Healthcare collaboration is crucial for reducing medical errors and ensuring patient safety, and effective collaboration is closely linked to visibility. However, research on how floor plans affect visibility among healthcare members (VHM) in inpatient care units is still insufficient, complicating architectural design decisions. This stems from the lack of methods to assess VHM in inpatient care units, where healthcare members' movements continuously alter their relative positions and visual relationships.
This study proposes a novel method integrating agent-based simulation and social network analysis to assess VHM. The method first collects behavioral data from healthcare members to execute agent-based simulation. Subsequently, the simulated positions of healthcare members are used to construct visibility networks. Finally, social network analysis is applied to evaluate the VHM.
The findings indicate: (1) the “multi-ring + branching” corridor shape exhibits the highest visibility; (2) shared staff stations improve visibility across different healthcare professionals; (3) spatial relationships between nurse stations and assigned patient rooms affect visibility disparities; (4) mobile nursing stations and interconnected support areas enhance visual communication across disparate zones.
This research provides the first quantitative analysis of floor plan effects on VHM. The proposed method offers broad applicability for enhancing visibility assessment, improving healthcare collaboration and reducing medical errors.
This paper investigated how Yoruba architectural philosophy was expressed and communicated through their vernacular architecture, despite its gradually diminishing presence in modern times. A mixed-method approach involving questionnaire, interview, and observation checklist was adopted to achieve this. Using the stratified random sampling technique, a sample size of 240 respondents was selected. Of these, 168 copies of the questionnaire were returned, resulting in a 70% response rate. A structured interview was also conducted, which provided a clearer understanding of the architectural philosophy behind Yoruba vernacular architecture. To present the results of the analysis conducted using SPSS, tables, and charts were created and incorporated into the report. The study found out that Yoruba vernacular architecture expresses a range of architectural philosophies beyond aesthetics and art form. However, many of these philosophies are at risk of going into extinction due to the demolition and renovation of traditional buildings. This highlights the importance of preserving and promoting Yoruba architectural heritage in modern designs, to ensure the preservation of its cultural significance. The study concluded that it is crucial to integrate these traditional elements into contemporary architecture, to allow the Yoruba architectural philosophy to continue to be expressed and communicated to future generations.
How to learn from vernacular heritage and apply its lessons to contemporary architecture is not a recent concern. Admiration towards popular buildings can be traced back to key figures of the Modern Movement. Furthermore, later critical stances on the consequences of modernity drew even a closer, though rarely noticed link to this question. Aldo van Eyck's Configurative Discipline, Amos Rapoport's culturally specific design, John F. C. Turner's advocacy for self-construction, Sergio Ferro's Aesthetics of Separation, and Christopher Alexander's Pattern Language, all seemed to seek a sense of unity in the architectural process that could, indeed, be verified in the traditional ways of doing. The revision and comparison of their ideas, in light of the values of vernacular heritage, aims to identify general variables that influence the creation of the environment and whose integral consideration could lead to that underlying principle of unity. As a result, collective predispositions of cultural, political, and material order, or more personal reactions related to emotion, habitability, or economy are distilled to build a preliminary conceptual framework. This framework is coherent with recent findings and current trends in the field and may serve to identify possible paths of action for the future.
In response to the lack of objective evaluation criteria for interpreting the spatial scales of historical streets, as well as the problem of fragmented and complex textures, this research proposes an analysis method for assessing the spatial scaling effects using the Ping Ge type map. Drawing on the Ping Ge cartographic methods from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it connects ancient measurement systems with objective evaluation criteria based on object relations and utilizes surveying maps from the Republic of China (1912-1949) to clarify temporal attributes of texture. The study employs a typical case study to demonstrate the feasibility of using the Ping Ge type map in interpreting historical streets. By creating the Ping Ge type map of the East-West Street in Quanzhou Ancient City and utilizing form diagrams, it reveals patterns such as scale multiplications within respective plots, transformations in linear sequences of streets, and increases or decreases in plot series scales. The case analysis indicates that the Ping Ge type map effectively uncover the spatial scaling characteristics of historical street layouts in China and can transform them into design resources that preserve the inner order of cities, thereby promoting spatial scaling awareness in the planning and design of regional architectural clusters.
The municipality of Ronda, in Spain, has a rich architectural heritage, treasured by its inhabitants over the centuries. Among its numerous buildings of great heritage value, one stands out: the monumental bridge that rises above the precipice of the plateau on which this city sits. It is known as the New Bridge. This unique 18th-century engineering work favoured the expansion and growth of Ronda's population, also affecting its urban development. Currently, it continues to serve as a link between the original city centre and its expansion areas beyond the walls. This research addresses the reasons why this bridge was constructed, as well as the circumstances that marked its different construction phases. In addition, different hypotheses are put forward on how its physiognomy might have been, in the case that each of the different projects proposed for the bridge had been carried out in its entirety. All of this has led to the conclusion that the morphology of this bridge was not the result of a single design, but rather responds to the various modifications made during its construction.
This study explores the morphological changes resulting from mega-events, focusing on the impact of the Arbaeen event on Al-Najaf’s city morphology post-2003. It examines the physical, socio-cultural, and economic transformations in Najaf’s urban form by analyzing the city profile. The study uses a descriptive-analytical framework, employing aerial, satellite, and photographic imagery to assess urban impacts. Additionally, a qualitative approach is used, integrating field experiments, observations, interviews, and note-taking to evaluate the social and economic dimensions. The methodology is based on a case study approach for comprehensive understanding. Findings reveal that the Arbaeen event caused significant and rapid changes in Najaf’s urban, economic, and social fabric, with varying impacts between the old city and the suburbs. The event profoundly influenced Najaf’s morphological evolution, leading to substantial alterations in urban structure and increased urban density. Economically, the impact is mainly concentrated in the old city, while social repercussions are more evident in the suburbs. Morphological changes in urban features are less discernible in the old city compared to the suburbs. The study highlights the importance of adopting sustainable and comprehensive urban planning strategies to manage the challenges and opportunities presented by religious mega-events. It offers valuable insights for fostering sustainable event management and urban development strategies. This research enriches the discourse on the influence of religious mega-events on urban environments by providing a holistic view of how such events shape traditional urban structures, particularly in the context of Al-Najaf.
Visual depth (distance) perception is a fundamental aspect of environmental cognition, as it allows people to judge the spatial scale of their surroundings. However, estimating the depth of classical Chinese gardens is challenging, especially from static viewpoints that frame the scenery. Previous studies have examined how the internal components of the scenery frame affect depth perception. Still, the role of the frame and its peripheral information as environmental background have been largely overlooked. This study investigates how depth perception at viewpoints is influenced by viewing position displacement, frame geometry, and environmental context. The authors created nine stimulus materials in a cave virtual reality environment (three image treatments × three positions). Seventy-one participants were asked to evaluate depth perception using the magnitude estimation and adjustment methods. Their eye movement behavior was also recorded using an eye-movement instrument (SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) eye-tracking glasses, 120 Hz). The results showed that participants could perceive spatial depth differences between viewing positions even when the internal viewpoint displacement was small; frame shape did not significantly affect depth perception and gaze behavior; and peripheral visual information of the frame enhanced depth perception significantly. Moreover, the form of the environmental background, especially the position of the scenery window, strongly guided the participants’ gaze. These findings suggest that ambient visual information significantly impacts environmental experience, which landscape designers should consider.
Sidewalks play an indispensable role in creating walkable environments. In commercial districts, sidewalks increase connectivity and can enhance pedestrian volume, which promotes commerce. While past research has explored commercial factors affecting pedestrian behavior on sidewalks, few studies have explored the effects of architectural factors. This study centers on two sidewalks in commercial districts in Tokyo as a case study, seeking to elucidate the relationship between micro-scale built environment factors and pedestrian behavior. Nineteen factors are analyzed in relation to pedestrian volume and staying. Correlation analysis reveals that pedestrian volume and staying are significantly correlated with seven and six built environment factors, respectively. Stepwise multiple linear regression further reveals that pedestrian volume is positively correlated with passable width, W/D, and movable greening, while being negatively correlated with flagship. Staying, conversely, is positively correlated with passable width, sky rate, and D/H. Based on these identified relationships, a predictive model is established for pedestrian volumes in sidewalks in commercial districts. The findings of this study may provide workable insights for decision-makers aiming to establish walkable environments and encouraging pedestrian activity and may aid in developing detailed plans based on specific factors influencing pedestrian behavior.
The research on color planning for small and medium-sized cities in China started relatively late, and has not formed a scientific planning, design and control method, which is yet to be analyzed in depth. Currently, there is a relative lack of technical means for quantitative research on urban color, which is mainly reflected in the inefficiency of data collection methods, and the lack of effective extraction and analysis techniques for the color information of the massive street photos. In this paper, the spatial database technology through the geographic information system (GIS), the semantic segmentation technology through a full convolutional network realized by PyTorch, the color recognition technology through Matlab and the color expression technology through Munsell system are associated and integrated. They are integrated into the process of storing, analyzing and expressing color information, forming a quantitative evaluation method for urban color planning in small and medium-sized cities. Finally, the color database of Feng County is constructed as an example. Its color positioning is evaluated and judged to determine the appropriate color range of N6-N9, 2.5YR7/1-10Y9/3, and to propose the reference color spectrum and the forbidden color spectrum, to provide a reference for the small and medium-sized cities' color planning and make urban color planning more inclined to quantitative expression.
Low-carbon, energy-saving, and health have become a common trend for the whole of mankind. However, how to balance the relationship between energy-saving and healthy indoor environment is a key issue for sustainable building development. This paper extracted the prototypical form of university library atrium based on 44 library cases in Wuhan. A methodology verified with measured data for evaluating building performance was constructed, and the synergistic influence of spatial morphology parameters on the building energy efficiency (BEE) and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) was analyzed. Finally, a multi-objective fast optimization framework coupled with machine learning algorithms was used to achieve the optimal design of university library atrium. The results showed that the parameters that influence the building energy consumption, indoor thermal comfort, daylighting performance most were the height-to-width ratio, the skylight solar heat gain coefficient, and the sidewall window-to-wall ratio, respectively. The machine learning models predicted performance 400 times faster than traditional performance simulations. And compared with the worst-performance scheme, the maximum optimization rate of building energy consumption, indoor thermal comfort, daylighting performance was 29.46%, 10.46%, and 65.56%, respectively. The multi-objective fast optimization framework could provide guidance for policy makers and architects to performance-based design in the early design stages of university library atrium.
This study examined the influence of gender differences on perceived visibility and crime anxiety within the architectural context of multifamily residential areas, utilizing virtual reality to simulate environments in street spaces and piloti parking areas. By exploring gender-specific responses to architectural design elements, this study aimed to provide a nuanced understanding of how visibility and environmental design have different effects on safety perceptions for men and women. The findings revealed that men preferred unobstructed views to enhance their sense of security, while women prioritized minimizing blind spots within their immediate vicinity, viewing transparent fences as spatial delineators as enhancing the sense of a controlled and secure space rather than as visual barriers. This study further demonstrates that perceived visibility significantly mitigates fear of crime across genders, yet emphasizes that interventions to increase visibility must be gender-sensitive to avoid counterproductive effects. This study highlights the need for urban planning and design strategies that accommodate gender differences in safety perceptions, suggesting a move toward more inclusive and gender-responsive urban environments. The limitations of this study and directions for future research are discussed to enhance our understanding of the complex relationship between urban design, visibility, and safety perceptions.
Architectural programming is of significant importance in improving urban planning efficiency, enhancing the sustainability of the construction industry, and supporting the development of social infrastructure. However, due to its broad scope and complex content, research in this area exhibits diverse and scattered characteristics. To comprehensively understand the current status, progress, and future directions of architectural programming research, and to provide recommendations for both China and other countries, this study conducted a comparative review of relevant literature using a mixed method approach of bibliometrics, latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling, and systematic review. The study summarized the differences between China and other countries in six topics within the field of architectural programming: (1) intelligent and digital methods, (2) sustainability and practices, (3) project management and decision support, (4) urban planning and existing development, (5) social infrastructure and public services, and (6) architectural education and talent cultivation. This study provides an overview and comparative analysis on architectural programming, offering important reference for future research and practice, and promoting the overall development of the construction industry.
The concept of “transparency” has evolved from a spatial aesthetic to a spatial property that describes the underlying organization of things and derives its “contradiction” from the combination of “orderliness” and “polysemy”. This contradiction arises from the unity of opposites between synchrony and diachrony in modernity—where the rational logic of synchrony pursues “orderliness”, while the concept of mobility in diachrony is oriented towards “polysemy”. The path to linguistic transparency can be summarized in three dimensions: distortion of morpheme, recomposition of phraseme, and double-entendre of semanteme. Due to the shared symbolic meaning between language and graphics, the framework of graphic language can be employed to analyze the evolution and variation of transparency’s essential feature across painting, architecture, and landscape. Landscape transparency shares commonalities with painting and architecture regarding morphemes, phraseme, and semanteme; however, as landscape expands in scope, its transparent representations exhibit gradual synthesis and complexity. The synthesis and complexity can be decomposed into three unique endogenous contradictions within landscapes: “dynamic growth”, “multiscale nesting”, and “spatiotemporal overlapping”. These characteristics have led to the expanded expression of landscape transparency that differs from painting and architecture on three levels: morpheme usage, phraseme construction, and semanteme interpretation. Consequently, this breakthrough transcends geometric two-dimensional compositions and three-dimensional spatial organizations, enabling future-oriented landscape design to embrace pluralism and inter-adaptability.
This study aimed to assess the impact of varying street canyon geometries on outdoor thermal comfort in two Egyptian cities with distinct climates: Aswan, located in the southern desert region, and Alexandria, on the northern coast. The design of urban street canyons in Egypt often neglects the country’s diverse climatic regions. The investigation focused on four height-to-width aspect ratios and four principal street orientations in the two cities. Field data, ENVI-met microclimate software, and RayMan were utilized to analyze the impact of hypothesized scenarios on heat stress in the studied street canyons. Outdoor thermal comfort was evaluated using the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The findings demonstrated the effectiveness of aspect ratio and orientation in the respective cities. In Aswan, the aspect ratio had a greater influence on comfort, with aspect ratio of 2.5 providing the most favorable conditions and a ratio of 1 resulting in the least comfortable conditions. Conversely, in Alexandria, the street canyon orientation proved more advantageous, where a northwest-southeast orientation produced a significant decrease (10 K) in PET compared to the least favorable orientation. These results highlight the importance of considering local climatic factors in the design of urban street canyons to effectively mitigate outdoor heat stress.
Kinetic facades possess aesthetic expressiveness and environmental responsiveness, aligning with the principles of low-carbon architecture. Current kinetic facades primarily rely on three-dimensional movement, which are characterized by complex structures and distributed drives, resulting in monotonous form, low robustness, and high costs. This paper focuses on the design of two-dimensional kinetic facades, proposing a hinged tessellation generation method based on the duality principle. First, the paper discusses the value and principles of applying dual graphs in HT, and then proposes a method of generating HT by adding hinged plates. Then, the operation process for different tessellation types is elaborated upon. Finally, a conceptual design is proposed to illustrate the potential of this method on kinetic facades. The method proposed in this paper is applicable to all uniform tessellations and Voronoi tessellations, capable of generating an infinite variety of planar expandable structures with small spatial thickness, simple structures, stable movements. Additionally, these structures can be driven to expand by a single driving point, enabling continuous adjustment in response to the requirement. It has significant application value in fields such as architectural and decorative design, structural design, mechanical design, industrial product and graphic design.
Due to the widespread use of navigational satellites, the ubiquity of mobile phones, and the rapid advancement of mobile communication technologies, high-precision mobile phone signaling data (HMPSD) holds exceptional promise for discerning fine-grained characteristics of residents’ travel behaviors, owing to its superior spatial and temporal resolution. This study focuses on identifying the most consistent commuting patterns of residents in the Qiaoxi District of Shijiazhuang, China, over the course of a month, using these patterns as the basis for transport mode identification. Leveraging the high-precise geographical coordinates of individuals’ workplaces and homes, along with actual commuting durations derived from the high-frequency positioning of HMPSD, and comparing these with the predicted commuting durations for four transport modes from a navigational map, we have developed a novel approach for identifying individual transport modes, incorporating time matching, frequency ranking, and speed threshold assessments. This approach swiftly and effectively identifies the commuting modes for each resident—namely, driving, public transportation, walking, bicycling, and electric biking—along with their respective commuting distances and durations. Furthermore, to support urban planning and transportation management efforts, we aggregated individual commuting data—including flows, modes, distances, and durations—at a parcel level. This aggregation method effectively reveals favorable commuting characteristics within the central area of Qiaoxi District, highlights the commuting needs and irrational commuting conditions in peripheral parcels, and informs tailored strategies for adjusting planning layouts and optimizing facility configurations. This study facilitates an in-depth exploration of fine-grained travel patterns through integrated air-land transportation resources, providing new insights and methodologies for refined urban transportation planning and travel management through advanced data applications and identification methods.
