WEEK 1 What is Theory? A way of expressing something- not good or bad What is Research? Investigating through tests and experiments Behavioral Sciences Environment psychology Man-environment relations Environment sociology Human ecology Person-environment theory Design Concerns Utilitas- commodity/function Venustas- delight/expression Firmitas- firmness/technics Theory Building Perception theory- Bauhaus Positive architectural theory Models of praxis- phases of design
Gestalt Theories of Perception
Is design a rational process? Reflection: Yes it is rational because it starts with research about the client, environment, and information about the type of project. Then a concept is developed and the floor plan and three-dimensional details are formed based on the concept. The design process can be done in many different ways, but it has to be rational to be a functional design. Normative theory We do things this way because that’s how we’ve always done it (like looking at case studies, using templates, etc) Research Qualitative v. quantitative Quantitative- science, numbers, data, analysis, can be generalized, has an answer Qualitative- study based on a specific situation, can’t be generalized, may or may not have an answer
Research methods Interview Observation Methods for developing possible designs Review of historical information Individual creative effort Group creative effort Principles, standards, prototypes, metaphors, and analogies Nursing Home Research Reflection 1: What are ways you could figure out the nursing home problems? Comparing two different nursing homes’ deisgn Research and observe people Ask peoples opinions Compare workers Compare how each operates
WEEK 2 Types of Research Qualitative In depth study of human behavior Quantitative Using data, testing hypothesis, science-based Historical Learning from the past Creative scholarship Projects that have to be reviewed (Helene with felt, Brad with painting and photography,‌) The Question: What do you want to know? Find out? Prove? Discover? Behavioral sciences Substantive- the environment itself Affordances- what the environment allows Crowding- how people behave in a crowd Defensible space- personal space that you defend Privacy Procedural- descriptive, explanatory Praxis Positive/Normative Positive: testing hypotheses (relates to quantitative research) Normative: professed/as practiced (how things have always been done) Evidence-based design Design decisions based in research Net Zero Self-contained Buildings Requires no outside resources Aldo Leopold Legacy Center
David Orr- 10 things you need to know to be considered educated Laws of thermo dynamics Having an understanding of basic principles of ecology Carrying Capacity (of planet) Energetics End use least cost approach Appropriate scale Limits of Technology Sustainable agriculture and forestry Steady state economy Environmental Ethics David Orr’s Theory is interesting because there are a lot of people that are considered educated that do not know a lot about any of the 10 things listed above. Specific topics for consideration for researching nursing home design: The impact of daylight and views, including the level of luminance and means of control The effect of exposure to nature on stress and aggression The impact of the size of space in which one is confined (and number of people one shares it with), density, crowding, etc The impact of ambient noise on stress and communications The effects of environmental design features on inmate-staff relationships The impact of color on perceptions Nursing Home Research Reflection 2: What one question do you want answered about the nursing home? How do the design of the spaces affect the residents? What are the bedrooms like? How does nature/daylight affect them?
WEEK 3 Net Zero Health of the planet Health and healthcare Evidence-based design Process of basing decisions about the built environment on credible research to achieve the best possible outcomes Cant do healthcare design without evidence research EDAC (evidence-based design accredication and certification) And educational and assessment program that tests individuals on their understanding of how base healthcare building design decisions on credible research evidence and project evaluation results Websites The center for Health Design Pebble project
Informedesign An evidence-based design tool that transforms research into an easy-to-read, easy-to-use format for architects, graphic designers, housing specialists, interior designers, landscape architects, urban designers and planers, and the public State of Healthcare today (7 trends): Public focus on quality and safety Reimbursement challenges Aging population and caregiver shortages Health information technology Genomics and technology Emergency room saturation and disaster prepardness Sustainable healthcare
10 Imrprovements to Nursing Homes There is extensive research being done about imrpovements that can be made on convnetional nursing homes. There are many possibilities for design changes that can be made to make nursing homes more desirable for residents. Here are ten examples of interior alterations that could improve the 1960s nursing home in Roanoke, Virginia. 1. Dividing into home-like communities The typical nursing home can be transformed by dividing the larger nursing home into smaller households serving a dozen or so residents. A new concept for nursing homes, the “Green House” concept, was developed to provide homelike alternative to the traditional instiuttional atmosphere of nursing homes to imrprove resident’s quality of life. This design includes a foyer, living room with a hearth, open kitchen with a large dining area, sunroom den, study, and private bedrooms and bathrooms. 2. Privacy Adequate privacy for patients can make them feel more secure and comfortable in their nursing home. This can be accomplished through single-patient rooms. If that is not an option, floor-to-ceiling walls divide the room into halves. Having speech privacy can make the residents feel more at home. 3. Wayfinding Long corridors in nursing homes can make the space feel more like a hospital that a home. Diving the space into smaller units and communities can help give the nursing home that “home” feeling by promoting spatial orientation and wayfinding. The usage of colors, signage, and memorabilia can also help residen’ts find their way around. Changing floor materials is one way to help resident’s decern different rooms. 4. Artwork Artwork can be a positive factor for residents in a nursing home. A study has shown that poor scores on a rating of home like-ness raise agitation levels among the elderly. Paintings and other forms of artwork can be added to nursing homes to enhance the space. It has been shown that paintings of nature such as waterfalls, greenery, and animals can reduce stress and pain. 5. Lighting Lack of lighting in a space can cause a number of problems in a nursing home. Residents with low lighting levels in an environment become agitated. Exposure to bright light was found to reduce agitation and depression among the elderly. Limited natural and artificial lighting can also cause confusion in way finding and reducing sleeping. Bright lights should be installed in nursing homes to improve the situation. Bright daylight reported less stress and pain and reduced the amount of medication needed by elderly patients.
6. Nature Views Research indicates that when way-finding and landmarks are associated with nature and are clearly identified, stress is reduced. “Seeing the sky or feeling the sun on your skin can literally make you feel better... our surroundings affet our well-being.” The nursing home environment can be enhanced when views or elements of the outside world are brought into the space. Indoor plantings or pictures of nature should be incorporated into the design. Aquariums and terrariums are also sources of life that bring nature within reach. Light wells and skylights bring in natural light and fountains provide natural movement. The design should incorporate views of nature in the patient rooms as well as nature through courtyards. 7. Access to Outdoors Gardens, outdoor sitting and walking areas are all components to be considered. Exterior courtyards that are adjacent to public areas and corridors allow for natural light and natural settings with public interaction. Larger outdoor gathering spaces can be used to encourage outdoor activities. 8. Increase Social Interaction with Flexible Seating The physcial environment of a nursing home has immediate impact on how the patients and staff interact and socialize. Lounges and waiting areas with fixed seating side-by-side along all walls inhibits social interaction. Using flexible furniture not only makes a more comfortable living arrangement, but also provides empowerment to residents. 9. Reduce Noise Noise is one of the biggest factors that disrupt resident’s sleep. Interrupted sleep has been shown to increase stress as well as delirium. Getting enough sleep helps the healing process because it improves the immune system. Using sound absorbing ceiling and wall materials can block outside noise. Providing some form of white noise can also help distract from surrounding sounds. 10. Safety Patient’s safety is critical for their overall well-being in a nursing home. A well-designed environment can reduce falls and other incidents that put patients in danger. Using the right furniture, flooring, and lighting can help reduce patient falls.
WEEK 4 Unobtrusive measures Survey Research methods Behavior settings Physcial Traces Natural accretion measures- where things naturally accumulate Example: when clothes, papers, and books start to pile up on a desk Natural erosion measures Example: when a sticky solution is left over on a surface and dust naturally starts to stick to it over time Types of Study Design Cross-sectional Presidential election after election is over Longitudinal Trend (how attitudes towards marriage, having kids, etc) Cohort (same group surveyed multiple times) Panel (different groups of 1st years surveyed each year) Parallel samples Faculty v. students on studio environment Contextual studies Interior design v architecture on 1st year Sociometric studies Complete example of a group- different projects Observation Visible Participant Behavior Setting How does setting allow or limit behaviors?
Edward T. Hall is an anthropologist most associated with his study of proxemics, or the human use of space within the context of culture. He arguesd that though human perceptions of space derive from the five senses, they are molded by culture. He is also well known for his definitiions of Intimate space, social and consultive spaces, and public spaces. Intimate Space is the closest “bubble� of space surrounding a person. Entry into this space is acceptable only for the closest friends and intimates Social and consultative spaces are the spaces in which people feel comfortable conducting routine social interactions with acquaintances as well as strangers Public space is the area of space beyond which people with perceive interactions as impersonal and relatively anonymous.
Amos Rappaport is the auther of the book House, Form, and Culture, which talks about how culture, human behavior, and the environment effect house form.
WEEK 5 Planet of Slums: Things to think about: Population explosions More people in urban places than rural What are the implications of this trend? Urban areas getting too crowded Pollution Can not fit any new buildings or structures in urban citiies How this affects design: There will be a movement towards restoring old buildings and finding new uses for existing buildings rather than desiging new constructuion. Designers must be educated in sustainable design and how to reuse existing buildings while still having the freedom to be creative.
Reflection: People will be forced to start taking sustainability seriously Reuse will be more cost effective and efficient
Diversity of Kentland Farms in the Past, Present & Future Diversity is the differences in individual perspectives among people from various backgrounds and communities. Diversity consists of all aspects of human identity including race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, social class, gender, and age. Kentland represents diversity through its history as well as its many uses today. The history of the farm encompasses various backgrounds and ethnicities that each contributed to what it is today. In the late 1700s Native American Shawnees migrated through Kentland farm, which resulted in the collection of their artifacts and weapons. The farm was acquired by James Randal Kent in the early 1800s. He had between 100 and 300 slaves who contributed to the construction of the structures still standing today. These slaves integrated West African aesthetics into the structures as well as building techniques from local German artisans. Kent’s slaves had a major impact on making Kentland Farms what it was back in the 1800s as well as what is still standing today. From the Native Americans to the white plantation owners and their slaves, different cultures and backgrounds have been emphasized in this rich history. Some of the main structures built by these slaves at the time were the elegant manor house, barns, slave quarters, an overseer’s house, and a smokehouse. The manor Kent lived in is the sole structure still standing and functioning on the property today. However, there were multiple other buildings that have been demolished over the years and are just as important in understanding the farm’s history. Kent wasn’t a typical slave owner for the time period. Kent was seen as someone who treated his slaves well and wanted to give back to them. In addition to providing a schoolhouse and other additional shelters for his laborers, Kent’s great-granddaughter who lived in the manor as a child mentioned that, “This old gentlemen didn’t believe in slavery, he freed them as soon as they were able to take care of themselves.” Once slavery was emancipated after the Civil War, Kent gave multiple servants property, which allowed the African American community to establish themselves in the Montgomery County. The community consisted of dozens of households, its own church, schools and stores. Today the slave quarters are now diminished; however the slave cemetery that was faded over time has been recently located
Although there have been many efforts to expose the community of Blacksburg to the his tory of Kentland Farms, there is a lack of representation of the important role that Kent’s slaves had in building the farm back in the 1800s. Rebuilding some of the structures that originally existed on the site and restoring them to their original appearance could bring more attention to the contribution of the slaves. Including buildings such as the school house and community centers that Kent provided for the slaves will also relay the message of how he treated them with more generosity than most slave owners at the time. This contribution to the slaves not only helps represent the history of the farm in more depth, but will also expand the diversity of people that interact with the farm on a regular basis. Students of different majors at Virginia Tech could be involved in the process of creating these structures. The design and construction of the building could involve architecture, interior design, and building construction students. History and art history majors could help in the process of researching the past site and helping restoring it as closely as possible. Landscape architects and agriculture students could assist with the design of the surrounding land. This project would bring a diverse group of students and perspectives to the site and encourage collaboration among different disciplines. After the site is restored with the tribute to Kent and his slaves, there would be an opportunity for marketing students to draw in a. range of tourists to the farm and raise revenue that could be used to keep it preserved. The site could be viewed as a historical landmark, which would draw in many groups of people that are interested in learning about Virginia’s history. The purpose of this new construction would be to give respect to the people who made Kentland farms successful. It is important to give back to the slaves and acknoledge their importance in the community and the history of Kentland Farms.
WEEK 6 Sustainable Design Research Agricultural approach Building science approach (LEED is an example) The Living Building Challenge Three certified projects Tysons Living Learning Center (Eureka, MO) The Omega Center for Sustainable Living (Rhinebeck, NY) EcoSense (Victoria, British Columbia) International Living Building Institute To all design professionals, contractors and building owners to create the foundation for a sustainable future in the fabric of our communities To politicians and manufacturers to remove barriers to systemic change, and to realign incentives and market signals that truly protect the health, safety, and welfare of people and all beings To all of humanity to reconcile the built environment with the natural environment, into a civilization that creates greater biodiversity‌ Lang Chapter 11: Behavior Settings A behavior setting is considered to be a stable combination of activity and place and consists of the following: Standard behavior/recurrent activity A layout A relationship between the layout and the activity A specific period of time Behavior Settings Modernism and functionalism Normative beliefs Concept of fit, afford, synomorphy, and congruence Adaptability and flexibility Fixed feature, semi-fixed feature and informal Rapoport: House Form and Culture
Journal Reflection Interior Design Visionaries’ Explorations of Emerging Trends By: Mary Joyce Hasell & Suzanne C. Scott Volume 22, number 2 (1996) Objectives: identify trends and their impact on interior design Phase 1 employed focus group methodology to structure a carefully planned discussion Sixteen roundtable participants selected trends and discussed the expected impacts Future designers will need a broad-based liberal arts education with a specialized expertise to be prepared Importance of teamwork Adjustments made due to social and demographic changes, technology increases, environ threats Quantitative mail survey for phase 2 of project was developed Choice between education or training students Focus on gen eduacation v just interior design focus Develp students crit thinking skills directed toward future learning v. current content Methodology: A focus group of visionaries drawn from interior design education, practice, and industry People with certain characteristics are selected to provide data of a qualitative nature in a focused discussion Educators, practitioners, and industry-related participants were mixed and split up into 4 small groups and they each got 10 votes to vote on trends they found to be most important. Results 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Technology (new knowledge)-26 Education- collaboration of industry, practice and education-11 Environoment- category as a whole-9 Economy and business- business values-9 Art, culture, and lifestyle- value placed on quality of life and free time, treat all products as art-8 Technology- category as a whole- 8
WEEK 7 Research and healthcare design Pebble project Edac- evidence-based design accreditation and certification Human centered design Institute on human-centered design Ecological Design Preserves cultural and biological diversity Utilizes current solar income Creates little or no waste Accounts for all ccosts Respects larger cultural social patterns
Addresses more than efficiency Do we need it? Is it ethical? What impact does it have on the community? Is it safe to make and use? Is it fair? Can it be repaired or reused? What is the full cost over an expected lifetime? Is there a better way to do it? How do we currently define “good design�? Good design is typically defined as maximizing function with form and producing high quality goodsfor hte masses. Good design is also sometimes associated with Modern Design, which includes social and enviromental integrity. Reflection: This term is everchanging based on the changes in style, morals, the environment, and what people believe. It will most likely shift towards more sustainable designs in the future as people become increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability on the world around us. Aesthetic tastes will constantly cycle and change but the need to preserve the environment, while keeping the functions in mind will always be important.
WEEK 8 Defining sustainability According to focus groups, most people don’t even know what the term “sustainability” means Dana Meados, “The limits of growth” 1972 viewed in terms of economic stability Definitions vary according to economic status How should sustainability be defined in your opinion Education Pollution & energy crisis: is our education to blame? Myth 1- ignorance is solvable Myth 2- we can manage the earch Myth 3- our knowledge is increasing Myth 4- we can restore what we have destroyed Myth 5- the goal of education is to give students a means for success career vs. calling: which does our system provide? What are your views on education? Do you agree with the “problems” addressed in the reading? Cradle to Cradle design Creates value throughout the wide spectrum of human concerns anchored by economy, ecology, and equity conventional: used in current acceptable building practice, any “green” methods improved: marketed as “green”, however the claims are not third-party certified optimized: performance typically certified by a third party, contributes to green home certification programs cradle to cradle inspired: components are safe and can be returned to a biological cycle (biodegradable) or a technical cycle (re-manufactured)
Philosophy: Climate specific Location specific Sustainable model Homeowner driven Nutrient cycles: Biological nutrients: biodegradable materials posing no immediate or eventual hazard to the environment Living systems that can safely be used by humans, then returned to the environment to become nutrients for healthy living systems Technical nutrients: a material, typically synthetic or mineral, that remains safely in a closed loop system of manufacture, recovery, and reuse, maintaining its highest value through many product lifecycles Certification Products can be certified on four levels (basic, silver, gold, platinum) Allows consumers, designers, and manufacturers to be aware be fully aware of a products characterstics Ingredient safey, material ingredients, energy of processes, and transport
WEEK 9 Sustainable Offices The Green Office Handbook The Comcast Center, shown to the right and below, is an example of a sustainable high-rise office.
The following are companies the are making sustainable office furniture for modern offices: Steelcase Knoll Herman Miller The BIG questions 1. Does a C2C chair make it sustainable? 2. If everything is C2C is it sustainable? 3. What is the most sustainable office?
21st Century Trends Marriage of aesthetics and functions Adopting eco-conscious design Larger collaborationg and teaming areas Personalized office space Infection control Yoga rooms Collaboration spaces Mobility, flexibility, sustainability LESS PRIVACY MORE COLLABORATION
WEEK 10 ENVIRONMENT AND BEHAVIOR Score higher on tests if in same room as when the material was learned Warm colors attract us-like sitting in refuge areas Enjoy dappled light At a fundamental level places affect how we live our lives Always respect the people who will use your spaces Example: designers are much more likely to like a yellow-green than the general public (and orange) Reis (2004) 16 basic motives for humans Power Curiosity Independence Status Social contact Vengeance Honor Idealism Physical exercise Romance Family Order Eating Tranquility Acceptance Saving My top personal motives from this list would be family and tranquility. Universal features of well-designed spaces Comply with planned activity Communicates important information Comforting Challenging Continuing across time
The dappled light in this interior is preferable to a harsh bright light or no light at all.
Cognitive responses to sensory information Smell Lemon and jasmine improve mental tasks Peppermint improves performance of physical tasks Lavender reduces tension Oranges reduce anxiety Jasmine improves sleep Cinnamon-vanilla is linked to creativity Hearing Predictable rhythms are relaxing (30-50 beats per minute- less than a heart rate) 50-70 per minute invigorates us Seeing Color basics Cool-relaxing; warm invigorating Women more susceptible to saturation and brightness 43% of white Americans say blue is their favorite color, 40% Asian Americans, 33% African Americans, 35% Hispanic Americans Under warm light- take more risks, perform better on tests Under cool light- do not recall novel materials, experience more stress; males more likely to get into a better mood Improvements to studio Raising computers on stands to eye height Panels that you can pin up work on and block view of everything going on Ways to adjust desk height for sit/stand adjustments More room to move around (yoga ball)
WEEK 11 Anthropometrics: the study of human physical dimensions, capabilities, and limitations Ergonomics: concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely How is this info used? Studying the nature of machines and adapting people to them Modifying machines to make them easier and safer for people to use Behavior-setting research Human Factors in the workplace: Productivity & efficiency Employee satisfaction Health & Safety Improper body positioning can lead to health problems, such as carpal tunnel, scoliosis, eye stain, and muscle tension Perception of Comfort Discomfort –> Dissatisfaction Psychological wellbeing and physiological wellbeing are interrelated Several variables impact comfort Temperature, humidity, air movement, light levels, color, noise, and body positioning People are more aware when they are uncomfortable then when they are comfortable The energy crisis has presented a need to lessen our dependence on mechanical systems to maintain comfort within our built environment. How do you think developments in ergonomics Color Perception Blue seems farther away, orange seems closer, red stimulates, etc Barrier-free Environments Reduced Mobility Uneven surfaces (tripping) Stairs Doors (too heavy or too fast-closing) Wheelchair occupant Reaching from the seated position Turning radius Hearing impaired Clear visual signage Clarity of layout
Vision-impaired Same difficulties as walking-impaired Shadows create difficulties Contours difficult to see Eeflections cause discomfort Colors are not easily differentiate Blind Textures and sounds becoming more important Projections cause problems (bumping and tripping)- water fountains recessed in walls Cognitive Mapping The process used to interpret information about a relative location and its physical environment Images formed from: Personal experience Second-hand information Imagination CITY: orient based on continuous elements (river, street facades, prominent landmarks) RURAL: orient in relation to their home, the cardinal directions Individual Approaches emphasize the paths and the elements along them draw boundaries first and then fill in the maps draw a repetitive system- such as the grid layout of streets- and then fill it in draw districts first and then connect them first draw the nodal points and then fill in their surroundings City form vs. building form The way people orient themselves in a city and in a building are similar Importance of hierarchy, layout clarity, and signage to reduce confusion
WEEK 12 Environment and Behavior Theories of Human-Environment Relationship Social Learning Theories People are motivated to seek reinforcement Personality represents an interaction of the individual and the environment (outgoing- jump right in, reserved- sit back and watch) To really understand people we must know their life history and learning background Integration Theories- 5 elements that work together to facilitate a behavior 1. Global environment 2. Instigators (stimuli) 3. Supports and constraints 4. Goal objects and noxients 5. Directors (signage) Interactional theory Deterministic Transactional theory Organismic theory Control Theories Behavioral (have control over a part of the environment) Cognitive (how you think about an environment) Decisional (what you do to change it like moving things around) Psychological reactance Threats and freedoms Behavior Setting Theories Aperant conditioning Reinforcing behavior (ex: using cheese to make a mouse go through a maze, or being sustainable by saving electricity and having a bill that proves it) Synomorphy physical and social aspects of an environment should fit well together Behavior settings 1. Physical properties 2. Social components 3. The environment setting
Architectural Determinism Villa Savoye- minimalist living, but can’t force people to live that way (Seen to the right) Stimulation Theories The five senses Overstimulation (Hyper-)- high load Understimulation (hypo-)- low load (bored, sleepy) Threshold Different for different people and different generations Adaptation Level Theory Gradually changes environment load and people can adapt (Studio- starts beginning of the year very clean and organized, but at end of the year there is an accumulation of projects and stuff which raises the load) Collative Properties Novelty, incongruity, complexity, surprise, influence through hedonic tone and uncertainty arousal want to have a certain amount of pleasure and have some level of each thing above, but not too much (Each person is different) not too much stimulation Kaplan and Kaplan Preference Framework Coherence Legibility Mystery (around the corner) Kevin Lynch and Legibility Paths Edges Districts Nodes Landmarks Example: can always see Eiffel tower in Paris to orient yourself