Standards of architectural research should help to achieve research goals. One of the main goals of architectural re-search is to improve the quality of design. Design works are conducted by designers to meet the needs of clients. Reliable standards of architectural research should be developed by the teams including researchers, designers, and clients. These team members should work together to refine research questions, collect research data, and pro-vide feedback on research-informed design guidelines. These guidelines can be used in universities and in firms to promote design quality.

In summary, the research supported by the funds provided for the initial project, ‘Residential Site Plans and Older Adult Walking’, has significantly influenced the research agendas of the recipients. Their research works help to establish the baseline information and effective standards of evidence-based research for architectural design.

ABSTRACTS

EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH FOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: RESIDENTIAL SITE PLANS AND OLDER ADULTS WALKING

Zhe Wang, Ph.D., RA, LEED APMike Pukszta, AIACannon Design

Mardelle Shepley, D. Arch, AIA, LEED APTexas A&M University

Evidence-based research for architectural design is con-ducted in universities and in firms. The methodologies used in the AIA project have been applied in two univer-sity-based projects and one firm-based project to estab-lish baseline information for architectural research, with an emphasis on design for health. These projects involve both primary research and secondary research.

To further examine findings from the AIA project, an environment-behavior research project was completed at Texas A&M University to examine both neighborhood environments and site-level environments and their roles in promoting walking behaviors in older adults. To refine the methodologies for firm-based research, a proposal has been created for a Post-Occupancy Evaluation proj-ect at Cannon Design, with an emphasis on developing and using reliable research tools to support design prac-tices. Selected findings have been published nationally and internationally through peer-reviewed journal papers and conference presentations. The findings also have been translated into design guidelines and are introduced to students, designers and clients to enhance their designs and business.

Evidence-based Research for Architectural Design:Residential Site Plans and Older Adults Walking

Zhe Wang, Ph.D., RA, LEED APMike Pukszta, AIACannon Design

Mardelle Shepley, D. Arch, AIA, LEED APTexas A&M University

AIA Report on University Research Volume 5

1. Applications of Our Methodologies in Evidence-based Architectural Research

The project entitled ‘Residential Site Plans and Older Adults Walking’ was completed and published in Volume 2 of the AIA Report on University Research in 2006 (Wang et al., 2006). Since then, our methodologies have been used in three environment-behavior projects to establish baseline information for architectural research, with an emphasis on design for health.

The three projects are the ‘Nearby Outdoor Environmental Support of Older Adults’ Yard Activi-ties, Neighborhood Walking and Independent Living in the Community’, the ‘Bittle Lane Project for Seniors’ and the ‘Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) of Cancer Infusion Treatment Bays.’ The first two projects were completed at Texas A&M University, and the third one is in process at Cannon Design. Population groups participating in these projects include community-dwelling older adults and inpatients in healthcare facilities. Environments examined in these projects range from indoor spaces to nearby outdoor settings at the site level and at the neighborhood level. The methodologies applied to collect research data include questionnaire surveys, interviews, on-site observations, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Multivariate Logistic Regression Mod-els and Structural Equation Models were used to analyze research data in Statistical Packages for Social Sciences.

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2. Defining Reliable Standards of Architec-tural Research Standards of architectural research should help to achieve research goals. One of the main goals of architectural re-search is to improve the quality of design. Design works are conducted by designers to meet the needs of clients. To define reliable standards of architectural research, we invite designers and clients to join our research team. They help to refine research questions, collect research data, and provide feedback on research-informed design guidelines. Additionally, when publications and presenta-tions are interdisciplinary, they tend to contain less pro-fession-specific jargon, and therefore are more accessible.

For instance, in the POE project, research team members have conducted in-depth discussions about how to narrow down research topics in the context of cancer center de-sign (Pukszta, 2009, 2008). The team includes academic researchers, architects, interior designers, project plan-ners and client representatives. To define reliable prin-ciples of the evaluation, the team plans to meet medical doctors and patient representatives and their families to better understand their requirements for the treatment en-vironment. Design experiences accumulated in nine can-cer center projects completed by the firm will be shared in detail with the team. The team also plans to tour other cancer centers and collect opinions on environmental de-sign from colleagues. Team members will then conduct focus group activities and translate their research con-cerns into evaluation principles. These principles are ex-pected to be applied throughout the research, from ques-tionnaire development, pilot study to feedback collection. By conducting these primary research activities with de-signers and clients, we help to define reliable standards of architectural research.

Evidence-based Research for Architectural Design: Residential Site Plans and Older Adults Walking

Architectural research is generally related to variables from multiple disciplines, including interior design, landscape, planning, environmental psychology, public health, and sustainability. To make architectural research meaningful and effective, a literature review of these disciplines is necessary. Research team members need to be updated with the latest research findings and also familiar with innovative design precedents. To meet the needs, we constantly review academic journals and par-ticipant in design conferences. These secondary research activities help to define reliable standards of architectural research.

Based on research findings from the AIA project and a literature review, an article entitled ‘Support of Seniors Ageing in Place - Environmental Design Guidelines on Activity Promotion and Fall Prevention’ was completed and published by the AIA in 2008 (Wang, 2008c). A re-lated paper, ‘Site-level Environmental Support of Active Behavior and Fall Prevention for Seniors’ was published in the Seniors Housing & Care Journal in 2008 (Wang et al., 2008). To distribute these research findings, we have also made presentations at the Environmental Design Re-search Association international conference 38th, 39th, 40th; Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning’s 50th conference, and the AIA National Convention 2007, 2008 (Wang, 2008a, 2008b; Wang et al., 2009a; Wang et al., 2007).

3. Further Work To further examine findings from the AIA project, envi-ronment-behavior research was conducted at the site level and at the neighborhood level, with an emphasis on walk-ing in older adults. Walking benefits health and thus en-hances seniors’ independence. Previous studies show that environments affect walking behaviors, but these studies have focused on neighborhood environments, overlook-ing proximate site-level characteristics, which may have more direct impacts on walking. This research examines both the neighborhood and site-level environments and their roles in promoting walking in older adults.

A survey was conducted with 114 older adults in five assisted-living facilities in Houston, Texas (Figure 1). A subset of 61 participants’ environments was examined using GIS. Multivariate analyses identified variables as-sociated with walking at both the site-level (yard land-scaping and corner-lot type) and the neighborhood-level (walking destinations, safety from crime, and sidewalks). This research highlights the importance of including site-level environments in future studies on environment-walking relationships. Based on the findings, a paper en-titled ‘Site and Neighborhood Environments Associated with Walking in Older Adults’ has been completed and submitted to the journal Health and Place and is under peer review (Wang et al., 2009b).

Wang • Shepley • Pukszta

Figure 1: GIS Distance Map

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For instance, designers have realized the importance of the following design criteria on patients’ stress control: provision of interaction with other patients and/or guests without compromising the perception of privacy, posi-tive distractions, daylighting, visibility of staff, and guest accommodations. The POE study will examine the de-gree of success of these criteria and also clarify other sig-nificant design features for patients and for staff. Based on the results, bodies of writing that are suitable for pub-lication will be created, including academic papers and conference presentations. Topics of future research will also be clarified.

To further renew the methodologies used in the AIA proj-ect for firm-based research, we created a proposal for the POE project in the context of Cannon Design (Figure2). The firm began studying the design of cancer treatment infusion bays in 1999. Since then, designers have inter-viewed more than 400 cancer patients about their experi-ences of the treatment environments (Pukszta, M. 2007, 2006a, 2006b). They used the environmental understand-ing gained in the interviews to shape the design of three infusion centers. However, the validity of the research questionnaire used in the interviews is unknown and the review of academic research about cancer treatment envi-ronments has not been done. In the on-going POE project, we will work on the rebuild of the previous questionnaire and will conduct a pilot study to confirm its validity be-fore using it to collect data. These research activities will be based on an in-depth literature review of cancer center design. Statistical packages will be used to analyze re-search data for significant variables. The results will then be translated into design criteria used for future cancer centers.

Figure 2: POE Research

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4. Direct Use of Practitioners Applied Find-ingsOur research findings have been translated into design guidelines and are introduced to designers and clients to enhance their designs and business. They use the ev-idence-based design guidelines in architectural schools and in firms.

Collaborating with the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University and the Lena Mae Ferris Foundation, we conducted the Bittle Lane Project in Bryan, Texas in 2007. As a result of presenting research findings from the AIA project at the annual conference of the Foundation, we were invited to redesign the site-level environments of their existing senior living communities (Figure 3). Along with two professors, eleven students in a Master’s level design studio joined the redesign project. The prin-cipal investigator of the AIA project was a guest instruc-tor in the studio, who helped students use research find-ings to guide the design process. Five students were also invited to join the aforementioned environment-walking research as survey assistants. Through their participation, students achieved a better understanding of architectural research and how to use it to support their designs. Their projects received highly positive evaluations from client representatives, experienced architects and professors from multiple disciplines.

Figure 3: Bittle Lane Student Design Projects

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AcknowledgementsWe would like to thank Mr. Peter Hourihan, Director of Research at Cannon Design, for his valuable recommen-dations that improved the quality of this essay.

At Cannon Design, we have created a research academy to promote the use of research in design and to help inte-grate designers into research teams. Research activities in the academy will involve three stages: Understand Archi-tectural Research, Build the Data Base, and Create New Evidence. Evidence-based design guidelines and goal checklists will be developed and consulted at every stage of the design process. Valued opportunities will be pro-vided for designers to maximize their professional skills through the learning and doing of architectural research. As many designers may have become accustomed to intu-ition-based design, a spirit of using research to inform de-sign needs to be ignited in them. Instead of merely doing research for project teams, this academy will assist Can-non Design team members in developing critical thinking skills and independent inquiry. Project teams are expected to clarify their design strategies, ask research questions, review design precedents, summarize design experi-ences, and use evidence-based guidelines and checklists in the design process. The product of their research will be shared internally on a knowledge network, interlaced with an internal blog. Applicable areas range from health care, education, corporate and commercial, science and technology, to sports facilities.

In summary, the research supported by the funds provided for the initial project, ‘Residential Site Plans and Older Adult Walking’ has significantly influenced the research agendas of the recipients. The research methodologies have been applied in both university-based and firm-based projects. The research findings have been distrib-uted nationally and internationally through peer-reviewed journal papers and conference presentations. The findings have also been translated into design guidelines and en-hance projects and business. These help to establish the baseline information and effective standards of evidence-based research for architectural design.

Evidence-based Research for Architectural Design: Residential Site Plans and Older Adults Walking

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Wang, Z. (2008a). Nearby Outdoor Environmental Support of Seniors’ Physical Activities and Independence. In S. Haq, C. Hölscher & S. Torgrude (Eds.), Movement and Orientation in Built Environments: Evaluating Design Rationale and User Cognition, EDRA 39 (pp. 85). Boca del Rio, Veracruz, México: the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA).

Wang, Z. (2008b). Support of Ageing-in-place at Home, De-sign Guidelines. Paper presented at the 2008 Convention of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Boston, MA.

Wang, Z. (2008c). Support of Seniors Ageing in Place – Envi-ronmental Design Guidelines. AIA Soloso e-Journal, 1(Leader-ship), 1-6.

Wang, Z., & Lee, C. (2009a). Site and Neighborhood Environ-ments associated with Older Adults’ Walking. In Planning and Human Health & Safety - Proceedings of the 50th annual con-ference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (pp. 231). Crystal City, VI.: ACSP.

Wang, Z., & Lee, C. (2009b). Site and Neighborhood Environ-ments for Walking among Older Adults. Health & Place, In process.

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References

Wang, Z., & Rodiek, S. (2007). Residential Sites and Seniors’ walking. In J. M. Bissell (Ed.), Building Sustainable Commu-nities, EDRA38 (pp. 113). Sacramento, CA: the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA).

Wang, Z., Rodiek, S., & Shepley, M. (2006). Residential Site Environments and Yard Activities of Older Adults. In Report on University Research (Vol. 2, pp. 37-57). Washington, DC: The American Institute of Architects.

Wang, Z., & Shepley, M. (2008). Site-level Environmental Sup-port of Active Behavior and Fall Prevention for Seniors. Seniors Housing & Care Journal, 16(1), 97-121.

Pukszta, M. (2009). What Do My Cancer Patients Want? Pre-sented at the 2009 Annual Association of Cancer Executives Conference, San Diego, CA.

Pukszta, M. (2008). Cancer Center Environment Research. Pre-sented at the 2008 Healthcare Design Conference, Washington, D.C.

Pukszta, M. (2007). Is Satisfaction Satisfying? Presented at the 2007 Healthcare Design Conference, Dallas, TX.

Pukszta, M. (2006). A Change of Heart - Baptist Medical Cen-ter, Heart Hospital at Baptist. Healthcare Building Ideas, 2006 April.

Pukszta, M. (2006). Cancer Center Design for Today and To-morrow: A Catalyst for Quantum Change in Cancer Care. Inside ASHE, 2006 (3).

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