pushme - pullme

A précis of Mike's recent presentation at the Pecha Kucha styled final event of the NZIA's conference 'in: situ'.  

After coming across one of these (Venetian Campanello) while travelling last year I became even more interested in buildings User Interfaces.

 Where we touch a building and how it might touch and respond to us.

Door handles

This one is from Ben's archives - an Arrowtown special.

Handrails

A Carlo Scarpa special on the entry bridge to Fondazione Querini Stampalia.

Another handrail. West Plaza by Neville Price.

I like to think the architect heads to the base of these stairs during their lunch break and gives a high five to everyone coming down.

Window stays.

Spotted in the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

Flush buttons...

An original 'Crapper' from London

Light switches and dimmers.

This lovely wee beastie is available from Thom Electrical Accessories

There is a definite spectrum when it comes to the selection or design of a Building's User Interface.  

At one end we have aspects that are designed by others but specified by the architect. 

At the other end, we have interfaces that are designed by the architect; bespoke and specific to the building or environment we are creating.

Usually this is just fine... it's probably best we don't design flush buttons, however there is one area that we can lift our game in...

Door handles – specifically commercial space front door handles.

Some are designed – most are specified.

I like to call these types of handles, where they are the same on both inside and outside of the door – pushme-pullme’s

These are fine – if your door swings both ways…

However a 'pushme-pullme' handle on a single swing door, put simply; is the devil incarnate.

If a door handle is the handshake of a building as Juhani Pallasmaa suggests in his book 'The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses' then these are the equivalent of a certain Rugby World Cup handshake schmozzle...

Allow me to illustrate this, using this very beautiful door handle.

This is a beautiful door handle – don’t get me wrong I am 100% behind it’s aesthetics.

Cerebrally it is a wonder.  

It’s materiality is luscious.

However as you approach this door something interesting happens.

You see this door, you read the sign -  'push'.

You might see the flange of the door frame around the door, again a sign saying: 'push'.

Brain says ‘I've got this body, do as I say.’

Hand grabs hold of the handle … ohhh lovely.

Proprioception takes over.

Body says ‘F**k off brain, I know what to do with this!’ 

So what happens?

You PULL!