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?