¶ … Edr What is Environmental Design Research?

Design and art can accept scientific principles

Environmental Design Research (EDR) = the study of the mutual relationships between human beings and the physical environment at all scales, and applications of the knowledge thus gained to improving the quality of life through better informed environmental policy, planning, design, and education. (passive and active definition)

EDR is related to many other areas of the social sciences

EDR is NOT:

building science or structural engineering

Design practice

Eg. An architect does research to apply to a single building project, but EDR applies research to things like job satisfaction and other measurable results that advance the whole field.

EDR Is:

Basic Research (generation, discovery of knowledge)

Applied Research (answering specific questions related to specific social policy or context)

Research Applications (apply research to policy, plans, designs)

**Must communicate results to policy/professional applications

EDR = Environmental Psychology = Environmental Behavior Studies

2. History and Impact of the Field

Systematic research began in 1950s:

Firey (1945) study city symbolism in sociology

Lewin (1946) child behavior and total situation

Wright (1947) geog study of changing mental conceptions

Festinger, Shacter, Back (1950) social psychology of development of informal groups in university housing as a function of design factors

Barker & Wright (1955) relationship of behavior to characteristics in small towns

Sommer & Ross (1958) territoriality in geriatric wards

Hall (1959)silent language and hidden dimensions of behavioral and perceived space in diff cultures

1960s and 1970s -- became one of fastest growing areas in psychology, architecture, anthropology

Rappaport (1969) -- relation of culture to house form

Lynch (1960) -- image of city

Larson (1965) bibliography

Gans (1959) -- study of life, space, housing of immigrant groups

Altman & Haythorne (1967) -- ecology of isolated groups

Stea (1969) -- cognitive mapping

MIT 1968 meeting -- first International Conference of the Design Methods Group

Architectural Psychology Newsletter + Design Methods Group = Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA)

EDRA first meeting in 1969**

Annual publication of EDRA = Proceedings

EDRA = oldest, largest organization in the world dedicated to environmental-behavior-design studies and its applications

Journal Environment and Behavior, started in 1969 and published...

1981 IAPS
Research showing the ratio of personnel to capital costs in major corporations = 30:1

First year costs = 2:1 between salaries and construction

Over 25-year life span, capital costs drop to less than 3% of total operating costs of large corporations

**establishes clear causal relationship between design of office environment and productivity of office workers

Job satisfaction affects productivity

Lower absenteeism

Lower turnover rates

Fewer grievance actions

Office environment important to job satisfaction

Privacy

Lighting

Furniture

Making investments in environment can yield cost benefits overall

Schorr, 1963, Slums and Social Insecurity

Housing impacts:

Perception of self

Stress level

Health

Social security v. insecurity

Elements of Housing most important:

Design and adequacy of house

Phys. Structure of Neighborhood

Amount and character of planned open space

II. Schorr's work led to creation of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

HUD sees poverty within EDR framework

Vandalism and Crime Research:

Vandalism less likely in schools when:

Aesthetically pleasing

Good maintenance

Location of diverse usage

Natural surveillance

Area of high illumination

Led to redesigning schools

III. Newman's studies on vandalism

4 Major factors contribute to REDUCED vandalism:

natural surveillance well-defined territories image of security and upkeep proximity to safe zones

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design Program (developed by U.S. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration)

IV. Nursing Homes

Dramatic increase in mortality rate among elderly forced to move from one home to another ("transfer trauma")

Civil rights related legislation -- linked to environmental design research and the elderly led to bills and laws

US Consumer Protection Safety Commission

Stairs and children's playground -- in top ten of all consumer accidents

Research accidents and redesign stairs

V. American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Voluntary standards for building accessibility (visually and physically handicapped)

National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code, 1976

Conclusion: EDR = Basic and applied (research + application in law)

3. Goals, Values, Orientations

EDR…