Methodology for teaching anthropometry in the first year architectural design studio

Abstract

Architectural Education is a multifaceted field that integrates human values, sustainability, environmental factors, technology, and more into building design to satisfy human needs. It deals with human activities and the spaces required to perform those activities. Architectural design forms the core subject in architectural education and holds a place in every year of the five-year program, with increasing complexity and focus. The first year forms the foundation of the program, which focuses on basic design and anthropometry. Anthropometry, the study of human body dimensions and proportions, is an important domain of ergonomics that focuses on human-centered design. The aim of this research paper is to understand the relevance of anthropometry in design and develop a systematic process for teaching anthropometry in the first-year architectural design studio. The results conclude that the process should involve step-by-step design stages for the students to have a thorough understanding of anthropometry and its application in architecture so that they can design spaces of different typologies with the human being as the center of design.