The temporal rhythm of scenes and the safety in educational space

3.1 Rhythm in language

It came with the meaning of melody and singing that affects the feeling [1] it came with the meaning of music and organization between the distribution of tones [2], and (Organizing the intervals) Between the units of the artwork, between colors or sizes, or the separations between the elements of the artwork Ibrahim [3]. As for Ford’s terminology of nature, meaning rotation, running, change associated with time, diversity, and numerical sequence, as in “Fibonacci numbers” [4].

3.2 Rhythm in architecture

There were many theories that deal with rhythm. A study by Al-Ani et al. clarified that the rhythm concept is one of the design principles that are invested in the architectural production through repetition of similar elements, and the study classified its patterns, which are simple, regular, or multi-period rhythm as well as the hidden or implicit rhythm and includes a repetition of the relationships of integrated systems, [10]. Thabet studied the concept of rhythm as it represents the temporal ratios of the artistic production as one of the main characteristics to achieve the element of beauty in various types of arts, and this characteristic is present in music as an expression of the relationship between the tones – the breaks and the basic clicks in the melody, and it includes the length of the tone and the length of the break between the tones and how to calculate the relationship of tone and rest with the click of the melody [11]. Abbas Mustafa showed that there are two types of rhythm, the first is the audible rhythm, which is the audible rhythmic pulse that constitutes the important component of the formation of the language of music and vocal arts based on the lyrical rhythm associated with poetry. The second is the visual rhythm, which is the type that concerns us in the current research. In this type of rhythm, the artist relies on a large number of elements and vocabulary that achieve harmony between them, which results in a continuous movement that forms the essence of the structural rhythm of the artwork. Visual rhythm does not take a single form with fixed or specific scales. It is the fabric between a group of components consisting of elements “line, color, material, and shape” driven by rhythm as a basis to create a kind of aesthetic relationship that enriches the artwork when it is seen. The visual rhythm is divided into linear and chromatic rhythms, as the eye sees the artwork as lines and colors [6]. Idrees studied rhythm concept associated with several variables, including addition, insertion, deletion, accumulation, repetition, antagonism, abstraction, unity and diversity, displacement, etc. Also, the rhythm purposes are communicative purposes (symbolic, communicative, impactful, and interactive), and functional purposes consist of several variables (a specific functional pattern, several functional patterns, and other patterns). He also defined the rhythm directionality in three basic variables, the first variable is vertical and includes gradual, repetitive, continuous, regular, and irregular, while the second variable is horizontal, including minute, wide, and sequential, finally the third variable is multi-directional including several secondary variables (on two directions, three directions, four directions, five directions, more than five directions, others, etc.), and defined the clarity of rhythm that included two variables, the first clarity degree (high, medium, weak, and non-existent) and the second variable is the degree of ambiguity (high, medium, weak, non-existent) [16].

Also, many theories deal with rhythm, but it was unanimously agreed that rhythm depends on repetition, restarting, and change, and this repetition does not have to be similar, as it may be:

1. A linear rhythm that comes from social practice (human activity: the monotony of actions, movements, and behavioral rhythm).

2. A periodic rhythm that arises in the cosmic nature: the days, nights, seasons, waves, and tides in the sea [5]. It is the process of repeating the elements in a way that raises the feeling of the recipient and helps him to find a sense of vitality and excitement and to understand the idea quickly and smoothly [6].

From here we conclude that rhythm is a concept that depends on the idea of repetition, change (time), and alternation, and it leaves a visual and auditory impact on the recipient and gives a sense of comfort, continuity, and speed periodically in the elements and their properties.

3.3 Define rhythm idiomatically

It is a concept that depends on the idea of repetition, change (time), and alternation, and it leaves a visual and audio impact on the recipient and gives a feeling of comfort, continuity, and speed, so any rhythmic pattern is temporal.

3.4 The procedural definition of rhythm

It is a repetition of basic variables and elements that are based on measuring the research samples and testing the results, which are rhythm purposes, rhythm strategies, clarity, and directional rhythm.

4.1 Study by Al-Hajj Hassan

In “The importance and role of urban safety in reducing crime in Palestinian cities, an analytical study of the city of Nablus, two patterns were identified

1. Safety and moral safety: by feeling comfortable while using the space, providing all services and public utilities inside the space, and addressing safety and social issues that negatively affect the comfort in using the urban space.

2. Physical safety and safety: It is to provide protection from any physical danger while using urban space by all available means [13].

4.2 Study by Salah

The impact of workplace design on employee performance (an empirical study on the administration building at the Islamic University): The thesis studied how to increase productivity and improve the performance of employees in the administrative buildings, especially in the administration building of the Islamic University, where the results of the study showed the existence of a relationship between the design of the workplace and the performance of employees, and that the design of the Islamic University administration building did not reach the level required to meet the needs of employees, and the thesis concluded with a number of recommendations urging attention to the design of administrative buildings and to bridge the gap between the development of the administration and the design to provide a comfortable and stimulating workplace to enhance the performance of employees [14].

4.3 Study by Al-Haddad

Planning and design considerations for housing projects to achieve safety and safety standards in the face of disasters (case study of war disasters, the Tal Al-hawa housing project):The message sheds light on housing projects and stands on the shortcomings in the planning and design safety and safety standards in housing projects in the governorates of Gaza in the face of disasters. The study explored the opinions of the residents of the Tal Al-hawa housing project about the efficiency of the project in achieving safety and safety standards, especially after the 2008 aggression on the Gaza Strip. The study came with a conclusion emphasizing the shortcomings of housing projects in terms of safety and safety in terms of planning and design, and recommended the need to provide them to face disasters. The research comes as a continuation of the previous study of another type of building in achieving safety [15].

So, the concept of safety in the terminology: It is the psychological motive to achieve functional, material, and social needs. And procedural definition: It is the extent of the feeling of comfort during the use of space and the presence of various patterns of behavior and social spaces.

5.1 Rhythm

The basic variables of the elements of rhythm in the visual scene are rhythm purposes including secondary variables (communicative purposes and functional purposes), rhythm strategies including secondary variables (insertion, diversity, deletion, accumulation, antonym, addition, abstraction, and unity), direction of the rhythm including secondary variables (vertical, horizontal, and multi-directional), and clarity of rhythm including secondary variables (clarity degree and degree of ambiguity).

5.2 Safety

The basic variables of the components of safety are psychological safety including secondary variables (psychological motives to fulfill a need and the level of perception of the elements of space), physical safety including secondary variables (provide protection from any physical danger, design safety, and schematic safety), functional safety including secondary variables (increase productivity and improve employee performance), and the social safety including secondary variables (places for meetings and social gatherings).

6.1 Case study

Different scenes were selected from several primary schools in the United States, China and other countries, which were agreed as schools of the highest international standards that meet human needs, including the element of safety. Five different and varied scenes were tested from different samples (appearance, panorama, perspective, view, and vista) and analyzed according to the safety indicators and temporal indicators (Figure 1). Then the local samples were tested in Iraq according to the scenes as shown in Figure 2.

6.2 Results

The researchers used the Likert measurement method, where the weights were distributed, giving 3 for the total presence of the variable, 1 for the partial presence of the variable, and 0 for the absence of the variable, then the Excel and the SPSS program were used to examine the variables and extract the results.

1. Scene (E), (B), and (D) achieved the highest safety values, scene (B) achieved the highest physical safety, while scene (D) achieved the highest psychological safety and scene (E) achieved the highest functional and social safety. Interactivity achieved in scene (B) is higher than the rest of the patterns and this is reflected in achieving psychological safety and safety in general in scene (B), as shown in Figure 3 and Table 1.

2. Through analyzing the Pearson correlation and linear regression, the results show that there are weak correlations with statistical significance between safety in the educational space and the characteristics of rhythm in general, while there is a statistically significant correlation between social safety and rhythm strategies, functional safety, clarity of rhythm, psychological safety, and the purposes of functional rhythm, but in general, most of the Pearson coefficient correlations were more than (0.05%), which are not statistically significant, as shown in Figure 2.

3. The results of linear regressions showed that there are varying relationships between safety and rhythm characteristics, and safety in the educational space was associated with communicative purposes (−0.8174) and rhythm strategies (−0.176) with inverse relationships, while the directionality characteristic of rhythm achieved a weak positive relationship (0.2269), and the rest of the characteristics were characterized by very weak relationships, as shown in Figure 3.

4. The linear regressions of the characteristic of clarity of rhythm are weak with safety and its patterns in general, which indicates that it is an ineffective characteristic.

5. The linear regressions of the characteristic of functional rhythm objectives are weak in most of their cases, and only a medium positive relationship with physical safety was recorded (0.4524), as shown in Figure 3.

6. The linear regressions of the characteristic of rhythm strategies were weak, negative to very weak, with safety and its patterns in contrast to a very strong negative relationship (−0.8493) with physical safety, which means that the space in which multiple strategies are used loses the child’s sense of physical safety and this characteristic is very influential in safety, as shown in Figure 3.

7. Linear regressions for the characteristic of communicative purposes of rhythm were strong with psychological safety (−0.7103), physical (−0.6933), and occupational (−0.6121), while social safety achieved a weak inverse relationship with the same characteristic. These purposes have increased, leading to a loss of a sense of safety in general, and psychological, physical, and functional safety, as shown in Figure 3.

8. Linear regressions of the directionality characteristic of rhythm had a weak to medium positive relationship, a characteristic that had the most impact on social safety (0.5538) and functional safety (0.389), as shown in Figure 3.

9. The local research samples were analyzed and it was found that they do not contain safe scenes (view, panorama, and vista) and also contain signs and symbols and many rhythm strategies that cause fear and unsafety in the educational space, in addition to not using the functional and communicative rhythm purposes that support functional and social safety, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Figure 2

Scenes from local schools.

Figure 3

Shows the safety check values in the five visual scene.

Figure 4

Shows the Pearson correlation coefficient between the research variables.

Figure 5

Shows linear regression of the relationship between safety and rhythm characteristics.

7.1 Conclusion

1. Scenes (view, panorama, and vista) represent the best scenes that achieve safety in the educational space.

2. The safety in the educational space is lacking by increasing rhythm strategies and its communicative purposes, and by increasing the signals, physical, psychological, functional and social safety is also lost.

3. The characteristics of rhythm affect the feeling of safety in the educational space at different levels. The characteristic of clarity of rhythm is weak with safety and its patterns and is ineffective. As for the characteristic of functional rhythm purposes, it affects physical safety, while the characteristic of the directionality of rhythm is a property that has more impact on social safety and functional safety.

7.2 Recommendations

1. Investing in types of scenes (view, panorama, and (vista) as they are the most patterns that achieve safety in the educational space.

2. Reducing the signs, symbols, and rhythm strategies adopted in the design of the educational space, as they lead to a loss of a sense of safety.

3. Employing rhythm for functional purposes to support functional and social safety.