Facade Design & Pedestrians in the Built Environment

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 FACADE DESIGN IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Urban spaces and architecture have developed since antiquity. This development has carried historic themes and contemporary trends as the basis for creating the modern image of a city. With change as a constant variable in the age of architecture, the built environment has simulated a series of façade design styles that can be seen as a product of past movements in union with the notion of combining art, science, and new technologies (Górka, 2019). In most cases, the functionality of indoor illumination, acoustics, or thermal comfort of the user, has created the space for designers to be creative in their approach towards the subject matter and innovative in what they design and construct of an exterior building envelope. Within this, researchers and practice professionals have extensively sought out methods in which building facades can contribute to energy savings, mitigate environmental impact, meet occupant needs, and reflect the identity and traditions of place. On the contrary, few researchers have taken into consideration how the characteristics of façade design are liable in impacting pedestrian’s health and wellbeing (Bornioli et al., 2018; Hollander and Anderson, 2020; Lindal and Hartig, 2013).

It is recognised that over 90% of public transport journeys in cities include at least two walking trips, from which travellers spend 45–50% of their travel time as pedestrians (Hillnhütter, 2016). Within this, several health and wellbeing benefits can be expected due to improved environmental qualities and the increase of walking activity (Jeong et al., 2018). What arises within the contemporary innovation of façade design, is that often newly designed buildings, their aesthetics, form, colour, materials, and architectural solid, lead to issues such as visual or thermal discomfort, distaste, confusion, or anxiety (Bornioli et al., 2018; Hollander and Anderson, 2020; Ishak et al., 2021). To neglect the conception of pedestrian health and wellbeing as an added function of the building façade would mean to deny individuals the right to a healthy and giving city.

While a façade should verily continue to testify to the quality of solutions and functionality of an overall building design, there yet remains a need to understand what type of building façade characteristics cause pedestrians visual disturbance, confusion, or anxiety – and in opposition what characteristics of the exterior building envelope can contribute to conducive health and wellbeing through matters of visual comfort, curiosity, and excitement. From such, can policy and practice continue to recognise its audience holistically, and in effect respond to bettering the needs of the people who make up the city.