ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews thigmotaxis, the wall-hugging trait, that is effortless and instinctive and directs the human experience of the built environment more than most realize. Considered ‘phylogenetically old’, or old in terms of evolution, we share this tendency to avoid wide-open centers and stick to the sides and edges of an environment with many other life forms including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and even bacteria. A safety and orientation strategy, thigmotaxis plays a role in helping people feel secure in a place, and gets them to keep moving forward in an area if it provides continuous edge conditions. In three case studies, looking at different twentieth-century developments in the United States, the chapter explores the impact thigmotaxis and continuous building alignment has on a project’s ultimate success or failure.
