front cover of Historic Zuni Architecture and Society
Historic Zuni Architecture and Society
An Archaeological Application of Space Syntax
T. J. Ferguson
University of Arizona Press, 1996
The historic architecture and settlements of the Zuni Indian Tribe in western New Mexico provide an unusual opportunity to investigate social change. In this monograph, the development of historic Zuni society is analyzed by delineating systematic links between the structure of Zuni society and the structure of architectural forms that the Zuni people built to facilitate their activities. Ferguson shows how the structure of open space within Zuni settlements was linked to defense. As long as the Zunis were subject to attack by Spaniards or Navajos, they built settlements that were difficult for outsiders to get into or move around in. As the need for defense waned, settlements became more open and accessible. He also shows how the internal spaces of traditional Zuni houses are oriented around the activities of the women--matriarchs of their families and clans. Federal housing projects tended to spatially isolate the activities of women from interaction with the rest of the household, thus instituting unexpected social change.

Historic Zuni Architecture and Society utilizes an interdisciplinary approach, analyzing archaeological data using method, theory, and techniques from the fields of architecture, planning, and ethnology. Archaeologists will find in the book an innovative application of space syntax to archaeological problems, and cultural anthropologists and others interested in the history of the Zuni Indians will value its observations about changes that are currently taking place in Zuni social organization.
[more]

front cover of Space Syntax
Space Syntax
Selected Papers by Bill Hillier
Edited by Laura Vaughan, John Peponis, and Ruth Dalton
University College London, 2025
Discover the visionary ideas that redefined architecture and urbanism—Bill Hillier’s most influential writings on space syntax, all in one critical volume.

Few scholars have reshaped our understanding of architecture and urban design as profoundly as Bill Hillier. Space Syntax compiles the most influential works from his career, spanning over half a century, to showcase the evolution of his innovative theories on the spatial structure of cities and the social functions of built environments.

Including his early explorations of architecture as a research discipline and his later theories on how spatial configurations influence human movement and urban vitality, this collection provides a definitive overview of Hillier’s intellectual legacy. Featuring newly redrawn figures, rare texts, and expert introductions from leading theorists and practitioners, the volume offers fresh viewpoints on the continued relevance of space syntax in contemporary research and practice.

Relevant to subjects ranging from archaeology to physics, Space Syntax cements Hillier’s place as a revolutionary thinker whose ideas continue to shape how we design and understand space.
[more]


Send via email Share on Facebook Share on Twitter