LB/DON [4-3/01 
THE DEFENSIBLE SPACE; AN ACHIEVEMENT OF A 
SENSE OF SECURITY THROUGH DEFENSIBLE SPACE 
IN AN URBAN SETTING. 
DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF 
MORATUWA FOR M.Sc IN ARCHITECTURE. 
1* 
S.P.C.K FERNANDO. 
2000 
074118 
of Moratuwa 
74118 
T H 
ACKNOELEDGEMENT 
I am deeply indebted and profoundly grateful to the many 
whom assisted and guided in making this study a success. 
And I also take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks 
to: 
Architect. Dr. Daynanda Waduge. 
Architect. Vidura Sri Nammuni 
Architect .Dr.Rajith dayaratne. 
Architect. L.S.R. Perera. 
For their invaluable guidance and co-operation extended to 
me throughout this study. 
Let me specially thank 
Mr.S anjaya Jayawardena. 
Mr.Mahen Jayalath. 
For their numerous support in making this study a success. 
I also greatly appreciate the co-pertain of my friends , 
Chamila, Ranjan, Madu-, Anu, Indika, Amila and 
Shayamika. 
Finally I offer my whole heated gratitude to my parents and 
sister with whose support I was able to successfully complete 
this study. 
i 
ABSTRACT 
The inherent need to be felt "secured" directed man to 
change the natural environment to a "Built Environment". In 
the process of building environment man always had a pre­
conceived image of an ideal secured environment in his 
mind; in other words defensiveness. Therefore, from the 
beginning, the human built environments have conformed to 
the principles that have organized his image of such "ideal 
secured environments". 
The territoriality and survivability are the principles that have 
organized the image of an ideal secured environments. 
These principles, in the context has a relationship with the 
level of security sensed by a person in a particular 
environment (defensible space) 
The man's needs to be secured are reflected in built 
environment through many means such as the orientation, 
belongingness, territoriality and community. 
An examination of the territoriality and survivability of the 
environments leads one to understand how defensible space 
is generated in a built environment. Such understanding 
among the architects, enables them to cater for the user; that 
is to create comfortable built environments; the work of 
Architecture. 
i 
CONTENTS 
Acknowledgement I 
Abstract II 
List of Illustrations. V 
Introduction 
The topic 1 
Intellectual basis. 2 
The need 3 
Method of work 3 
Scope and limitation. 4 
Chapter One 
Environment and Sense of Security. 
1.1 Introduction. 
1.2 Sensing the Security. 
1.3 Sensing the Security in an Environment. 
1.4 Means of Sensing the Security. 
1.5 Physical Form and Sensing the Security. 
Chapter Two 
THE DEFENSIBLE SPACE. 
2.1 Introduction 
2.2 defensible Space - T h e definition. 
2.3 The mechanism for achieving of 
Defensible Space. 
6 
7 
9 
10 
16 
18 
19 
19 
2 .3 .1 . Territoriality. 
2.3.2. Surveillability. 
2.3.3. Constituent Sub qualities 
20 
30 
36 
Chapter Three. 
AN ACHIEVEMENT OF A" SENSE OF SECURITY-
T H R O U G H 
"DEFENSIBLE SPACE'. 
The Examination- Case studies 
3.1 Basis for selection of the case studies. 41 
3.2 Case studies 41 
3 .2 .1 . Case study one 
-Mahamaluwa Kandy. 41 
3.2.2. Case study two 
-Maligawattha Housing Scheme 57 
3.2.3. Case study three 
-Galle Face Green. 69 
Conclusion 78 
Bibliography. 82 
LIST IF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
I .A Project for the city of Chaux. 20 
2. A street -Panchikawattha. 21 
3 Protecting one's own territory. 22 
4 Defensible Personal Space 23 
5 Public Space have various levels of privacy 
Galle Face Green 24 
6 The Required Hierarchy on the Horizontal Plane. 25 
7 The Required Hierarchy in High-Rise Building 26 
8 Territorial Hierarchy in Suburban Housing. 26 
9 Territorial Hierarchy in High-Rise Housing. 28 
I I Children's Playgrounds and Defensible Space. 29 
12 Natural surveillance requirements 
-Oscar Newman 1972 31 
13 Maligawattha Housing Scheme. 32 
14 Eyes on the street. 
- Maligawattha Housing Scheme. 33 
15_Sense of Orientation-Rome 37 
16 Sense of Belongingness 38 
17 Human beings prefer to live as groups 39 
18 The location of Mahamaluwa in relation to the 
Kandy city.. 42 
19: Kandy Town (1815) 43 
20: Mahamaluwa Complex. 44 
21 territorial demarcation. 46 
22: Mahamaluwa complex and the lake. 47 
23: Individual groups making separate territories 
for a certain activity within certain time. 48 
v 
24 A personal space 
25: The paved fore court 
26 : Layout and openness creates surveillabilty. 
27: Orientation of built forms towards the street 
28 : mixing activity and surveillance. 
29: Eye on the street-Ulpange 
30: Eye onibe^tceei-Cu^ap^^Palhthirippuwa) 
3 1 : orientation of Mahamaluwa 
32: Peoplefeelthat plac^asjhejrowrr 
33 : People gather for a common activity, 
34: A map- Maiigawatta 
35: plan of Maligawattha Housing Scheme. 
36:Territory define by the road and green belt. 
37: A well defined entrance 
38: Demarcation of public and private property. 
39: Demarcation of public and private property 
in the neighborhood 
40:Sense of security achieved 
41:Children's' play area and the defensible space. 
42:The Required Territorial Hierarchy in Hi-Rise 
Buildings. Newman 1972 
43: Lay out of blocks 
44: Layout of blocks 
45; Mixing of function, Shops and Housing 
Enhancing natural surveillance 
46 The building fabric 
47 :personal defensible space. 
-Sense of belongingness. 67 
48:Layout plan of Gall face Green 70 
49:Physical demarcations of the Gall Face Green. 71 
50 Territorial demarcation of the public space. 72 
51 Activity pockets each has territorial uniqueness. 73 
52:A group of people making their own territory 73 
53 .Personal defensible space making his own 
persbnal territory. 74 
54 :Sense of orientation 
- The sea, the built fabric and path. 75 
55:Sense of belongingness generates a 
feeling that they are "secured". 76 
56:People feel that they are "secured" when 
behave they are in community. 77