Human scale

Human scale describes how the size of a building, street or room is felt in relation to the human body and the way we perceive things. Door heights, step dimensions, window sills, ceiling heights and the width of a square all decide whether people feel at ease in a place, or small and out of place.

How human scale is achieved

Even a very large building can be experienced at human scale. What makes the difference is the layer of the facade at eye level: detailed entrances, canopies, places to sit, shop windows and textured materials. However tall the upper floors are, someone walking past experiences the building mostly through those first few metres. Indoors, scale comes from ceiling height, the size of openings and the furniture. A low window seat in a tall living room creates a place to retreat to within a big volume. Elements whose size we know instinctively, such as bricks, tiles, timber battens and steps, help the eye read how big a surface is. At the urban scale, the ratio between street width and building height has a similar effect.

Showing scale in images

In a render, people, trees, cars and furniture are not just decoration; they tell the viewer how big things are. A few correctly sized figures and a camera set at eye level show most honestly how a building will actually feel.