More Proportional Design

Hey all,  I just got back from my hockey game, and I thought of a way that human scale influenced the built environment, and the built environment influenced human occupation.

The size of the ice hockey net was designed for the crossbar to lie slightly below the average male's shoulder.  In the earlier years of the sport, the Goalie would stand far back in the crease.  From one post the glove or blocker completely outstretched could cover the opposite corner.  However, it was more difficult to react and move the pads (legs) in time for low shots.

Of course, the greats such as Gerry Cheevers had very little trouble, but goaltenders in the late 1980s and early 1990s were developing a style to respond to the spacial difficulties which they were facing.  Goalies found that they could move foreward, out of the crease, and based on their proximity to the puck, bend their knees outward to cover each side.

Their knees would go down on the ice after a shot so that the most space could be covered, and they could stop the puck in essentially any direction.