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Potęga Przestrzeni wokół nas
„Kształtujemy nasze budynki, a potem te budynki kształtują nas” - powiedział w 1943 Winston Churchill. Mówił o zbombardowanej sali Izby Gmin. Stara Izba była prostokątna, obie parti e siedziały naprzeciwko siebie w pozycji konfrontacyjnej. Lecz właśnie ta forma pomogła zbudować system dwupartyjny, fi lar brytyjskiej demokracji. Churchill chciał odtworzyć nie tylko budynek, ale gesty, uczucia i styl komunikowania się, jaki budynek umożliwiał. Ponieważ przestrzeń jest jak tajny scenariusz kierujący naszym działaniem. Środowisko, w jakim żyjemy – naturalne i zaprojektowane – tworzy nas samych i sprawia, że jesteśmy tym, kim jesteśmy. Ale na długo przed budynkami kształtowały nas elementy naszych naturalnych siedlisk. Miasta rosły wolno. Drogi biegły zgodnie z ukształtowaniem terenu. Wiele z tego utraciliśmy, dostosowując się do kolosalnej skali i szybkiego tempa XXI wieku. Od lat budujemy miasta, które wywołują choroby, alienację i przestępczość. Straciliśmy sprawczość, którą mieliśmy kiedyś, kreując te przestrzenie. Jak możemy odtworzyć, tworzyć i pielęgnować świat wokół siebie, który nas określa?"
320 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2018
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492 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 17, 2022
How often do we pause to reflect about the benefits and disadvantages of a roundabout, other than when honking, hollering or haughtily giving the finger to an indiscreet driver? Well, Lily Bernheimer does and doing so is what distinguishes this environmental psychologist from a lot of us. The Founding Director of Space Works Consulting – an organisation that mulls about how workspaces, dwellings, and urban environments can work for their inhabitants – helpfully informs her readers that roundabouts in America when compared to their counterparts in UK, are circular magnets of collisions. Statistically there are 32 possible vehicle crash points in the standard American intersection, compared to only 8 in a roundabout!
“The Shaping Of Us” is a unique work that probes the relationship between specimen and structure, an aspect to which we rarely pay any heed to in the normal course of things. Unknowingly, each one of us is influenced, if not overtly then implicitly by the environ in which we find ourselves discharging our personal and professional responsibilities. However things seem to be changing in the modern era. Various communities are pre-emptively taking charge of urban development. Projects such as WikiHouse, being a splendid testament to such proactive initiatives. The primary aim of WikiHouse is to invest people with an ability and resources to construct their own housing. Such an empowerment has a positive ‘trickle down’ effect in the form of lower crime rates and higher levels of well-being, agency, and “collective efficacy”: the level of trust, cohesion, and informal social control.
The most interesting and riveting part of the book relates to the concept of the “Ninja-Proof Seat”. Software engineers are glued into the concept of “ninja-proof seats”. A ninja-proof seat always has its back to the wall so that no inquisitive Ninja can sneak up from behind. However with changing mindsets and architectures, Ninja-Proof seats are fast becoming relics of the past. The current trend is representative of large open-plan office with long rows of desks down the centre. Bye bye ninja-proof seats!
As Ms. Bernheimer recounts from personal experience, the only private office she ever occupied was courtesy her first job at the Gotham Center for New York City History. Housed in a building encompassing the entire block at the corner of Thirty-Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan Gotham Centre’s cafeteria had a glass ceiling, through which one could peer up at the Empire State Building .
The Hawthorne Works was a dull, drab and grey manufacturing plant outside Chicago that liberally emitted smoke courtesy squat twin chimneys. Twelve thousand employees toiled away on assembly lines, winding coils to manufacture telephones. The employers, Western Electric, were intrigues to find out if shining more light in this otherwise insipid setting could make the workers work a little faster.
An Australian born psychologist, industrial researcher, and organizational theorist named Elton Mayo was engaged by Western Electric to perform some experiments. Mayo shone more and less light at certain times on different assembly lines. Employees who were beneficiaries of more light did work faster. However, the control group workers were equally productive. Mayo then lowered the lights. Lo and behold, the workers were able to maintain production levels even when lighting was reduced by seventy per cent. Mayo finally merely pretended raising the lighting, while actually keeping it constant. Not only did productivity increase but the workers also told them how happy they were with the improved lighting!
The field of environmental psychology lays emphasis on a term called ‘sociopetal’ space. Sociopetal refers to environments that are primed for enabling interaction and communication, as against ‘sociofugal’ space which stifles interaction and communication (classic examples being stereotypical airport and movie theatre seating).
Lily Bernheimer also informs her readers about the proliferation of, a formidable international network of over eighty co-working spaces. The Impact HUB organisation was established to accord professional workspace facilities, business incubation support, and a community network. A social enterprise itself, Impact HUB operates on a ‘federated’ model and has grown to serve over thirteen thousand members in cities ranging from Milan to Kuala Lumpur and Harare.
Ms. Bernheimer has also developed a checklist called the BALANCED Space checklist. This checklist provides a framework to balance the needs of people and purpose with the constraints of space and budget. As readers would have judged by now, BALANCED is an acronym standing for:
B Biophilia (natural elements, materials, views, and patterns); A Atmosphere (light quality, air quality, temperature, and smell); L Layout (space utilisation and allocation, wayfinding, and circulation); A Amenities (supporting good nutrition, fitness, ergonomics, and rest); N Noise (avoiding disturbing noise levels, friction points, and design flaws); C Cohesion (community, communication, and control); E Energy (reducing use of energy, resources, and waste); and D Design (colour, shape, material, proportions, detail, and style).
“The Shaping of Us” is a timely reminder not to neglect a tremendously influential aspect which might have a remarkable bearing on our lives.
“The Shaping Of Us” is a unique work that probes the relationship between specimen and structure, an aspect to which we rarely pay any heed to in the normal course of things. Unknowingly, each one of us is influenced, if not overtly then implicitly by the environ in which we find ourselves discharging our personal and professional responsibilities. However things seem to be changing in the modern era. Various communities are pre-emptively taking charge of urban development. Projects such as WikiHouse, being a splendid testament to such proactive initiatives. The primary aim of WikiHouse is to invest people with an ability and resources to construct their own housing. Such an empowerment has a positive ‘trickle down’ effect in the form of lower crime rates and higher levels of well-being, agency, and “collective efficacy”: the level of trust, cohesion, and informal social control.
The most interesting and riveting part of the book relates to the concept of the “Ninja-Proof Seat”. Software engineers are glued into the concept of “ninja-proof seats”. A ninja-proof seat always has its back to the wall so that no inquisitive Ninja can sneak up from behind. However with changing mindsets and architectures, Ninja-Proof seats are fast becoming relics of the past. The current trend is representative of large open-plan office with long rows of desks down the centre. Bye bye ninja-proof seats!
As Ms. Bernheimer recounts from personal experience, the only private office she ever occupied was courtesy her first job at the Gotham Center for New York City History. Housed in a building encompassing the entire block at the corner of Thirty-Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue in Manhattan Gotham Centre’s cafeteria had a glass ceiling, through which one could peer up at the Empire State Building .
The Hawthorne Works was a dull, drab and grey manufacturing plant outside Chicago that liberally emitted smoke courtesy squat twin chimneys. Twelve thousand employees toiled away on assembly lines, winding coils to manufacture telephones. The employers, Western Electric, were intrigues to find out if shining more light in this otherwise insipid setting could make the workers work a little faster.
An Australian born psychologist, industrial researcher, and organizational theorist named Elton Mayo was engaged by Western Electric to perform some experiments. Mayo shone more and less light at certain times on different assembly lines. Employees who were beneficiaries of more light did work faster. However, the control group workers were equally productive. Mayo then lowered the lights. Lo and behold, the workers were able to maintain production levels even when lighting was reduced by seventy per cent. Mayo finally merely pretended raising the lighting, while actually keeping it constant. Not only did productivity increase but the workers also told them how happy they were with the improved lighting!
The field of environmental psychology lays emphasis on a term called ‘sociopetal’ space. Sociopetal refers to environments that are primed for enabling interaction and communication, as against ‘sociofugal’ space which stifles interaction and communication (classic examples being stereotypical airport and movie theatre seating).
Lily Bernheimer also informs her readers about the proliferation of, a formidable international network of over eighty co-working spaces. The Impact HUB organisation was established to accord professional workspace facilities, business incubation support, and a community network. A social enterprise itself, Impact HUB operates on a ‘federated’ model and has grown to serve over thirteen thousand members in cities ranging from Milan to Kuala Lumpur and Harare.
Ms. Bernheimer has also developed a checklist called the BALANCED Space checklist. This checklist provides a framework to balance the needs of people and purpose with the constraints of space and budget. As readers would have judged by now, BALANCED is an acronym standing for:
B Biophilia (natural elements, materials, views, and patterns); A Atmosphere (light quality, air quality, temperature, and smell); L Layout (space utilisation and allocation, wayfinding, and circulation); A Amenities (supporting good nutrition, fitness, ergonomics, and rest); N Noise (avoiding disturbing noise levels, friction points, and design flaws); C Cohesion (community, communication, and control); E Energy (reducing use of energy, resources, and waste); and D Design (colour, shape, material, proportions, detail, and style).
“The Shaping of Us” is a timely reminder not to neglect a tremendously influential aspect which might have a remarkable bearing on our lives.
February 15, 2018
First a disclaimer: the author is the daughter of my best friend when I was growing up. I am the person who lived on the third floor and was either Jim or Bob which presently is a point of some disagreement between us. There is an unfortunate dearth of written records concerning our adventures around and about the badlands of New York City outside our building to resolve this issue although a recent foray into oral histories available to me (my brother) supports my version of events.
The author is clearly passionate about her subject and her knowledge and enthusiasm are infectious. At many points in the narrative I found myself nodding and saying to myself- oh, so that is why I liked/felt uncomfortable in that place. She has a disarming way of bringing large issues into focus by personalising them in a way which makes them understandable to the lay reader. I spent may years trying to understand why economic theory just did not seem to me to make sense. Then I read Daniel Kahneman. We all know that the Projects in New York and other big cities were a disaster. This book provides the language tools we need to talk about why and hopefully to figure out how to do better. Because we need to and we need to have started yesterday.
My adopted homeland of New Zealand faces a housing crises and the planners and politicians just want to build more of the same. We all have a big stake in the outcome and we owe it to ourselves to try to understand how we got here and what tools do we have to find a way out. Ms Bernheimer’s book provides insights and explanations that are an important place to start.
I must admit to some skepticism about her vision for the future - or more accurately the likelihood of its coming to pass - but I am comforted by the thought that there are people like Lily Bernheimer thinking and working on the issues.
The author is clearly passionate about her subject and her knowledge and enthusiasm are infectious. At many points in the narrative I found myself nodding and saying to myself- oh, so that is why I liked/felt uncomfortable in that place. She has a disarming way of bringing large issues into focus by personalising them in a way which makes them understandable to the lay reader. I spent may years trying to understand why economic theory just did not seem to me to make sense. Then I read Daniel Kahneman. We all know that the Projects in New York and other big cities were a disaster. This book provides the language tools we need to talk about why and hopefully to figure out how to do better. Because we need to and we need to have started yesterday.
My adopted homeland of New Zealand faces a housing crises and the planners and politicians just want to build more of the same. We all have a big stake in the outcome and we owe it to ourselves to try to understand how we got here and what tools do we have to find a way out. Ms Bernheimer’s book provides insights and explanations that are an important place to start.
I must admit to some skepticism about her vision for the future - or more accurately the likelihood of its coming to pass - but I am comforted by the thought that there are people like Lily Bernheimer thinking and working on the issues.
January 8, 2024
Bernheimer synthesizes many academic fields in her piece about environmental psychology. She draws on her own experiences as she communicates the ways our environment shapes us, our thoughts, and our actions. Just like how we interact with the built world, it's complex and complicated. She explores contemporary issues of how humans have come to treat our environment, and how we should change how we see nature.
As a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Architecture, this novel expanded my view on the impact my career has, along with my critiques. I am inspired and more knowledgeable after reading this book, and I implore younger generations to pick this up to understand the importance of our built and natural environments.
As a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Architecture, this novel expanded my view on the impact my career has, along with my critiques. I am inspired and more knowledgeable after reading this book, and I implore younger generations to pick this up to understand the importance of our built and natural environments.
November 3, 2019
4 1/2 - an important, accessible book about space, design, behavior, community, and wholeness.
November 28, 2022
Nie wiem czy polecam tę pozycję, gdyż już nie spojrzę na przestrzeń wokół siebie tak samo :) Inspirująca, objaśniająca, pobudzająca. Bardzo to dobre!
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January 19, 2024In the beginning, I was excited bc I thought this would be about environmental psychology, which it is, but so so much of it is about the need for affordable housing and how the U.S. is screwed, which is true and important, but not what I signed up for with this book.
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July 15, 2025P3 "Our identities are more fragile than we imagine. And they grow frailer when we remove the framework they rely upon."
P14 injunctive vs descriptive norms
P46 office decorations, personal space, territory, and privacy - "the ability to selectively control access to yourself," more private spaces are more personalized.
P50 socipetal - facilitates interaction and communication, socifugal - does the opposite
p106 identity process theory -sense of continuity over time, positive distinctiveness, self efficacy, self-esteem, belonging
p171 synomorphology - the parallel construction of human environments and behavior
P14 injunctive vs descriptive norms
P46 office decorations, personal space, territory, and privacy - "the ability to selectively control access to yourself," more private spaces are more personalized.
P50 socipetal - facilitates interaction and communication, socifugal - does the opposite
p106 identity process theory -sense of continuity over time, positive distinctiveness, self efficacy, self-esteem, belonging
p171 synomorphology - the parallel construction of human environments and behavior
October 27, 2022
The topic is really fascinating. The book felt a little half baked. It read partly as an academic paper and partly as an infomercial? Some of it felt like an undergrad thesis with tortured paraphrasing that was impossible to fully understand. There were some pictures, but I would have liked more. It was difficult to visualize some of the things she described. I would love to read more on this topic, but not from this author.
December 30, 2022
I couldn't really get into this book. Found it quite dry and not as interesting as I was expecting.
August 31, 2025
This is a vital read that masterfully deconstructs the profound, often invisible, ways our built environments and social architectures dictate human behavior. It moves beyond the simplistic nature vs. nurture binary, revealing how systemic design choices, from urban planning to the layout of our homes that actively shape societal outcomes and perpetuate norms.
The book powerfully affirms that 'it takes a village to raise a child,' framing this not as a quaint saying but as a core principle of communal accountability. It pushes us to consider who holds the power in these design choices and for whom these spaces are truly built.
As a non-expert, I found the concepts incredibly impactful, though I would have appreciated more visual aids and accessible language to bridge the gap between academic theory and lived experience. Demystifying this knowledge is crucial for equipping all communities to advocate for themselves in urban design, a field historically dominated by a privileged few.
Read this book to become more conscious of the power structures embedded in your surroundings. It will fundamentally change how you move through your community and empower you to see public space not as a given, but as a deliberate but often inequitable construction.
The book powerfully affirms that 'it takes a village to raise a child,' framing this not as a quaint saying but as a core principle of communal accountability. It pushes us to consider who holds the power in these design choices and for whom these spaces are truly built.
As a non-expert, I found the concepts incredibly impactful, though I would have appreciated more visual aids and accessible language to bridge the gap between academic theory and lived experience. Demystifying this knowledge is crucial for equipping all communities to advocate for themselves in urban design, a field historically dominated by a privileged few.
Read this book to become more conscious of the power structures embedded in your surroundings. It will fundamentally change how you move through your community and empower you to see public space not as a given, but as a deliberate but often inequitable construction.
December 8, 2019
An inspiring and timely book looking at how humans evolved in a natural world that shapes many of our behaviors even today, and how we build new structures and environments that we interact with, and then in turn, shaped by those same structures.
In general I’d say this is a fairly accessible read but there is plenty of references to show and support the narrative of the writer. The beginning chapters start out with people at people scale and subsequent chapters branch out into larger spaces and groups, before the concluding chapters bring home what people are doing with all theses findings from architects, environmental psychologists, economists, etc. and some surprising projects are showcased.
If you live in any community that is dealing with urban blight, housing crises (too little, too expensive) urban density to even how you arrange your office and build out a home, this book has excellent points to consider on those fronts.
Highly recommended!
In general I’d say this is a fairly accessible read but there is plenty of references to show and support the narrative of the writer. The beginning chapters start out with people at people scale and subsequent chapters branch out into larger spaces and groups, before the concluding chapters bring home what people are doing with all theses findings from architects, environmental psychologists, economists, etc. and some surprising projects are showcased.
If you live in any community that is dealing with urban blight, housing crises (too little, too expensive) urban density to even how you arrange your office and build out a home, this book has excellent points to consider on those fronts.
Highly recommended!
January 13, 2020
I was intrigued by the premise of the book and the author supports that well in her introduction. Unfortunately, she uses what could be a good book about environmental psychology to push her own political views and denigrates the office of the President of the United States of America out of context in the first chapter. I can tolerate one or two political statements, but she continues to force her political agenda, concluding with a statement (still only in the first chapter) about how "we don't always have a good sense of what is good for us."
This author taints her book with her politics and subsequently lessens the value of her message. Her credibility is basically destroyed with her obvious pandering to her own kind.
Too bad. I had considered purchasing several of these books for relatives involved in urban development but have decided against it.
This author taints her book with her politics and subsequently lessens the value of her message. Her credibility is basically destroyed with her obvious pandering to her own kind.
Too bad. I had considered purchasing several of these books for relatives involved in urban development but have decided against it.
March 1, 2020
I took this book with the initial thinking that is was more about interior space, but I finish it with a bigger understanding of the bigger environment.
I am born in a country of high-rise buildings, therefore much of the risks mentioned in this book is not as relatable, but it’s an eye-opener for me to realise how impactful it is in the big shift from country to urban/suburban life. It is also interesting to learn where we derives our aesthetics from and how it applies to our current appreciation of the environment, which I believe most of us took for granted.
I am born in a country of high-rise buildings, therefore much of the risks mentioned in this book is not as relatable, but it’s an eye-opener for me to realise how impactful it is in the big shift from country to urban/suburban life. It is also interesting to learn where we derives our aesthetics from and how it applies to our current appreciation of the environment, which I believe most of us took for granted.
January 7, 2023
overall i enjoyed. lots of interesting concepts, studies, and stories. this book wasn’t anything revolutionary - with sprawling topic matter and writing that could be low key dry at times - but i would definitely recommend with the suggestion of skipping a few chapters that i personally didn’t care for as much.
March 1, 2023
And interesting book that makes you reflect on the environments around us and how they shape us. As someone who hasn't studied psychology, it was easy to digest and understand.
The book covers various topics and case studys in details, some were more interesting than others but overall I'm happy I read it!
The book covers various topics and case studys in details, some were more interesting than others but overall I'm happy I read it!
July 10, 2019
Sehr viele Anekdoten, die über die Kapitel hinweg nur lose zusammenhängen. Der große argumentative Bogen des Buch geht daher ein wenig unter. Die einzelnen Ideen und Gedanken zum Zusammenhang zwischen den Räumen, in denen wir leben, und unserem Handeln sind aber sehr bedenkenwert.
February 6, 2020
Very much enjoyed this book (the chapter on fractals, particularly so). Sometimes it felt a bit too broad, but it's chock full of fascinating research and insight that compels one to think about where and how we live in a more nuanced way.
October 16, 2022
The first half of the book was engaging and thought-provoking, but felt like it lost its way halfway through. It also kind of lost me with the chart measuring the emotional stability and neuroses of different cultures.
January 31, 2024
Maybe it’s because I had it as an audio book it felt very dry. The information in it is fascinating. She discusses how our environment shapes us and the way we build and structure our lives. Highly recommend but maybe the book and not the audio.
December 4, 2024
Some chapters were very interesting , others were boring and not well built .. that was my experience with this book .. but of course some topics were very inspiring specially the one about fractals.
January 3, 2019
An interesting discourse on the role our environment plays in making us who we are.
July 15, 2021
Lots of interesting information, a bit dry at times but ultimately worth the read.
December 28, 2021
Muddled and unfocused.
August 27, 2022
What shapes us or what do we shape? How does our environment affect our ability to learn and to heal? I have more questions than answers after this book but they are good questions. Good read.
November 8, 2022
Fascinating
As a psychology major and sociology minor, this book is right up my alley. Well researched, well written, and truly intriguing.
As a psychology major and sociology minor, this book is right up my alley. Well researched, well written, and truly intriguing.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews