Thursday, June 14, 2012

Evidence-Based Design


What is Evidence-Based Design you may ask?

The basic definition of Evidence Based Design can be defined as design decisions made regarding a physical space based on prior studies, research, and data.

Two Spaces that use Evidence Based Design the Most Include:
1.      Healthcare facilities
2.      Schools
       Others spaces include:
-          Shopping/retail facilities such as malls, restaurants, prisons, museums, offices, and even residences.
The list is endless because Evidence Based Design can be used in any type of design situation. “There is no single area of design that could not benefit from this type of knowledge and information,” says Amy Lopez, IIDA, AAHID, Principal in Charge of Marketing and Business Development, WHR Architects, Houston.

Reasons for using Evidence Based Design:
In healthcare environments it could:
-         speed up the recovery process
-         help patients have a more enjoyable and comfortable stay in what is usually a stark, depressing environment
-         help them to stay more positive
-         improve their mood

Evidence-Based Design fits in perfectly with the health care industry because, just like in health care, many studies, lots of research and regulated laws and standards from the government are at the heart of the culture.

In Schools it could improve:
-          productivity
-          behavior
-          safety, and many others

A 2009 study performed by Herman Miller showed that the adaptability of classrooms — such as seating, furniture and operable windows — actually heightened the learning experience. -Greg Zimmerman

“We have to realize that in order to better understand how design affects us, we have to develop exact measures of built form and space,” says John Peponis, professor in the College of Architecture at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “This is so that we can be as precise about ‘design causes’ as we want to be about ‘functional effects.’”

References provided by:
Evidence-Based Design: From Health Care to Other Buildings?
By Greg Zimmerman, Executive Editor, November 2009

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