The place attachment experience regarding the disabled people: the typology of coffee shops

Abstract

This study inquires the possible creation of a sense of a place in coffee houses for the disabled people as public places. The physical characteristics of a space are the main factors allowing all people including the disabled ones as well to perceive that place properly and within the “person, place and interaction process” framework. The place attachment, which can be defined as the main emotional bond between space and the users, is heavily influenced by the individualistic experiences and reactions whether they are ordinary or differently abled. In order to initiate a place attachment, spaces should be designed in a way that they respect the occupant’s perception, feelings, memories, senses and their physical abilities to enable them to develop a sense of belonging and ownership. Therefore, creating designs which foster people’s construction process of sense of a place that comprises the concept of identity and sense of belonging, is among the essential issues for realizing place attachment in architecture and design of public spaces. In our contemporary world, there are settings that possess these qualities; contrariwise there are more architectural and urban spaces which ignore these qualities and their benefits for people, especially for the disabled ones. Relatedly, a building should offer people enough information for perceiving it and with its physical features should also support the experiences that occur in it. There is a strong link between memorable events and the space where those events occur. An environment which provides outstanding and meaningful ambiance by its architectural characteristics can establish a sense of a place. Disabled people often have less opportunities to experience the spaces properly compared to others because their limitations are not taken into consideration when designing the public spaces. Therefore, the design process of public spaces should involve the basic needs of disabled people. In order to propose a typology for traditional coffee houses, this research aims to define and discuss the place attachment experience of disabled people in public spaces. The study begins with an overview of identifying different types of disabilities and special needs, and an introductory discussion of how space attachment can help to meet those needs. Therefore, the physical, social and typological aspects of traditional coffee houses were evaluated in terms of location, space organization and functions by considering the profiles of disabled users. Methodologically, this is a case study, which has a mixed research design including qualitative and quantitative research instruments.