63instances of comfortableness, can hardly be generated via
such physical or physiological conditions. The degree of il-
lumination required for specific activities, for instance, as de-
fined by building physics, may even interfere with the genera-
tion of comfortable conditions when elevated to an exclusive
standard.
Of significance for comfortableness in a spatial situation
alongside physiological well-being, in fact, are virtually all de-
sign features, especially the factors of appropriate room size,
spatial proportion and gesture, orientation, the effects of ma-
teriality and colour, and lighting atmosphere. The transitions
to concepts such as cosiness or sense of security are fluid.> accessibility and exclusivity, cosiness, dwelling, residence,
warmth and coldComplexity is required as a complement to architectural
> order and > simplicity. In both perception and aesthetics,
it is a question of equilibrium between two poles. Too much
complexity is too demanding, while too little can be unchal-
lenging and tedious. The right amount of complexity is situa-
tion-dependent. In some instances, an enjoyable sensation of
overwhelming stimulus is generated by complexity, for exam-
ple when we find it delightful to get lost in a city, a childhood
experience described by Walter Benjamin. If the objective is to
achieve a state of meditative calm, on the other hand, a mini-
mal level of complexity is desirable, although it might seem
inappropriately monotonous in other situations.
Complexity begins with the variety and richness of spa-
tial situations that are generated by architectural resources,
for example through contrast of scale, form, colour, material,
lighting and conditions of movement, and extends all the way
to ambiguities, contrasts, and even contradiction. Perceptions
of such phenomena are subject to particular significant condi-Community
Complexity