Environmentalising Architecture: perceptie, gedrag en representatie in Amerikaans ontwerp, 1964-1984

This thesis examines the concept of environment and its significance in American design from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. It argues that, during this period, the term environment was not primarily associated with ecology or sustainability. Instead, it referred to a range of approaches for understanding and shaping the reciprocal relationship between people and their surroundings. Within this framework, three key themes—perception, behaviour, and representation—emerge as central to rethinking design from an environmental perspective. The thesis explores how these themes were woven into architectural discourse and practice through the work of Christopher Alexander, Kevin Lynch, Nicholas Negroponte, and Philip Thiel. These figures shared a commitment to perceptual psychology, behavioural dynamics, and innovative modes of representing both built and cognitive environments. Their approaches to design were deeply intertwined with critical positions toward the architectural field. Each challenged the notion of architecture as an autonomous discipline, advocating instead for a type of environmental design which involved participatory processes, communal values, and alternative economic models.