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Effects of given and user-set environmental conditions on the frequency of use ���� * Shunsuke ITOH Frequency and patterns of use of shared multipurpose spaces in open-plan schools were studied. Effects of environmental conditions categorized in two kinds, given conditions individual teachers do not have control over and user-set conditions teachers as building users determine, were analyzed. Purposes of and ways of arranging the use of multipurpose spaces differed between teachers using the space more/less frequently. Teachers who used the space more often used the space not only for activities that require larger spaces but also to break down class sizes. Multipurpose spaces were used less when there were more classes sharing the space. There was a strong correlation between furniture layout and frequency of use. When the furniture was set to articulate the space and provide more affordances, the space was used more often. Use of multipurpose spaces was affected by the given conditions and in turn, user-set conditions and habitual use patterns within the given situation reciprocally encouraged (or discouraged) the use of spaces.

In Japan, after a brief stay at a temporary shelter immediately following a disaster, disaster victims (DVs) are provided temporary housing (TH), which precedes permanent recovery housing. Procurement, design, and allocation of TH are standardized and done using an outsider's (etic) perspective and considerations. The research questions for this study were: What were the lived experiences of DVs having to live in the TH supplied? How could life in TH be made more comfortable through design and planning? This research was conducted from a local person's (emic) perspective and focused on lived experiences, fit, coping, and adjustments. To uncover and understand what was important to the DV a Naturalistic Field Research method was used which involved fieldwork, on-site observations, and interviews. Important learnings included the following: Lived experience in TH was made difficult by their unsuitable, inconvenient, and impractical design, which lacked appropriate consideration of residents’ needs as well as cultural and religious practices. Adequate privacy was not provided by the nature of the construction. Though modifications were not permitted at most TH, unauthorized do-it-yourself modification efforts were made by DVs to improve their quality of life. Theoretical considerations and pragmatic implications are described in the concluding discussion.

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