THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY IN ARCHITECT TRAINING

Abstract

The duty of an architect is much wider than one might imagine, simply because it involves the human being. Be of great complexity that he is, the main actor on the stage of architectural buildings, key element for the development of projects. The environment may have a decisive influence on the attitudes of an individual. When restorative, it is capable of being a medical instrument, allied with the doctors in the improvement of a patient, or a stimulating element in the life of a student. However, if done incorrectly, it may even cause illnesses. The environmental psychology is the area of knowledge that studies the interplay between the individual and the environment and aims to understand the construction of meanings and behaviors of man before all types of buildings. It is important to note that a more broadly study is of fundamental importance to the success of the architectural result. Through research in the area of the psychology of human behavior, it might be shown that, knowing the psyche is of fundamental importance in order to have the environment acting positively on the individual. In this field, issues such human behavior, perception, territoriality and environmental psychology, deserve particular emphasis in the curriculum of the architecture and urban planning course, so that the future architect might greatly perform their duty more accurately. Through a bibliographical review, this article aims to highlight not only the importance of a more comprehensive study of the reciprocal relationship between man and the habitat, but also to present the necessity of its inclusion in the curriculum of the architecture and urbanism course, plus the need of an interdisciplinary action with the psychology field. By doing so, the architect might have a better understanding of their target, thus perform with greater aplomb.