
14. RISK & PERIL


PATTERNS
WELL-BEING BENEFITS
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INCREASE Preference (1, 2)
ENVIRONMENTAL
“Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” - Robert Frost
THE BASICS
An environment with Risk and Peril may feel dangerous or imply a threat, but has a reliable safeguard. What Risk/Peril seeks is the thrill of an experience, coupled with awe. Standing at the edge of a waterfall or on a mountain ledge both exhilarates and grows our appreciation of nature. Similarly, standing at the tip of The Infinity Room of The House on the Rock, jutting 218 feet beyond the hill and 156 feet above the valley floor, or peering out over the waterfall at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water, inspire similar feelings of thrill and awe.
A study conducted by Ronald Rapee indicates that the difference between fear and Risk/Peril, is the perceived sense of threat and control (1). Taking into consideration this perceived sense of threat and control, an interior environment may approach Risk/Peril quite differently. A balcony or catwalk overlooking a space or a transparent railing may produce a feeling of thrill or awe on a smaller scale.
RISK & PERIL IDEAS:
Perceived sense of threat coupled with control:
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Catwalk or balcony
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Cantilever
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Infinity edge
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Floor to ceiling transparent facade
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Transparent floor
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Proximity to water
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Safe access to predatory animals
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Exploration of the unknown
CATWALK OR BALCONY
All Photo Credits: Nicole Craanen

Amber Fort

Wisconsin Historical Society Reading Room, UW-Madison

Discovery Building, UW-Madison

One Pillar Pagoda

Harney Peak
CANTILEVER
All Photo Credits: Nicole Craanen

House on the Rock

Falling Water
TRANSPARENT FLOOR

Seattle Public Library

All Photo Credits: Nicole Craanen
PROXIMITY TO WATER

The Louvre


Fatehpur Sikri


Pemaquid Point Light House

Pemaquid Point Light House
All Photo Credits: Nicole Craanen
EXPLORATION OF THE UNKNOWN
All Photo Credits: Nicole Craanen


Franconia Notch State Park, The Flume

Badlands National Park, Harney Peak

Marble Mountain

Marble Mountain

Kohler-Andrae State Park