In order to improve the general quality of low-cost housing in Brazil, a research project was conducted to identify the existing conflicts in the interactions between residents and dwellings. The conceptual framework is that architectural spaces have their origin in the interactive process occurring between social forms and physical forms. Whenever architectural situations do not match cultural patterns, conflicts are likely to arise between performers and objects and spaces. Conflicts can be provoked by architectural elements that either have not been provided or are inadequate. Performing his activities, man endows spaces with significance. Thus, architectural spaces are always meaningful and can be approached as a text to be read, decoded and interpreted. A fieldwork study was conducted to survey about 175 low cost houses in &10 Horizonte, Brazil, by READING SPACES in order to identify existing conflicts. The fieldwork methodology consisted of a SYSTEMATICOBSERVATIONof the interactions between residents and houses, describing them by means of architectural tools: annotated sketches, pictures and reports on people's comments. Nineteen conflicts have been identified, characterised and analysed in comparison to the vernacular architecture and technical literature. The conclusions may constitute_a theoretical guide-line for further projects of a similar context.

La ciudad de lima en su actualidad cuenta con diversas academias dedicadas exclusivamente, otras no tan personalizadas, en el arte del ballet. Esta danza se enfoca a la concentración y disciplina de sus bailarines en la ejecución de los movimientos. Se menciona a una academia que existe en el distrito de Surquillo que tiene 50 años de vigencia enseñando únicamente ballet. Esta academia toma el nombre Escuela Nacional Superior de Ballet. Se realizó una investigación con respecto a esta escuela y los espacios que se pueden apreciar son bastante reducidos para el aforo que se plantea. Se busca reubicar esta institución a una zona accesible y brindarle la infraestructura que necesitan. Este proyecto es el compendio de información con respecto al ballet y su magnitud en la ciudad de Lima. Mediante una comparación e investigación de otros proyectos en el mundo con la misma tipología se explica y demuestra la arquitectura y funcionalidad del espacio con relación a este tipo de danza, y como este espacio tiene diversas características que lo hacen específico para su usuario objetivo. Este proyecto explica y relaciona las etapas de una clase de ballet para la ubicación de la luz, para evitar la distracción de los bailarines. / Nowadays the city of Lima has a diversity of academies exclusively dedicated to Ballet. This dance it’s well known by its discipline and its focus of the dancers by the execution of the movements of their bodies that show the control they have of over their bodies. In one district of Lima, called Surquillo, there is a school that has been teaching, only, ballet. This academy is named “Escuela Nacional Superior de Ballet”. The research covers this academy and also other academies in Lima. This project seeks to relocate this institution into somewhere accessible and at the same time giving them a better infrastructure to hold this kind of activity. This research compares other architecture projects in the world with the same typology, it explains and shows the function of the space in relation to this kind of dance, and how these spaces have different qualities for its objective user. Another point to take in consideration the light to emphasis different parts of the dance to avoid any distraction form the technique. / Tesis

En utilisant des approches qualitative and quantitative cette thèse démontre que les aspects intangibles des espaces architecturaux influencent le bien-être humain. Le but est de faire savoir que les espaces intérieurs ont un impact sur le bien-être et que l’architecture peut être considérée comme une solution pour satisfaire les besoins des usagers. Dans la première étude, l’approche qualitative est explorée en utilisant la narration pour identifier les aspects intangibles des espaces intérieurs qui affectent le bien-être. Une discussion s’articule autour du Modèle de Réponses Expérientielles des Humains (Model of Human Experiential Responses to Space) et de son importance comme outil pour déterrer les caractéristiques environnementales qui influencent le bien-être et qui peut être utile pour les professionnels du design. Les résultats démontrent que 43 catégories sont interprétées comme étant des aspects intangibles et servent de canevas pour trois autres études. Les résultats démontrent que certaines caractéristiques environnementales similaires dans les résidences et les bureaux augmentent le sentiment de satisfaction et de bien-être. Dans la deuxième étude, une approche quantitative est explorée en utilisant les neurosciences et l’architecture afin de mesurer comment les espaces architecturaux affectent le bien-être. Le concept de neuroscience / environnement / comportement est utilisé où huit corrélats neuroscientifiques (Zeisel 2006) sont investigués afin de mesurer les effets du cerveau sur les espaces architecturaux. Les résultats démontrent que l’environnement peut affecter l’humeur, le niveau d’attention et le niveau de stress chez les humains et peut également augmenter leur performance. Les deux études contribuent aux connaissances que les caractéristiques environnementales affectent l’humeur et le niveau de satisfaction de la même façon dans les espaces résidentiels et dans les espaces de bureaux. Un bon environnement qui énergise les employés peut affecter leur performance au travail de façon positive (Vischer 2005). / This research uses qualitative and quantitative approaches in order to demonstrate how intangible aspects of architectural spaces influence human well-being. The goal is to increase awareness that interior spaces do impact human well-being and that architecture can be regarded as a solution to satisfy space users’ needs. In the first study a qualitative approach is explored through narrative inquiry in order to identify intangible aspects of residential and office spaces that affect human well-being. A discussion is built around the Model of Human Experiential Responses to Space and its purpose as a tool to unearth environmental characteristics that enhance well-being and can be of value to design professionals. Results show that 43 categories are interpreted as being intangible aspects of architectural spaces that influence human well-being. These categories are then used for three other studies to find out if there are any underlying regularities in environmental characteristics that affect user moods and feelings. Results show that similar environmental characteristics heighten sense of satisfaction and well-being for both residential and office space users. In the second study, a quantitative approach is applied to neurosciences and architecture in order to measure how architectural spaces influence human well-being. Neuroscience and environment / behaviour concepts are used where eight brain-based neuroscientific correlates (Zeisel 2006) are investigated in order to measure brain effects on architectural spaces. Neuroscientific outcomes reveal that the environment can affect human moods, ability to focus attention and stress levels and may also heighten task performance. Both studies contribute to knowing how space users feel environmental characteristics affect their mood and satisfaction. They reveal that people’s moods may be affected similarly in residential or office space settings and that a good environment that energizes employees will affect their work performance in a positive way (Vischer 2005).