Architectural and Environmental  Research

Architectural and Environmental Research

The role of the accessibility components in place attachment (A conceptual approach to the role of the accessibility in the Japanese garden)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of Engineering. Faculty of Architecture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
2 Department of Engineering and Architecture. Faculty of Civil Engineering. University of Bologna. Bologna. Italy
Abstract
Achieving a deeper understanding of the concept of accessibility requires the study of its features related to the place that people experience. A constant experience of a place that accessibility provides its context has a fundamental role in improving the sense of place and the place attachment. Accessibility acts as a mediator that establishes relations between the visitor and Japanese garden on various scales, both physically and mentally. In other words, accessibility is an inseparable part of the architecture in the Japanese garden that helps visitors to understand the dimensions of place better. Therefore, understanding the concept of accessibility and identifying its components on the one hand and considering the dimensions of place attachment on the other hand in the Japanese garden are useful in developing the architects' understanding of accessibility-place based design. This article tries to examine the relationship between accessibility and place in Japanese gardens architecture by proposing the following hypotheses. a. Accessibility is a fundamental factor in experiencing and discovering the place in a Japanese garden, and b. Accessibility as an intermediate agent between the human and the place has a key role in understanding the various dimensions of place and deepening of place scales for visitors. In this regard, through the descriptive-analytical method, first, the different aspects of accessibility in recent studies are examined, then the nature of accessibility is discussed. Finally, this study shows "Vista", "Pathway edges quality", and "approaching" are the main components of accessibility in a Japanese garden. These three components provide a context to hide and reveal the garden's scenes to visitors and through the constant interaction between people and place, give them a deeper sense of place that integrates the concept of accessibility and place in their mind.
Keywords

  • Receive Date 30 April 2020
  • Revise Date 26 June 2020
  • Accept Date 25 June 2020