ABSTRACT

Rounding off decades of exploration into the various ways in which buildings and urban sequences make an impact on the mind, The Dynamics of Delight emphasizes the qualitative aspects of form and space, providing designers with an analytical framework in which to evaluate projects on an aesthetic level. In laying the foundations for an appreciation of the aesthetic component in architecture, Smith considers the mechanisms which are involved in the aesthetic response and goes on to consider how human perception may be influenced by natural phenomena and draws on chaos theory and biomathematics to illustrate this original argument.

part |2 pages

Part 1 Amsterdam and the tiger

chapter |4 pages

Laying the foundations

chapter |7 pages

The protean factor

chapter |6 pages

Exploring harmony

chapter |9 pages

From harmony to chaos

chapter |13 pages

From Nature to artefacts

chapter |14 pages

Intelligent interventions

chapter |7 pages

Unity versus diversity

part |2 pages

Part 2 The Parthenon and the sunflower

chapter |12 pages

The numerology of beauty

chapter |12 pages

Developing the theme

chapter |15 pages

Contemporary variations

chapter |10 pages

Architectural metaphor

chapter |11 pages

Second-order proportion

chapter |5 pages

The limbic domain

chapter |11 pages

Bioclimatic opportunities

part |2 pages

Part 3 The dynamics of the city

chapter |7 pages

The rewards of chance

chapter |14 pages

The street

chapter |10 pages

The square

chapter |14 pages

Encounters with old gods

chapter |5 pages

The ethical dimension