The impact of buildings and urban design on human health and performance has been documented through more than forty years of scientific research. The Hx Lab integrates this human experience research into the design process to improve environmental quality, respond to human health emergencies, and ensure occupants are functioning optimally. We explore design strategies for diverse spaces including clinical, academic, and workplace using bespoke surveys and tailored sensor applications. With collaborations and cutting-edge tools, we are demonstrating the value of human-centered design.
The primary focus of this study is to determine how design decisions may influence human behavior. Specific characteristics of four recently built student residences at the University of British Columbia (UBC) will be evaluated. Each residence is a tower typology of roughly the same size and scale. Different design characteristics are present in each tower... Read more »
Immersive Virtual Reality and Telemedicine is already in use by several Healthcare Institutions, but Architects and Designers, Governing Bodies, and Regulations may not be all in sync with the evolution of treatment methods. Some States and Countries are more prepared than others. However, we are still designing centralized Clinics and Hospitals for physical interaction with... Read more »
This research proposal is for the development, fabrication and preliminary evaluation of an experimental wearable, ‘pentachromic’ circadian light tracker prototype. By doing so, it would then be possible to record ‘pentachromic’ circadian illuminance indicators for a building’s occupant’s lighting environment alongside responses to intermittent polling targeting information a user’s alertness, cognitive function, psychological state-of mind... Read more »
Eve Edelstein was one of three experts invited to address the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) regarding the impact of architecture and design on the brain. As part of the Neuroscience and Society lecture series, a collaboration between the Dana Foundation and AAAS, Eve spoke of translating research on the effects of... Read more »
Eve Edelstein and Ruchi Masand spoke to UCSF Students, Postdocs, and Faculty about “Neuro-Architecture” and how they can apply the scientific method and their scientific training to develop disruptive design solutions.
The open office has been a central theme in contemporary workplaces, reasoned to provide flexibility, natural light, supervision, cost savings, transparency, democracy, and collaboration. While almost 70% of US workers occupy open plan or open seating settings (International Facility Management Association, 2010), this design strategy remains contentious (Kim & de Dear 2013). These settings may... Read more »
This article discusses the importance of perception of spaces, and involvement with spaces during the design process. Over the last decade, mapping the relationship of architectural spaces to human experience has become popular as a successful design methodology. The beginning phase of the design process is characterized by perceptual integrity; unfortunately, this integrity often fades... Read more »
“Sky garden” is the term given for vertically stacked, three-story tall landscaped interaction hubs, flanked by formal and informal conference spaces. The design intent of the sky garden is to create an environment that serves as a tool for increasing business performance. A literature review was conducted to determine if that premise is supported by... Read more »
In a diverse design practice such as Perkins+Will, we have found recent trends in interior design that reach across market sectors that appear to link aspects of environmental design to improvements in productivity, health and learning capacity. Several common attributes or trends are found to occur in all project types, regardless of the particular functionalities... Read more »
This article explores various educational theories, research and factors that can be correlated to or have an impact on the physical spaces in which learning takes place. As school design and planning becomes more in tune with the influences that affect education, the connection between physical space and the learning process becomes more relevant. Drawing from sources such... Read more »
Robin Guenther kicks of the Living Product Expo with a compelling talk about the building materials economy and the ease with which it is possible to ignore the cascading negative human and planetary health consequences.
