Triggers of Human Being’s Occupancy in Space

The variety of human tribes in space and the “rules” that create boundaries     in the way man occupy space

When human beings enter a certain space, there are triggers that make them act and feel in a certain way. These triggers create invisible boundaries and rules to the way people perceive, use, feel and experience space. Some triggers are very subtle, while some are very extreme.

There has always been a relationship between people and space. Space and people themselves work together to create rules in the way people occupy space. Together, they restrict each place to be accessible only to some human tribe. In Dubai, it is extremely clear how each space is meant for only certain type of people. This is the “hierarchy rule”, which is the rule that contributes to people feeling whether or not they belong to a certain place. Imagine walking in the Dubai Mall where in the main atrium, there is a Chanel booth set up where the floor is elevated with black carpet and Mies Van de Rohe’s elegant Barcelona chairs. The sales person stands still at each corner of the booth and watch as people pass by on the floor of the mall. Human tribes who wore casual clothes would definitely never dare to step up on that platform and walk through the space. However, walking through to the other side of the mall at another atrium, imagine a Givenchy booth where the floor is elevated as well, but with a slight slope. The salesperson stood on the floor of the mall smiling and interacting with the passersby. There is no restriction to access this space. It is utilitarian because of the triggers people and space together created to make people feel welcome. With a slight spatial change and impact of people’s role-play in the two different spaces, it creates a spatial boundary of attracting and detracting different human tribes in reference to their social status. 

The Chanel booth

The Givenchy booth

There are varying types of human tribes in Dubai. There are places where only certain tribes are seen and there are places where all the tribes are in collision at the same point. How many tribes are there? It is considered infinite to categorize human tribes since even the locals themselves are seen to be at least two tribes, the conservative Muslims that hang out till the sunsets and the Extremes, who are usually seen at nightclubs. Whether or not some of the people described in these two tribes lie in one person, it is clear that they show themselves at different times of the day. The conservative Muslims, where men would wear white dress that reaches their ankle with a veil that covers their hair. Women are similar, but with black dresses that covers everything except their face or some even their eyes. Conversely, the extremes are the total opposite wearing the most revealing as they possibly can.

The Conservative Muslims

The Extremes

 Most of the time, human beings would create their own “mental/ psychological rule” that restricts themselves in space. In Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, all human tribes perceive the space as a place to religiously and spiritually hold on to with high respect. Instantly, people would know that in this space, especially women, they must dress appropriately without revealing any part of their skin or hair to the public except their face. With or without signs, people would feel the need to cover themselves up at mosque or even always remaining calm and quiet. People always obey this “mental/ psychological rule”.

The visitors of the famous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

The dress code of the mosque

 The “rules” exists infinitely in space to trigger people. Some tangible like “physical rules” while others are intangible like “invisible rules”. “Physical rule” and “Object rule” like triggers of having a wall in a certain space to show that the space beyond is not accessible, are powerful and obvious for human beings to obey. However, there are rules that are powerful through relying on people’s activation of space including the “visible but not physical rules” and “invisible rules”. At Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, it is known to people that when the prayer is about to begin, men and women must separate to different spaces in order to reduce the distraction and keep both tribes concentrated on praying. In public transportation, there is an area where only women are allowed to access, which everybody knows about without having to see the signs. Throughout every step human beings take in space, all of these “rules” are experienced through different triggers hidden in the intricacy of both space and man themselves as human beings gradually occupy space.

In the bus where there is a division of female zone and mix zone

The "visible but not physical rule" where a carpet is placed with introducing foreign object of sofas and couches causing people to sit here. This disrupts the speed of the movement in the mall, from the surrounding dynamic walking around to see the shops, to the static space where people just sit down and relax.

The "physical rule" where a man acts as a physical boundary as a mannequin to change space by personally, making it less inviting.

The use of carpet as a trigger in changing the speed of movement and the circulation in the mall where people tend to walk slower. This might slightly contribute to the marketing aspect of the mall by making people slow down and look around the shops more.