In many of today’s modern educational institutions, architects have designed spaces that are disconnected and difficult for users to navigate. The underdevelopment of directional guides more accurately describes common issues of wayfinding. Wayfinding is a term used to describe user experience and orientation within an environmental context. When accomplished successfully, wayfinding contains order and simplicity achieved through five hierarchical components including; point of reference, location of information, determining a path to take, maintaining that path, and access or denial of the path chosen. Currently, the Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, a design institution of higher learning, lacks the components necessary to an effective wayfinding system. Once a school that was highly ordered through Bauhaus tradition, it is now spatially segmented and disconnected due to added structures, parking and poorly designed exterior spaces. Evidently, the school’s programmatic relationships are issues facilitating the need for a coherent solution. It is the goal of this thesis to identify these issues and propose a solution organized around a comprehensive wayfinding system for the school’s campus. From 1967-2003 the institution gained a total of 4 buildings. Two structures are notably known for their wayfinding difficulties. One is the institutions primary addition and the other an off-campus facility, housing part-time students. Obtrusive paths of circulation, dysfunctional spaces and a lack of signage are a few issues these buildings are experiencing, lending to the need of a redesign. The best way to accomplish this wayfinding task is to incorporate a greater user experience through sensorial qualities, graphic indicators (signage) and spatial hierarchies. Wall textures, ambient light and the effects of sound in volumetric spaces serve as examples of these necessary components. Additionally, graphic indicators and spatial hierarchies will collectively define spatial characteristics choreographing a sequence of movements through the campus reestablishing order by bringing building forms together. Furthermore, the space acquired from removing unnecessary structures will contribute to a well defined communal space along the Rietveld’s exterior producing a link between it and the remaining facilities on site.

The aim of this thesis was to explore the spatiality’s affect on refugee’s sense of safety in the Osire refugee settlement in Namibia. The gathered empirics together with previous research and theories should lead to a design for a spatial information system. The system should contribute to peoples’ understanding of their environments’ whole structure as well as showing the way to the health centre and the police station, thus increasing their sense of psychological and physical safety. A wish was also to breathe life into the point of intersection of spatial information design and human science. The methods used to enable this were first and foremost a field study in the settlement to experience and acquire first-hand information. In addition observation, introspection and several interviews were conducted. As a result I established safety to be an issue that could be solved with spatial design. Refugees expressed that not knowing your environment or finding your way leaves you scared, uncomfortable and confused. With the use of a spatial information system safety can literally be created, as demonstrated in the design proposal. The conclusion is that much could be done to spatially solve complex issues as long as it’s addressed from that perspective.

An important difference exists between the way humans communicate route knowledge and the turn-by-turn route directions provided by the majority of current navigation services. Navigation services present route directions with the same amount of detail regardless the route segment’s significance in the instructions, user’s distance from the destination, and finally the level of user’s familiarity with particular parts of the environment. (For complete abstract open document)

Det här är ett examensarbete i Informationsdesign med inriktning mot Rumslig gestaltning. Jag har gjort en studie kring hur man med hjälp av rumsliga element kan bidra till att öka orienterbarheten mot ett mål i ett väntrum. Arbetet har skett i väntrummet på Klinisk Fysiologiavdelningen på Mälarsjukhuset i Eskilstuna. Efter tidiga observationer i väntrummet kunde det ses att patienter och besökare inte förstod att de skulle orientera sig till den in-checkningsterminal som finns i väntrummet. Denna observation ledde till att jag valde att göra min studie just där. Syftet med arbetet har varit att genom studier ta reda på hur man kan öka orienterbarheten mot ett mål i väntrummet på Klinisk Fysiologiavdelningen. Slutresultatet har kommit ur den empirisk data som metoderna resulterat i och litteraturstudierna. De metoder som använts är observationer, kvalitativa intervjuer och rumsanalys. Resultatet av studierna har lett fram till ett designförslag i 3D-programmet Sketch-Up. Förslaget gestaltar hur väntrummet skulle kunna förändras för att öka orienterbarheten. / This is a thesis in Information Design with focus on spatial design. I have done a study about how spatial elements in a room can facilitate the orientation towards a landmark in a waiting room. The work has been done in the waiting room of Clinical Physiology department at Mälarsjukhuset in Eskilstuna. After early observations in the waiting room I could see that patients and visitors didn’t understand that they would orient themselves to the check-in terminal in the waiting room. That observation led me to do the thesis in that room. The aim of the work has been to find out how you can facilitate orientation toward a landmark in the waiting room of Clinical Physiology Department. The end result has emerged from the empirical data of the methods and literature studies. The methods used in the study were observations, interviews and a room analysis. The results of the studies has led to a design proposal in 3D software Sketch-Up. The proposal shows how the waiting room could be changed to increase orientation.

Esta pesquisa investiga os impactos do desenho urbano tradicional e modernista na orientação espacial em campi universitários, a partir da avaliação de usuários que diferem quanto ao grau de familiaridade com tais espaços. O problema de pesquisa reside na reprodução de projetos urbanísticos que remetem à lógica espacial preconizada pelo urbanismo moderno, os quais tenderiam a dificultar a legibilidade urbana, afetando negativamente a navegação. Assim, o objetivo é realizar um estudo comparativo detalhado dos efeitos de atributos físico-espaciais que compõem tais desenhos urbanos quanto à orientação espacial de seus usuários, a fim de contribuir para um melhor entendimento dos impactos de tais configurações na experiência espacial. Para tanto, são selecionados dois campi da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), localizados em Porto Alegre- RS: O Campus Centro, que representa o desenho urbano tradicional, com variedade arquitetônica, cujos prédios tendem a estar dispostos junto ao perímetro dos quarteirões e apresentam os acessos principais voltados para as ruas; e o Campus do Vale com características do desenho urbano modernista, onde verifica-se o predomínio da repetição e uniformidade entre os prédios dispostos em amplas áreas verdes, cujos acessos principais tendem a estar desvinculados das ruas. Os métodos de coletas de dados fazem parte dos utilizados na área de estudos Ambiente e Comportamento, sistematizados por meio de levantamento de arquivo, levantamento físico, mapas cognitivos, identificação e descrição de percursos, questionários e entrevistas. A análise de dados é realizada através de testes estatísticos não-paramétricos e da Sintaxe Espacial. Os resultados desta investigação demonstram que, independentemente do campus, os atributos físico-espaciais que remetem ao desenho urbano modernista tendem a ser avaliados negativamente quanto à orientação espacial pelos alunos calouros e, inclusive, pelos técnicos administrativos da UFRGS. Ainda, atributos arquitetônicos dos prédios como a falta de clareza no destaque formal do acesso principal e a menor visibilidade do acesso principal a partir da rua tendem a dificultar a orientação espacial. Foi confirmado que a avaliação do nível de facilidade de orientação espacial é influenciada fortemente pelo grau de familiaridade com o espaço. Entretanto, verifica-se o predomínio dos atributos físico-espaciais sobre o grau de familiaridade quando avaliados os níveis de facilidade de descrever o percurso para acesso ao prédio. Por fim, espera-se que os dados obtidos possam contribuir para qualificar projetos urbanísticos, a fim de responder melhor às necessidades dos usuários quanto à orientação espacial no espaço urbano. / This research investigates the impact of traditional and modern urban design in wayfinding performance in university campuses, based on evaluations of users who differ in the degree of familiarity with such spaces. The research problem concerns the propagation of urban projects that replicate the spatial logic advocated by modern urbanism, which would tend to hinder urban legibility, negatively affecting navigation. The purpose is to realize a comparative study about the impact of physical-spatial attributes considering different urban designs for its users wayfinding performance, in order to contribute to a better understanding of the impacts of such settings in the spatial experience. Therefore, two campuses of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), located in Porto Alegre-RS were selected: The Campus Centro, which refers the traditional urban design with architectural variety, whose buildings tend to be arranged at the perimeter of blocks and feature the main entrance facing the street; and Campus do Vale with characteristics of modern urban design, where there is a predominance of repetition and uniformity among the buildings, usually arranged in large green areas, whose main accesses tend to be disconnected from the streets. Data gathering means are part of those used in the Environment and Behavior area field of study, including archival records, field surveys, cognitive maps, identification of paths and route description, questionnaires and interviews. Data analysis was carried out through non-parametric statistical tests and space syntax theory. The results of this research show that, regardless of the campus, the physical-spatial attributes related to modernist urban design tend to be evaluated negatively on the wayfinding for freshmen students and even by UFRGS employees. Still, architectural attributes of the buildings, such as the lack of clarity in the identification of the main access and the lower visibility of the main access from the street tend to impair wayfinding. It was confirmed that the evaluation of the wayfinding facility level is strongly influenced by the degree of familiarity with the space. However, there is a predominance of physical-spatial attributes over the degree of familiarity when assessed levels of ease of describing the way to access the building. Finally, it is expected that the results obtained may contribute to qualify urban projects in order to better respond to users’ needs of wayfinding in the urban space.

Esta pesquisa investiga os impactos do desenho urbano tradicional e modernista na orientação espacial em campi universitários, a partir da avaliação de usuários que diferem quanto ao grau de familiaridade com tais espaços. O problema de pesquisa reside na reprodução de projetos urbanísticos que remetem à lógica espacial preconizada pelo urbanismo moderno, os quais tenderiam a dificultar a legibilidade urbana, afetando negativamente a navegação. Assim, o objetivo é realizar um estudo comparativo detalhado dos efeitos de atributos físico-espaciais que compõem tais desenhos urbanos quanto à orientação espacial de seus usuários, a fim de contribuir para um melhor entendimento dos impactos de tais configurações na experiência espacial. Para tanto, são selecionados dois campi da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), localizados em Porto Alegre- RS: O Campus Centro, que representa o desenho urbano tradicional, com variedade arquitetônica, cujos prédios tendem a estar dispostos junto ao perímetro dos quarteirões e apresentam os acessos principais voltados para as ruas; e o Campus do Vale com características do desenho urbano modernista, onde verifica-se o predomínio da repetição e uniformidade entre os prédios dispostos em amplas áreas verdes, cujos acessos principais tendem a estar desvinculados das ruas. Os métodos de coletas de dados fazem parte dos utilizados na área de estudos Ambiente e Comportamento, sistematizados por meio de levantamento de arquivo, levantamento físico, mapas cognitivos, identificação e descrição de percursos, questionários e entrevistas. A análise de dados é realizada através de testes estatísticos não-paramétricos e da Sintaxe Espacial. Os resultados desta investigação demonstram que, independentemente do campus, os atributos físico-espaciais que remetem ao desenho urbano modernista tendem a ser avaliados negativamente quanto à orientação espacial pelos alunos calouros e, inclusive, pelos técnicos administrativos da UFRGS. Ainda, atributos arquitetônicos dos prédios como a falta de clareza no destaque formal do acesso principal e a menor visibilidade do acesso principal a partir da rua tendem a dificultar a orientação espacial. Foi confirmado que a avaliação do nível de facilidade de orientação espacial é influenciada fortemente pelo grau de familiaridade com o espaço. Entretanto, verifica-se o predomínio dos atributos físico-espaciais sobre o grau de familiaridade quando avaliados os níveis de facilidade de descrever o percurso para acesso ao prédio. Por fim, espera-se que os dados obtidos possam contribuir para qualificar projetos urbanísticos, a fim de responder melhor às necessidades dos usuários quanto à orientação espacial no espaço urbano. / This research investigates the impact of traditional and modern urban design in wayfinding performance in university campuses, based on evaluations of users who differ in the degree of familiarity with such spaces. The research problem concerns the propagation of urban projects that replicate the spatial logic advocated by modern urbanism, which would tend to hinder urban legibility, negatively affecting navigation. The purpose is to realize a comparative study about the impact of physical-spatial attributes considering different urban designs for its users wayfinding performance, in order to contribute to a better understanding of the impacts of such settings in the spatial experience. Therefore, two campuses of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), located in Porto Alegre-RS were selected: The Campus Centro, which refers the traditional urban design with architectural variety, whose buildings tend to be arranged at the perimeter of blocks and feature the main entrance facing the street; and Campus do Vale with characteristics of modern urban design, where there is a predominance of repetition and uniformity among the buildings, usually arranged in large green areas, whose main accesses tend to be disconnected from the streets. Data gathering means are part of those used in the Environment and Behavior area field of study, including archival records, field surveys, cognitive maps, identification of paths and route description, questionnaires and interviews. Data analysis was carried out through non-parametric statistical tests and space syntax theory. The results of this research show that, regardless of the campus, the physical-spatial attributes related to modernist urban design tend to be evaluated negatively on the wayfinding for freshmen students and even by UFRGS employees. Still, architectural attributes of the buildings, such as the lack of clarity in the identification of the main access and the lower visibility of the main access from the street tend to impair wayfinding. It was confirmed that the evaluation of the wayfinding facility level is strongly influenced by the degree of familiarity with the space. However, there is a predominance of physical-spatial attributes over the degree of familiarity when assessed levels of ease of describing the way to access the building. Finally, it is expected that the results obtained may contribute to qualify urban projects in order to better respond to users’ needs of wayfinding in the urban space.

The underlying problem to this work is the lack of orientation possibilities at Mälardalens Hospital in Eskilstuna. The hospital has a complex floor plan and the premises have a low degree of differentiation. The purpose of this study is to find out what general aspects can contribute to increased understanding of the building. By strengthening the visitor's mental map of the building by means of physical elements in the environment. Which can make it easier for visitors to orient in the environment. In order to define the problem, an introspection was first performed, which was then reinforced by a site analysis. Thereafter, a reference object was visited to see how they had applied solutions to the problem occurred. Then a design workshop with expert users was conducted to get feedback on design solutions from a user perspective. In addition to these empirical studies, the results are based on previous research in the field and theories in the subjects: wayfinding, cognition, the importance of health care, color and the impact of nature on a healthcare environment. The conclusion of the study is to strengthen decision points in the form of landmarks. To create mental anchor points, which we remember and recognize in the environment and therefore can use to orientate. Based on the results of the study, a design concept proposal is presented that could be implemented in the environment. / Problemet som ligger till grund för det här examensarbetet är bristande orienteringsmöjligheter på Mälarsjukhuset i Eskilstuna. Sjukhuset har en komplex planlösning och lokalerna har låg grad av differentiering. Syftet med studien är att ta reda på vilka generella aspekter som kan bidra till ökad förståelse för byggnaden. Med hjälp av fysiska gestaltningsåtgärder i miljön, för att stärka besökarnas mentala kartor av platsen, kan orienteringen underlättas för besökarna. För att definiera problemet utfördes en introspektion, som stärktes av en platsanalys. Därefter besöktes ett nybyggt sjukhus som referensobjekt för att ta reda på nya eventuella lösningar. Sedan genomfördes en designworkshop med expertinformanter för att få feedback på designlösningar utifrån ett användarperspektiv. Utöver dessa empiriska undersökningar är resultatet baserat på tidigare forskning samt teorier inom: wayfinding, kognition, vårdmiljögestaltning, färg, kontrast och naturens inverkan på människor i vårdmiljöer. Slutsatsen av denna studie är att förstärka beslutspunkter i form av gestaltade landmärken. Detta för att skapa mentala ankarpunkter som vi kommer ihåg och känner igen i miljön. Utifrån studiens resultat presenteras ett platsspecifikt gestaltningsförslag som bygger på ett mer generellt designkoncept som bör kunna implementeras i liknande miljöer.

Submitted by Viviane Lima da Cunha (viviane@biblioteca.ufpb.br) on 2016-07-15T14:44:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3907403 bytes, checksum: 48a62437a457a732c241fb5fc6c8404b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-15T14:44:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3907403 bytes, checksum: 48a62437a457a732c241fb5fc6c8404b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-09-29 / About 36% of the northeastern states’ population has some kind of disability that can be motor, hearing, visual, or mental / intellectual in different degrees of difficulty (IBGE, 2010). It is known that these people face daily difficulties, especially in access to health, which is the right of every citizen. It’s known that those people face daily difficulties especially in health access which is their civil law. In this sense architectonics, technological, behavioral or socials obstacles prevent that this civil right has been fulfilled. A public or private affordable place frequently contributes to a more inclusive life and also provides social interaction and personal encouragement to all users. An element that provides the spatial accessibility application is Wayfinding resources, which refers to a set of elements (visual, hearing, tactile, and others one.) that facilitate the spatial orientation of people, especially in a hospital environment where the level of anxiety that disturbs this orientation. Public hospitals ate important centers of medical assistance in various specialties. But the clinic is a functional unit of the establishment of health care for the outpatient care for diagnosis and treatment. The population that frequents these establishments is wide, including physicians, employees from different sectors, visitors, providers, caregivers and patients, who are usually the mostly debilitated. This study has as a purpose to evaluate the physical-spatial accessibility through user’s perception with disabilities. For this reason a case study was conducted in the outpatient Lauro Wanderley University Hospital-UFPB. The methodology was divided into five stages: bibliographical and documentary research, recognition and characterization of the area, assessment of user’s perspective and finally, analysis and systematization of the results. It was possible to identify the problems encountered by users and map the most critical points but especially to understand how patients are oriented in environments. Finally, adjustments are proposed for improvements of space and wayfinding. / Cerca de 36% da população nordestina declara possuir algum tipo de deficiência, seja motora, auditiva, visual ou mental/intelectual em diferentes graus de dificuldade (IBGE, 2010). Sabe-se que estas pessoas enfrentam dificuldades diariamente, especialmente no acesso à saúde, que é direito de todo cidadão. Neste sentido, a presença de barreiras arquitetônicas, tecnológicas, atitudinais ou sociais impede que esse direito seja cumprido. Um espaço acessível, público ou privado, muitas vezes contribui para uma vida mais inclusiva, proporciona convívio social e estímulo pessoal, para todos os usuários. Um elemento facilitador da acessibilidade espacial é a aplicação de recursos de Wayfinding, que se refere a um conjunto de elementos (visuais, auditivos, táteis, entre outros) que facilitam a orientação espacial das pessoas, especialmente em ambiente hospitalar onde nível de ansiedade atrapalha essa orientação. Hospitais públicos são importantes centros de assistência médico-hospitalar em diversas especialidades. Já o ambulatório é uma unidade funcional do Estabelecimento Assistencial de Saúde destinado à assistência a pacientes externos para diagnóstico e tratamento. O público que frequenta esses estabelecimentos também é amplo, incluindo médicos, funcionários de diferentes setores, visitantes, fornecedores, acompanhantes e pacientes, que em geral estão com a saúde mais debilitada. Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar as condições de acessibilidade físico-espacial através da percepção do usuário com deficiência. Para isso, foi realizado um estudo de caso no ambulatório do Hospital Universitário Lauro Wanderley-UFPB. A metodologia foi dividida em cinco etapas: pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, reconhecimento e caracterização da área, avaliação na perspectiva do usuário e, por fim, análise e sistematização dos resultados. Foi possível identificar as dificuldades encontradas pelos usuários e mapear os pontos mais críticos, e principalmente entender como os pacientes se orientam no espaço. Por fim, são propostas adequações para melhorias do espaço e wayfinding.

Att hitta rätt i den stora, komplexa miljön på Linköpings Universitetssjukhus är en utmaning. I nuläget finns skyltning och information i miljön men denna fungerar inte på ett tillräckligt bra sätt. Det är så pass bristande att man har guider vid entrén för att vägleda besökare rätt, något som är både opraktiskt och oekonomiskt. Syftet med denna designfallstudie var att utveckla ett wayshowingsystem för besökare på Linköpings Universitetssjukhus kring dess södra entré och i huvudbyggnaden. För att uppfylla syftet genomfördes ett antal kvalitativa intervjuer och observationer i miljön samt insamling av data från tidigare studier som gjorts i ämnet. Det slutliga resultatet är en kravlista för viktiga parametrar att ha i åtanke vid wayshowing på sjukhuset samt en skyltmanual baserad på kravlistan, med en detaljerad grund kring hur ett skyltsystem på sjukhuset ska se ut. Kravlistan ska kunna ligga till grund för all framtida skyltning på sjukhuset och samtliga krav är tänkta att alltid vara uppfyllda vid ny skyltning. Kraven innefattar framför allt att wayshowingen bör baseras på fysiska skyltar, det ska vara enkelt och tydligt att tolka samt att mängden information ska begränsas så mycket det går för att bli enklare att tyda. För att kunna implementera det nya skyltsystemet på hela sjukhuset behöver skyltmanualen kompletteras med detaljplanering för samtliga plan och byggnader, i nuläget är endast plan 9 och 10 i huvudbyggnaden färdiga för direkt implementation.

Denna studie undersöker hur wayfinding i offentliga inomhusmiljöer kan förenklas med hjälp av Augmented Reality (AR) i kombination med rumsliga och visuella vägledningselement. Detta genom rumsanalys, notationer, litteraturstudier, test av två användbarhetsprototyper samt kvalitativa intervjuer. Platsen för studien är Munktellarenan i Eskilstuna, och målgruppen är förstagångsbesökare. Syftet är att förenkla orienterbarheten i Munktellarenan, samt att undersöka vilka möjligheter AR-teknik kan erbjuda kommuner, när det gäller kombinationen av digital och fysisk wayshowing i liknande offentliga miljöer. Ett gestaltningsförslag presenteras genom skisser och bilder från en 3D-modell. Resultatet av studien och ett förslag till riktlinjer vid wayfinding med AR diskuteras.