| Title |
The Development Process of British High-Rise Flats and Analysis from the Perspective of Architectural Determinism |
| Abstract |
This study investigates the brief history of post-war British high-rise flats from their emergence to their decline, and tries to redefine it from the perspective of architectural determinism. First, the historical process of building high-rise flats is explained according to the four consecutive phases: the era of introduction(Modern Movement-early 1950s). the era of spread(1950s), the era of culmination(c.1960-c.1965) and the era of decline(c.1965-). It is found that the agents of high-rise flats in Britain are chronologically housing reformers and architects, then politicians and councillors of central and local governments, and finally contractorsand builders. The decline of them is ascribed to complex reasons which are social, political, economic, psychological and aesthetic.In addition, two major orientations of the architectural determinist perspective are discussed: (1)1st architectural determinism: Architects and planners imbued with social idealism believed that architecture can create community (2)2nd architectural determinism: Many critics and researchers believed that high-rise flats generate social pathology. Then, more balanced viewpoint concerning the relationship between architecture and human behavior is tentatively suggested. |