A projective approach to designing with children

The paper is based on the application of projective techniques to a design project which was the result of a competition initiated by the local education authority. Personal Construct Psychology and Ecoanalysis are used to investigate the largely tacit understanding of a public garden by 10–11 year old children. The results of the investigation were developed into a garden design which won first prize in the competition.     

A knowledge-aid approach for designing high-performance buildings

Today, global warming and the sustained increase in energy prices have led to a quest for energy-efficient buildings among designers and users alike. This has been accompanied by increasingly strict thermal and energy regulations for buildings. In addition to such changes on the energy front, building regulations have also been created or reinforced in other areas, including accessibility, fire safety and seismic risk, alongside the demands of users. The combined effects of these two factors have made building design much more complex. Thus, designers are constantly in search of tools and information that can provide them with ways of designing high-performance buildings for their projects. In response to these needs, we propose an optimization-based, knowledge-aid approach for designing high-performance buildings. This approach is aimed at providing architects and design offices with clear knowledge of their project’s potential (exploration of various options) that will allow them to design the best possible high-performance buildings (in this version of the approach only energy needs and construction cost are assessed). This potential is evaluated by means of the external and internal geometric parameters as well as the energy characteristics of buildings. In this paper, the approach will be applied to an office building in Lyon, France.     

School playground design: a projective approach with pupils and staff

This paper presents original findings from a project for the landscape improvement of two primary schools' grounds using a Projective technique developed at Heriot-Watt University by Aspinall based on the work of Kelly (1955) in Personal Construct Psychology and Peled (1990) in Ecoanalysis. Pupils and staff at both schools were invited to respond to photographs of possible playground scenes and indicate how design elements important to them relate in spatial and functional terms. The study reveals significant differences between pupil and staff responses and between girls and boys. It demonstrates the value of the Projective techniques used compared with more conventional participatory design exercises. Pupils' needs and desires are complex and as much activity-based as artefact-based. The study confirms the inadequacy of existing playgrounds and the potential for designing much more child-responsive improvements for the future.     

A participatory design approach to information architecture design for children

A design process that involves the participation of children should effectively elicit the needs of child users by considering characteristics such as their age-appropriate levels of cognitive ability, shyness, language skills, and motor-sensory capabilities. Since the 1960s, a variety of methods and guidelines have emerged specialising in children. Participatory design deals with the problem of enabling users to participate in the design process and with the task of generating ideas by means of generative toolkits and workshops. Hence, participatory design enables designers to look at problems from a child's standpoint and, simultaneously, deal with childhood traits such as shyness and immature language skills. This paper introduces two participatory design toolkits: namely Info Block and Info Tree. These toolkits enable users to build information architecture (IA) that can, firstly, reflect their cognitive characteristics and, secondly, elicit user needs with respect to the information architecture design of children's websites. In a case study, the toolkits were used to evaluate the usability of the Yahoo!® Kids (Korea) directory. The results show that the information architecture of children differs from that of adults in depth, breadth, and clarity of contents and logicality. Finally, suggestions are made to improve the usability of children's websites.     

Convergence-confinement approach for designing tunnel face reinforcement by horizontal bolting

The ground reinforcement by bolting is a technique in strong development. Bringing a perennial supplement of resistance to the ground, this technique permits to use poor grounds in a sensitive environment. It can be particularly, used for the reinforcement of tunnel faces.The full numerical simulation of such works remains a heavy and expensive process, notably in terms of geometrical complexity and various scale levels. During the preliminary project stage, it appears necessary to have simplified models, making possible to simply appreciate the effectiveness of the reinforcement.The existing simplified methods being not well adapted for the optimal conception of these reinforcement systems, a new method based on the convergence confinement approach is proposed and tested in this paper.     

From understanding to designing soundscapes

Soundscape represents a step change in the field of environmental acoustics in that it combines physical, social, and psychological approaches. Although the term soundscape was introduced in the 1960s, significant attention to it has mainly been paid in the last decade or so in the community of environmental acoustics by researchers and recently by practitioners including policy makers. This paper explores the current situation and future challenges in soundscape. Starting with a framework on research and practical needs in soundscape and a brief introduction of some recent/current networks, activities, projects, and publications, this paper then presents a systematic review of recent progress in soundscape research and practice. A short review of the soundscape research in China is also given.     

MIP approach for designing heating systems in residential buildings and neighbourhoods

In this work, a mixed integer linear programming (MIP) approach for the optimal design of energy systems in residential buildings is presented. The optimization model considers the economic criteria of the guideline VDI 2067. The objective of the MIP is to minimize the annual costs which comprise the investment as well as demand- and operation-related costs. Conventional boilers, electrical heaters, combined heat and power (CHP) units, heat pumps (HPs), photovoltaic (PV) systems and thermal storages as well as local heating networks (HNs) are defined as options. The investigation on a building level shows that a boiler is the economically optimal solution for small buildings, followed by a HP unit. In multi-family buildings, both boilers and CHP units hold an economical advantage over HPs. For apartment buildings, CHP is identified as the economically optimal system. In the neighbourhood analysis of six buildings, the solver establishes a local HN which allows for both economical and CO₂-emission reductions.     

Empirical approach for designing of support system in mechanized coal pillar mining

Mechanized room-and-pillar system of coal pillar mining using side dump loading machine or load haul dumper machine, or by continuous miner, is the presently most dominant underground method of extraction in India. Under this method of extraction, strata control is a major problem affecting safety and productivity of the mine. As per existing Director General of Mine Safety guidelines, systematic support rules must be followed at the depillaring faces irrespective of immediate roof rock type and competency. Therefore, there is a high chance that sometimes these systematic support rules give unnecessarily high support, or sometimes inadequate support, which may lead to roof failure at the face. As a result, there is a big loss of life and material including coal in terms of left-out ribs/stooks and other associated mining equipment deployed at the faces. Therefore, in the present paper, authors attempted to develop generalized empirical equations for estimating the required support load density at different places of the face based on geotechnical parameters of the mine and physico-mechanical properties of the immediate roof rocks for designing of support system during mechanized coal pillar mining.     

A systems approach to management

Management developments have been dominated in recent years by attempts to apply Japanese styles of management without a full understanding of how they work. This article takes a systems approach to the subject of total quality management and shows through reference to actual applications how it can be applied even in a military environment     

无顶建筑式设计手法构建户外空间的若干思考

立足于无顶建筑式设计手段进行户外空间设计,重点探讨了户外空间的合理构建途径,意图通过该研究提高户外空间使用率,并鼓励人群的到访,从而让空间形成交流的媒介,成为建筑的室外延续。     

从传统文化走向现代设计

中国传统文化博大精深,积淀深厚,独具风采,中国传统的哲学理念对世界的影响也很深远,但在现代设计中并没有显示出优势.笔者从如何认识传统文化与现代设计的关系,以及如何传承优秀的传统文化,使其在现代设计中的应用更为广泛和深入等方面入手,提出要多角度、全方位地建立多元互补的设计构想,采用多种方式,融合传统文化,增强现代设计文化厚重感,以延伸设计理念和增强视觉感染力.     

线在建筑造型设计中的作用

建筑中线的表现形式一般有实线和虚线 .线在建筑中的作用 ,有划分形式的线和具有功能作用的线 .形式的线在墙面起符号作用外还将面划分为若干部分 ,使整体出现新的变化图形 ;功能线是承担具体功能作用的线 ,许多结构受力构件即是完全的功能线 ,它由结构的要求而形成了水平、垂直、倾斜的线型 ,在组织过程中既可表现其功能性 ,又可表现其完美 ,产生艺术感染力     

A unique approach to teaching managers

One of the largest schools of management in the UK is the postgraduate school of Cranfield. The School of Management is a purely postgraduate school with its courses based on the MBA Programme. The full-time MBA programme is unique in the UK and almost unique in the world in that it is taught as a four-semester programme. Students are taught for four ten-week terms in a twelve-month period and do not in general have off-campus projects as part of the programme. During the first six months all students follow the same course and in the second six months they choose from a variety of elective subjects and continue with a number of core programmes such as business strategy and international business. The other main graduate programmes offered by the School are MSCs in project management, distribution and transportation     

挑梁根部设钢筋混凝土桩时设计计算方法

在实际工程中,由于抗震设防的要求,多数情况下在砌体结构房屋挑梁的底部加了钢筋混凝土柱或构造柱,这使挑梁的抗倾覆能力有所提高,并解决了梁底的局压问题,但由于我国现行设计规范没有这种结构的计算公式,给工程设计带来困难。本文通过有限元法对各种不同类型的62根挑梁进行了弹性和塑性分析,得出了这种结构的实用设计计算方法。     

A model-based approach to natural ventilation

This paper presents an in situ calibrated model-based approach to the control of natural ventilation in buildings. Specifically, the potential of empirically-based and numeric air flow models is explored as part of a hybrid building controls scheme. Toward this end, two case studies are described. In one case, the underlying predictive model is based on the statistical treatment of data obtained from a set of in situ measurements in a typical office space. In the second case, a multi-zone air flow model is used to predict the fresh air volume flows into the building interior. The resulting air flow models can be used as an integrated part of a control method for natural ventilation devices to predict the implications of alternative control options.     

A simple analytical approach to choice

A simple analytical method is described that can be used to assist the decision process in making a choice between a number of options. This method is carried out in two stages. It is an ideal tool to use interactively on a group basis involving the team that is participating in the selection process. Ideally two sheets of a flip chart or a computer spreadsheet can be used to manipulate and collect the results. The first stage is selection criterion ranking and the second stage is candidate item ranking. After the second stage the weighted results are analysed     

A multiorder approach to bod kinetics

Employing a reaeration technique, oxygen uptake curves were obtained for 20 samples from 8 New Jersey, U.S.A. streams. Using a stepwise nonlinear regression approach, rate constants and ultimate BOD values were calculated for equations in which the order of the reaction was assumed to be 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4. There was a tendency for the error mean square to decrease as the reaction order increased from 1 to 4. However, the reduced error was accompanied by an approximate doubling of the ultimate BOD values in going from a first to a fourth order reaction. These ultimate BOD values calculated at the higher reaction orders are in all probability unrealistically high.     

A more commercial approach to defence

Just like many of the old nationalised activities, defence research in the UK has recently been put on a more commercial footing. This has meant that what was once solely funded from money allocated to it by government now has to look for customers and prove to them that its products and services are worth buying. This paper details how, for the staff and management of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, this change has been fundamental to many of their ways of working and as a result has led to the need for extensive staff training and reorganisation within the whole management structure     

A graphical approach to discounted payback

Corrstructiorr planners and building owners use payback frequently as an index of economic pe$ormance. Discounted payback, which considers the time value of money in measuring the time to project payoff, is a more accurate index ofproject cost effectiveness than simple payback. But being more dijficult to calculate, it is used less often than simple payback. This paper provides a unique set of graphs that helps decision makers, find discounted payback quickly and easily without complex calculations. Appropriate applications of simple and discounted payback are described. Examples of economic efficiency losses from using payback instead of more appropriate evaluation measures and from using simple instead of discounted payback are presented.