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This study contributed to knowledge of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in assisted living facilities (ALFs) by examining staff satisfaction with the work environment, perceived productivity, and attitudes toward environmental sustainability in the workplace. An ALF Staff IEQ Survey was administered to staff (N = 94) at 12 ALFs, which were newly constructed or renovated within the last 10 years. Staff who participated in the survey were divided into three age groups (young, middle-aged, and older) and two categories of responsibilities (medical and nonmedical). The questionnaire was designed to incorporate the Occupant IEQ Survey (Center for the Built Environment, 2013) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating criteria. It comprised six IEQ categories: space layout, thermal comfort, air quality, lighting and views, acoustic quality, and facility cleanliness and maintenance. Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for data analysis. Results identified 23 IEQ factors in all IEQ categories that significantly contributed to staff productivity. Six IEQ factors in four IEQ categories (space layout, thermal comfort, lighting, and facility cleanliness) were significantly related to staff environmental attitudes. In addition, 12 IEQ factors within five IEQ categories (except lighting quality) were found to have notable differences by age discrepancy, whereas five IEQ factors of air quality and facility cleanliness were significantly different for medical and nonmedical staff. The findings of this study provide designers with prioritized demands and preferences for decision making in terms of improving the work environment for the health and well-being of ALF staff. By incorporating the paradigms of evidence-based design (EBD), human-centered design (HCD), and sustainable design (SD), this study proposes a new triadic framework to transition from the current resident-centered model in elder care to a multistakeholder-focused model.

This exploratory study examined interior design projects developed using conventional hand techniques and a hybrid tool set of digital and nondigital media for differences in the learning experience, workload, and design outcomes. Two groups of students were randomly assigned to either a hand‐generated section or a hand‐and‐digital section. They were asked to design a residential unit within a given village site. Following presentation of the designs, students rated the effectiveness of visualization and the workload of using each tool set, and professional evaluators rated the design solutions on esthetical, functional, environmental, and viewing aspects. Overall, the performance outcomes were ranked higher for the hybrid group on three of four outcomes. The evaluators also rated the combined use group outcomes higher than the hand‐only group. These findings suggest that the hybrid design approach has a productive place in the interior design curriculum and practice. Future research with larger samples and more sophisticated technology is needed to fully examine the potential for integrating mediated tools into the interior design profession.

By using the method of literature review, this paper introduces the popular theoretical models which have shown to better explain physical activity behaviors at a certain degree, summarizes the dominating theoretical models in the studies of physical activity behaviors of the elderly in China. In addition, shortcomings and future prospects are pointed out at the end.

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