Annotated Bibliography II
Environment Behavior Research
Professor: Nora Rubinstein, Ph.D.
Graduate Candidate: Christopher Parrish
September 25th, 2011
Works Cited
Panero, J., & Zelnik, M. (1979). Human Dimension and
Interior Space: A Source Book of Design Reference Standards.
Watson-Guptill.
Metrics that inform the designer about
appropriate sizes for the wide range of human dimensions illustrate the
diversity of human form and needs.
·
Global
military forces provide much of the data available on anthropometrics due to
the costly and laborious processes involved.
·
“…
the ten most important dimensions to obtain are in order: height; sitting
height; buttock-knee and buttock-popliteal lengths; breadths across elbows and
hips, seated; knee and popliteal heights; and thigh clearance height.” (Damon
et al)
·
There
are no “average” dimensions for the human body; the hand, the leg, the arm
length can all be different and not conform to a set scale. The idea of an average human is not possible.
Since much of the data available is
taken from military sources, the information, however useful, is limiting. Human dimensionality should be considered per
environment and work to providing the widest usage possible.
Ulrich, R. S. (1992). How design impacts wellness. The
Healthcare Forum Journal, 35(5), 20-25.
Sustainability of the physical environment impacts the
sustainability of the social environment; if people are supported by their
surroundings they will preform at an optimal level. Supportive design can impact wellness through
both psychological and physiological changes in the built environment.
·
The
benefits of instituting supportive design can reduce hospital stays, reduce
pain medicine usage, foster a sense of control by patients, and create an
optimal functionality for an aging population.
·
Aging
populations require attention in: sign legibility (letter size and
illumination), the use of subtle colors that may be affected by a yellowing of
the lens in the eye (blues, greens, and neutrals), higher ambient illumination,
reducing glare, uneven contrast of lighting, lighting control, sound
absorption, noise reduction, appropriate furniture (with arms), and handrails.
·
Scenes
of nature (view out window) and representative nature (artwork) appear to have
a positive impact on patient recovery and reduce hospital stays. Abstract
artwork has the opposite effect.
Lang, J. (1987). Creating Architectural Theory: The Role
of the Behavioral Sciences in Environmental Design. Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Connecting anthropometrics and ergonomics with cultural and
psychological considerations creates a link between the physical and
psychic. There is evidence based both on
science and conjecture connecting issues of anthropometrics, ergonomics, human
metabolism, lighting levels, color perception, sound and noise, barriers, and
personality with the built environment.
·
Anthropometrics,
both static and dynamic, should be used to consider the range of motion and
appropriate scale of the built environment.
·
Human
metabolism influences the comfort range at different temperatures and humidity
levels. This can be addressed through
both passive and technical instruments that effect indoor climate. “There has
been a reaction to this, particularly when highly technical equipment has been
used in lieu of the thoughtful design use of projecting surfaces, screens,
vegetation, and other low-technology means of maintaining comfort levels.”
·
Illumination
levels impact comfort and aid in the delineation of space. Dappled sunlight with varying degrees of
contrast may be more welcoming than sharp, high to low, illumination
levels. The use of contrasting light
levels to delineate walkways from other work/display areas can be an effective
use of illumination levels.
·
Color
perception can be largely influenced by culture and personal psychology. Responses to color through emotions, history,
and physiology can all be subjective to change from one culture or group to
another. There exist consistencies of
perceptions such as colors that recede or advance and that are warm or cold.
·
Sound
and noise and their acoustical qualities can be used to enhance or agitate the
ability to preform in spaces such as noise in an office can detract from the
task at hand while the shape of a concert hall can support a musical
performance.
·
Physical
barriers exist for many people from lack of mobility, hearing, or sight. Creating Barrier-Free environments through
consideration of strength, mechanical apparatus, and visual/sound acuity are
essential to supportive spaces for humans.
·
Personality
may be influenced by body type and physical space / environment. There is evidence to suggest that the
physical parameters of the body may have psychological impacts such as skill
development.
Ideas of comfort and perception are equally important
matters in the built environment. How
much discomfort is acceptable to a given population? Are there times when comfort can be
sacrificed for aesthetics? How is personality influenced by body size (i.e.
Michael Phelps, an Olympic gold medalist in swimming has a large torso that
gives him an advantage or predisposition in the sport)?
Weber, R. N. (1997). Manufacturing Gender in Commercial and
Military Cockpit Design. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 22(2),
235-253.
Cockpit design is limiting to the advancement of women in the
aeronautics field due to a lack of anthropometric consideration and
implementation.
·
Both
the U.S. military and the private sectors lack accommodations in the physical
environment of the cockpit to allow a wide range of body types (particularly female
body types) to operate aircraft. The
military has been more proactive in creating regulations that are inclusive of
female anthropometrics than their commercial counterparts who may only be willing
to change due to fear of litigation.
·
Women
are denied access to career advancement not because of capability or aptitude
but due to the poor design of the cockpit and a resistance of
manufactures/clients to invest the capital in accommodating a range of human
dimensions from seating heights to arm reaches.
·
Available
anthropometric data for women is very old (1940 Department of Agriculture
survey conducted for clothing dimensions) which is further evidence of a bias
and neglect of the female body and its “fit” to the built environment. Investment is required to make the future
more equitable for female physiology.
It could be argued that there are other substantive reasons
why cockpits are designed with the current size limitations beyond a gender
bias. It is clear that men who do not
fall within the range of operational sizes are also disqualified from operating
aircraft. Is the cockpit design a type
of discrimination against women or are there reasonable reasons (beyond time
and economic reasons) that exclude certain body types from operating aircraft?
Epp, G. (1980). Furnishing the unit from the viewpoint of
the elderly, the designer and hud.
In this article, amounts, types, and layouts of furniture in
the elderly one bedroom public housing apartment are considered and explored
through the different vantage points of interior designers, interior design
students, HUD requirements, and actual survey data.
·
Elderly
residents tended to arrange furniture along perimeter walls and in a manner
that would display each piece.
·
Designers
and students “floated” furniture to create zones of use in design explorations
and studies.
·
The
professionals, students, and HUD requirements fell short of anticipating the
furniture needs of the elderly by approximately 50%.
·
This
study points to the furniture needs of the elderly being unfulfilled by the
current minimum requirements set forth by HUD.
An interesting question to consider with this reading is
weather “good” design is achieved through responding to how the elderly are
arranging furniture in their apartments.
The current arrangement of furniture within the dwelling may be the
result of other factors than the needs of the residents. The elderly residents are not trained
professionals and may not “see” the benefits of alternative furniture
arrangements. It may be a simple view
that a dining table should be next to the kitchen; that does not make it the
best choice. The table could “double” as
a multi-use surface that separates perceived areas in the apartment and
maximizes the effectiveness of the furniture and space. It is important to consider what items are
currently in use and what function they play in service to the occupants.
A problem with this study is that the professional and/or
student designers did not consult the elderly users. Through an information gathering session, the
designers may have been able to determine which items were most important to
the elderly and what aspects of their current layouts they liked or
disliked. Afterwards, the designers may
have been able to suggest alternatives that the elderly would like and think of
as a benefit to their living environment.
It is a flawed process to base the needs of the elderly solely on the
current layouts of their apartments.
It is clear that a thorough evaluation of the elderly’s
furniture needs is crucial to adequately providing square footage for bedrooms,
living rooms, and kitchens. Architects
and interior designers should consider furniture layouts in conjunction with
apartment layouts in order to meet the needs of the populations they are
providing for.
Monaghan, P. (2000, April 7). Modern Play Spaces May Be
Safe, but They’re Stultifying, Some Experts Say. The Chronicle of Higher
Education. Retrieved from
http://chronicle.com/article/Modern-Play-Spaces-May-Be/6750/
Play spaces allow children to form social, cultural, and
political identities.
·
The
“erosion of children’s autonomous play” does not enhance child development.
·
It
is through transitional spaces (play) where children rationalize the external
world.
·
Social
reproduction, the passing along of social values, is diluted when play is
institutionalized.
The settings in which children play today are very different
from a generation ago. With franchises
like Chuck E. Cheese and corporate daycare facilities, today’s youth are
receiving very different signals about their environment. Does this change of place affect the
recognition of self? Technology and
media are bombarding children daily with messages; are these messages diluting
their sense of self? Does this shift
away from “autonomous play” to structured afterschool programs and recreational
facilities remove children from their ancestral culture into a more globalized
one? If children are no longer allowed to explore on their own, will they have
weakened problem-solving skills, will they be able to ask the right questions?
What does it say about our culture if we are moving children away from what we
know and into an unknown?
