Movement and Behavior

When I was in school studying to get my Masters in Architecture, one of my favorite classes (aside from the design studio, of course) was Behavioral Factors in Architecture. The psychology of how people use space is fascinating, and I think understanding wayfinding and how people move through space is critical to being a good designer of space and structure instead of merely a sculptor. When I design a house, I think carefully about how people use different areas, and visualize how it would feel to be in that space. I think it is definitely a critical part that makes me a good designer.

So this Smithsonian.com article linked by @rena_tom immediately caught my eye. Not only are the movement drawings interesting to look at without any background information, student Andrew Oriani maps out the path of travel and stopping points with 3 different museum spaces. It's fascinating to see that different types of exhibits produce different movement patterns, not to mention differences between male and female viewers. 

One take-away note: I'm not the only museum-goer that doesn't linger long at the exhibits!