1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«This thesis proposes to examine the correlation between the ever-evolving technologies of the twentieth century and the shifts in spatial distribution in the residential architecture that may result from their introduction into North American middle-class homes. I will investigate the cause-and-effect relationship between these new forms of technological in-home entertainment, their impact on the lifestyles of the middle-class North American families who consume them, and the resulting demands reflected in the residential architecture that develops over the course of the century.» (p. iii)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
Données documentaires diverses

Type de traitement des données :
Réflexion critique

3. Résumé

«The mid-century period shows us an enormous transition. Technology continued to boom, and the television set was introduced and became integrated into daily home life within the space of a decade. Unlike the radio, the television has the added dimension of the visual component. The formal parlour room of the turn of the century gives way to the more casual living room, a space where comfortable furniture can be found strategically placed in viewing distance of the television. We observe here an architectural shift in terms of how space is used and arranged in direct consequence to a new technology introduced to the domestic sphere. Finally, the end of the century gives way to households running multiple technological devices on a daily basis. The most notable addition to daily life is the personal computer. What distinguishes this device even more from the radio and the television is that this technology is used in a one-person-at-a-time manner. This device also coincides with the growth of bedroom sizes, indicating even further that emphasis is placed in the period on privacy, isolation and time spent alone in the home rather than together or engaged as a family unit.» (p. iii-iv)