Appendix 2: Glossary

Adventure

A risky undertaking of unknown outcome.¹

Affect

(Psychology) A feeling or emotion.²

Biophilia

Refers to humans’ inherent affinity for the natural world.³

Biophilic Design

An initiative that fosters a satisfying connection between people and nature in the built environment.⁴

Body-Play

The first form of play that humans engage in; the creative and investigative movement of our bodies. Also called movement-play.⁵

Cave-Like

A space that “exists somewhere between the artificial and the natural.”⁶ It is inhabited rather than having been built for habitation.

Creativity

The ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination: the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts.⁷

Curiosity

A desire to know or learn.⁸

Daydream

A form of Play. Also called mind-wandering and fantasy play. A dreamlike musing or fantasy while awake.⁹

Distraction

A form of Pure Diversion. An activity which diverts our attention and provides amusement.¹⁰

Dopamine

An important neurotransmitter in the brain, essential for pleasure. Novel activities raise dopamine levels in the brain. In the absence of dopamine people feel bored or depressed. The opposite of play is not work, it is depression.¹¹

Dynamic

Ever-changing; the dynamic between order and complexity.¹²

Escape

“A means of distraction or relief, esp. from reality or boredom.” It is inherent. It is often done for amusement and as a method of distancing. There are three forms: Play, Games, and Pure Diversions.¹³

Exploration

An information gathering endeavour; part of the process of play.¹⁴

Fantasy

A creation of the imagination, unrestricted by reality.¹⁵

Fantasy Play

See Daydreaming.

Flow

Flow is described as “the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”¹⁶ Play can lead to flow; yet, flow does not necessarily lead to play.

Games

A form of escape; an activity with rules or guidelines; activities created in order to provide amusement and as a method of distancing.¹⁷

Heavy Metal

Short form for Heavy Metal Music. “A type of rock music characterized by a strong beat and amplified instrumental effects, sometimes with violent, nihilistic, or misogynistic lyrics.”¹⁸

In-Between, the notion of the

The place where “your body – your hand or foot – will touch a building directly: threshold, doorjamb, and windowsill. You can only reach shelter, the interior, by passing through them.”¹⁹

Microboredom

A word coined by Motorola™ used to describe the ever “smaller splinters of time from which cellular technology offers an escape.”²⁰

Mind-Wandering

See Daydreaming.

Miniaturizing

The process of informational compression for storage and internalization of fantasy play. It is a term which describes part of the process during which play becomes more internalized into daydreams.²¹

Movement-Play

See Body-Play.

Multi-Media-Based Escape

This is a term used to describe form of escape, either pure-diversion or games, engendered by technology and multi-media. Examples can include: T.V., Videogames, mobile-phones and applications, etc.

Multitasking

Carrying out various tasks simultaneously. Often these tasks include numerous forms of multi-media-based escape in conjunction with other required mundane tasks.

Nature

All natural phenomena and plant and animal life, as distinct from man and his creations.²²

Nest

Architecture. A place built for habitation.²³

Organic Design

The use of “shapes and forms in buildings and landscapes that directly, indirectly, or symbolically elicit people’s inherent affinity for the natural environment.”²⁴

Play

A form of Escape. A state of mind. It is an absorbing, apparently purposeless activity that provides enjoyment and a suspension of self-consciousness and a sense of time. It is also self-motivating and makes you want to do it again.²⁵

Play-Based Escape

An escape using Play.

Pure Diversion

A form of escape; an activity which completely diverts our attention; an activity engaged in to provide amusement and as a method of distancing.²⁶

Rebound Play

Play that occurs as a result of a play-deficit.²⁷

Ruins

The remains of a building, city, etc., that has been destroyed or that is in disrepair or a state of decay. ²⁸

Supernormal Stimuli / Superstimuli

This is an exaggerated form of an existing stimulus. It induces a response more strongly than the stimulus from which it evolved.²⁹

Taboo

Forbidden or disapproved of.³⁰

Third Places

This is a term referring to the social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home and the workplace. Third places are the “[...] ‘anchors’ of community life and facilitate and foster broader, more creative interaction. [...]Oldenburg suggests these hallmarks of a true "third place": free or inexpensive; food and drink, while not essential, are important; highly accessible: proximate for many (walking distance); involve regulars – those who habitually congregate there; welcoming and comfortable; both new friends and old should be found there.”³¹

Trap Crops

This is a form of Supernormal Stimuli. A trap crop is a plant used as an alternative to pesticides; it draws agricultural pests away from nearby crops.³²

Vernacular Design

“Buildings and landscapes that foster an attachment to place by connecting culture, history, and ecology within a geographic context.”³³