seeking of self is now being considered important in designing public spaces, restaurants and so on.
We can now group or cluster self, thereby assisting architects to understand the requirements for a place that are most likely to attract certain selfs. These are not types, nor are they needstates, they are unconscious expressions of our desire to find our self.
The objects placed within a place or space are as important as the place or space itself. If the designers understand what these object can symbolise they can become very powerful attractors to that place.
If you would like any more information, or wish to discuss this matter please contact me:
Mark de Teliga 0410 463 643
