This is an Andy Goldsworthy art installation, I recently experienced in the Presidio on San Francisco,

It’s a , ‘Are you kidding me?’ space; one to come back to, time and time again.

This space surely defines the notions of ‘involvement.’

I borrow this concept from the text of Ed Bacon in his book, ‘Design of Cities.’

He references a Francesco Guardi sketch and speaks to the notions that create

involvement: ‘space that creates an all-encompassing experience.’

Here are the ingredients:

Meeting the sky: dynamic spatial forms, sensory spatial qualities.

Meeting the ground: how a building arises from the earth, defining the base.

Points in Space: tension/closure; relationships/context.

Recession of Planes: processional, sensory space.

Design in Depth: penetration/movement, excitement of entry.

Ascent and Descent: joy of anticipation of up and down.

Convexity and Concavity: positive and negative spatial involvement.

Relationship to people: scale and proportion, reachable and understandable.

(photo: Heidi Hansen)