The Interactions Between People and Space/Place

Perception and Cognition are important factors in how we as people perceive and interact with a space. The most prominent form of this is the way in which we create associations simply by using a space leading to us form "Mental Maps" of a space that we frequent and that in turn allows us to interact with the space.

There are many factors that influence how we associate with a space such as the lighting within the space, volume of the space, the way the space fits into its own surroundings and the colors and/or the materials used to create the space or the lack thereof in any of these factors.

This can also be observed by the way a space can afford its users, where a space that offers more affordances may not necessarily be easier to associate with than a space with minimal affordances. The volume of space or the lack thereof can influence the interactions of the space and the people within that space.

The direction of flow and the way one would navigate within a space assist in the complex interactions between the space and the person experiencing the space.

All these factors directly impact how people interact with a space which in turn allows people to become more aware of the space they are in thus leading to more associations and interactions between the people and the space they are within as a whole.