“In-Between Area” Design Method: An Optimization Design Method for Indoor Public Spaces for Elderly Facilities Evaluated by STAI, HRV and EEG

Abstract

The indoor public spaces of most elderly facilities in China have a monotonous space form, which, thus, causes low comprehensive performance and is less likely to satisfy participants’ various requirements. This study proposes an optimization design method of “In-Between Area” for a space form operation to improve the performance of indoor public spaces. First, two models were established: Model A to reflect current indoor public spaces and Model B to represent the indoor public spaces designed by using the “In-Between Area” method. Second, a walk-through video was created from each model, with a duration of 196 s. Subjective assessment (STAI) data and objective physiological data (HRV and EEG), were collected from 40 participants while they were watching walk-through videos. The comparison analysis showed statistically significant differences between Model A and Model B. The results of STAI, HRV and EEG proved that the “In-Between Area” method, as an optimization design method, created a more pleasant and comfortable environment for the elderly and improved the overall efficiency of the indoor space.

From Stressful to Mindful: Reactions to a Proposed Emergency Department Design for Enhancing Mindfulness and Stress Reduction Among Healthcare Clinical Staff

“…Previous studies used walk-through simulation methods to study participant behavior or reaction to different qualities of simulated environments for various purposes. Examples are experimental examinations of the impact of different lighting conditions or different interior layouts and perceived crowding on shopping intentions in retail spaces (Alawadhi & Yoon, 2016; Lin & Yoon, 2015), the impact of different designs of indoor public spaces in senior living facilities on psychological (e.g., anxiety) and physiological (e.g., heart rate) outcomes (H. Wang et al, 2022), and the difference between subjective preferences for buildings with different architectural geometries (Hobbs et al, 2015). In addition, some clinical and psychological studies have used this method to examine the impact of doorways with different widths on cognitive performance among people with shared diagnoses (Waechter et al, 2015) and to explore differences in navigation abilities by evaluating several psychometric and self-reported measures from college students who took different outdoor between-building pathways in virtual walk-throughs (Weisberg et al, 2014).…”

Indoor Environmental Quality and Occupant Comfort

“…IEQ has significant impacts on occupants, both psychologically and physiologically. Researchers have conducted studies on public buildings, such as offices [21], schools [22,23], shopping malls [24], hotels [25,26], and elderly facilities [27], by using a variety of methods, including field measurements, simulations, behavioral observations, questionnaires, and interviews, as well as tools such as virtual reality (VR) and electroencephalography (EEG). Some interesting findings deserve attention: interior natural lightscapes can influence physiological indicators [21], whereas colors can impact emotional indicators [22,25].…”

Well-Being as an Effective Aspect in the Perception of Vital In-between Spaces within Art and Architecture Faculties

“…Among these factors, less attention has been paid to the potential and possibilities regarding in-between spaces in contemporary discourse [4]. This seems to be more critical when exploring educational spaces, as in-between spaces have the potential to be more than mere circulation or leftover spaces [5,6]. In the context of education, inbetween spaces (entrance halls, foyers, hallways, and stairs) are often overlooked as design opportunities [5,6].…”

“…This seems to be more critical when exploring educational spaces, as in-between spaces have the potential to be more than mere circulation or leftover spaces [5,6]. In the context of education, inbetween spaces (entrance halls, foyers, hallways, and stairs) are often overlooked as design opportunities [5,6]. They are frequently reduced in the design as far as standards will allow since they are seen just as service spaces for a functional need and as a way to connect the spaces.…”