This project entails the research done by Janno Martens under the auspices of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) at KU Leuven. With his thesis, Environmentalising Architecture. Perception, Cognition and Representation in American Design, 1964-1984, Janno examined the concept of environment and its significance in American architecture and urban planning 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.
Funded by the FWO
Promotor: Rajesh Heynickx
Co-promotors: Filip Mattens, Stéphane Symons