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Meet High Aesthetic Standards
Aesthetic quality is subjective--"beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."
There is no one standard of aesthetic interest. When judging the aesthetic
quality of affordable housing, however, the following criteria are particularly
relevant: the cultural appropriateness and appeal of the housing development
for both residents and neighbors and the extent to which the new development
complements its physical context.
The visual appearance of a housing development is central to people's
experience of aesthetic quality in most cultures. Among the many characteristics
that contribute to the visual appearance of a building and its setting
are formal qualities such as height, shape, and proportions of exterior
and interior spaces; building and landscaping materials, finishes, textures,
and colors; the interplay of light and shadow on its surfaces; and the
quality of natural and artificial lighting. How the building meets the
sky and how the building is perceived from varying distances also are
important. In housing developments that include more than one building,
the following may be considered: the overall size and density of the development;
the relationship of building forms, locations, and spacing; indoor and
outdoor connections; and paths, streets, parking, and site landscaping.
The organization and sequence of spaces as a person moves through the
development and its buildings, including available views and vistas, significantly
affect visual experience.
In addition to visual appearance, sounds, aromas, tactile qualities,
and other sensory properties can contribute to people's aesthetic experiences.
The choice and combination of all of these characteristics, and the resulting
degree of complexity or simplicity of the development, contribute to residents'
and neighbors' perception of aesthetic quality. Finally, how the aesthetic
qualities of a new housing development embody or diverge from the style,
scale, materials, and appearance of existing buildings and its site within
the neighborhood should be handled with sensitivity and community participation.
Link to resources
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