1. Topic 11: Designing More Fitting Environments

2. What is social design?
Social design research involves studying how settings can best serve human desires and requirements.
Social Design versus Formal design

3. Social Design vs Formal Design
Formal design favors an approach that may be described as:-
large scale,
corporate,
high cost,
exclusive,
authoritarian,
tending to high-tech solutions, and concerned with…..
style,
ornament,
the paying client,
and a national or international focus.

4. Social Design vs Formal Design
Tendency of a Social Design:
small scale,
human oriented,
low cost,
inclusive,
democratic,
tending to appropriate technology,
concerned with
meaning and context,
the occupant as well as the paying client,
a local focus

5. Architecture as Art
Environments should, of course, be both beautiful and functional for their occupants

6. The principal players in building include
the client (who puts up the money)
the designer (architect, planner)
the engineer (on larger projects)
the everyday building user, occupant, or visitor

7. Social design research has become necessary in industrial and postindustrial societies.
Its Roles are:
To establish and to facilitate communication among the principal players in the design process.
To remind everyone involved that the everyday building user is one of the principal players

8. Social Research in the Design Process
The Goals
Social design researchers & practitioners goals are to:
Create physical settings that match the needs and activities of their occupants (habitability, congruence, or goodness of fit
Satisfy the building users
Change behavior
Enhance the occupant’s personal control
Facilitate social support
Employ imageability

9. Stages in the Design Process
Programming (Analysis)
Design (Synthesis)
Construction (Realization)
Use (Reality Testing)
Evaluation (Review): Post occupancy Evaluation–Dimensions

10. Stages in the Design Process
1. Programming (Analysis)
Understand users by analyzing the users’ needs This analysis should involve multiple methods such as surveys and interviews of occupants

11. Stages in the Design Process
2. Design (Synthesis)
Formulating Design Guidelines  six workplace design guidelines
Shelter and security
Social contact
Task instrumentality
Symbolic identification
Growth
Pleasure
Guidelines must be transformed into building plans

12. Stages in the Design Process
3. Construction (Realization)
Building the project and modifying plans under changing constrains
The architectural plans are turned into wood, concrete, glass and steel
Designers oversees construction  ensure plans are faithfully executed

13. Stages in the Design Process
4. Use (Reality Testing)
Moving in and adapting the environment
Building are finally occupied

14. Stages in the Design Process
5. Evaluation (Review): Post occupancy
Evaluation–Dimensions
Monitoring the final product in terms of objectives and use  ideally to be translated into future design criteria.
Post occupancy evaluations vary along four dimensions:
Size
Generality
Breadth of focus
Application timing