theory

Course Description:

This course builds on Introduction to Design and Behavior, and seeks to advance the students’ understanding of issues bearing upon the interface between human behavior and physical design in general, and to illuminate the ways in which behavioral studies can improve the quality of the built environment.

Introduction to Environmental Design, design and behavior

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to create awareness of and an introduction to issues in environmental design in general, interior and exterior architecture and design.  Including: health, safety and security, functional requirements, social/psychological comfort, design for the disabled, open space planning, human and design behavior patterns.

Analysis of space use in a public space or exterior building, Outline of Data Collection Tool

Text: Preiser, Wolfgang, Rabinowitz, Harvey, White, Edward, Post Occupancy Evaluation, New York; Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1988

Location

Purpose

Diagram of space

Overall evaluation

Technical elements of space performance

Safety/ fire safety (define perceived issues of safety and security, fire resistance of major structural elements, fire extinguishments and containment, flame spread, smoke generation, toxicity of burning materials, and ease of egress in case of fire)

Structure (structural properties, strength of materials, connections and durability attributes)

Sanitation and ventilation (elements of plumbing and ventilation)

Electrical (existing adequacy as well as future flexibility)

Exterior walls (weathering, fading, moisture and wind infiltration, buckling, cracking, cleanability, and erosion, uses and abuses

Roofs (design, construction, maintenance)

Interior finishes (fading, evenness of surfaces, durability/ overuse, replaceability, resistance to vandalism, and cleanability

Illumination (quality and quantity of illumination, or evaluation of natural lighting effects, is daylight introduced? is there a view out?)

Environmental control systems (thermal comfort, airflow)

Consideration of internal and external factors

Functional elements of building performance (access for personnel and equipment, security, parking, adequate spatial capacity for the activities to be accommodated)

Human factors (dimensions and configuration of the designed environment to match occupant’s physiological needs and physical dimensions.

Storage (type, size, location and distribution of storage)

Communication and workflow (adequacy of traffic flow, areas of congestion or cross traffic)

Flexibility and change (adequacy)

Specialization with building types (match location, amount of square footage, level of finish, types of amenities, image and configuration to specific building type and direct competition

Behavioral elements of building performance

Proxemics and territoriality (ability to obtain culturally acceptable interpersonal distances and define space

Privacy and interaction (physical, visual, aural)

Environment perception (over or under stimulating)

Image and meaning

Environmental cognition and orientation (way finding)

Internal and external influences