Unseen - Digital interactions for low vision spatial engagement

<p>Visually impaired persons possess a specific set of functional and sensory requirements for their successful existence in architectural environments. Unfortunately, a majority of our existing built infrastructure is ill-equipped to address these requirements. Both existing forms of solution for this issues, technological and architectural, are incapable of compensating for the inadequately considered design of public spaces and are subject to widespread general criticisms from the vision loss and architectural community (Human Rights Commission, 2012; Pawluk et al., 2015). This thesis recruits the native capabilities of emerging consumer-level digital technologies in order to explore new solutions to this complex problem. This research saw the proposition tested through the development of a digital platform which blended the design strategies of universal design and assistive technologies with a wide range of theoretical perspectives drawn from medical, psychological, sociological, and geolocational literature. The resulting integration generated unique forms of architectural engagement which improve the spatial comprehension abilities of the visually impaired. The early design outcomes focus on two distinct modes of engagement with a virtual, augmented environment. The first is direct bodily interaction, in which the human-scale perception of the user is bolstered through an object-detection system, which provides users with sensory cues to identify objects in their direct vicinity. The second was the development of various methods for distance-based spatial engagements. Engagement with an environment from a distance significantly expands the scale of potential spatial understanding. These methods allow users to explore spaces in a myriad of different ways, with each mechanic providing different environmental information through diverse sensory outputs. The later design work reflects on these creations and through a process of redevelopment and evaluation draws larger observations regarding the development of the tools and what they offer in terms of spatial understanding. Final conclusions from the thesis provide a framework for research which would allow for the digital adaptation of our currently unsuitable infrastructure.</p>

Unseen - Digital interactions for low vision spatial engagement

<p>Visually impaired persons possess a specific set of functional and sensory requirements for their successful existence in architectural environments. Unfortunately, a majority of our existing built infrastructure is ill-equipped to address these requirements. Both existing forms of solution for this issues, technological and architectural, are incapable of compensating for the inadequately considered design of public spaces and are subject to widespread general criticisms from the vision loss and architectural community (Human Rights Commission, 2012; Pawluk et al., 2015). This thesis recruits the native capabilities of emerging consumer-level digital technologies in order to explore new solutions to this complex problem. This research saw the proposition tested through the development of a digital platform which blended the design strategies of universal design and assistive technologies with a wide range of theoretical perspectives drawn from medical, psychological, sociological, and geolocational literature. The resulting integration generated unique forms of architectural engagement which improve the spatial comprehension abilities of the visually impaired. The early design outcomes focus on two distinct modes of engagement with a virtual, augmented environment. The first is direct bodily interaction, in which the human-scale perception of the user is bolstered through an object-detection system, which provides users with sensory cues to identify objects in their direct vicinity. The second was the development of various methods for distance-based spatial engagements. Engagement with an environment from a distance significantly expands the scale of potential spatial understanding. These methods allow users to explore spaces in a myriad of different ways, with each mechanic providing different environmental information through diverse sensory outputs. The later design work reflects on these creations and through a process of redevelopment and evaluation draws larger observations regarding the development of the tools and what they offer in terms of spatial understanding. Final conclusions from the thesis provide a framework for research which would allow for the digital adaptation of our currently unsuitable infrastructure.</p>

Can We Build Walkable Environments to Support Social Capital? Towards a Spatial Understanding of Social Capital; a Scoping Review

Empirical evidence suggests that it is possible to socially renew neighbourhoods through the formation of social capital (SC) as an effect of walking. The characteristics of the built environment that influence walkability and SC have been relatively well established by previous research, but contrasts remain. Therefore, this document seeks to investigate the relationship between SC and walkability, through a Scoping Review of empirical studies published in indexed journals in the Web of Science and Scopus. The findings indicate that the formation of SC as an effect of walking is associated with land use and the design of neighbourhood facilities; the provision of urban furniture (benches) and green spaces; and that the design and configuration of the neighbourhoods affects SC even more than the excess density. In addition, the methodological strategies used to arrive at these results were reviewed. The conclusions suggest the need to study this issue from an updated perspective, where new neighbourhood interaction systems can be tracked (that provide new indicators), using advanced tools and technologies that help streamline and make measurements more objective.

The Literary Imagination

Engaging the example of the Literary Imagination assignment, this paper presents the unfolding of design studio coursework that empowers each student to explore their personal and distinctively unique imagination for the making of drawings. By examining its implementation and the philosophical background anchoring our approach, this paper seeks to illuminate how literature may draw out the unexpected and enrich spatial understanding.

Investigating Human Scale Spatial Experience

Spatial experience, or how humans experience a given space, has been a pivotal topic especially in urban-scale environments. On the human scale, HCI researchers have mostly investigated personal meanings or aesthetic and embodied experiences. In this paper, we investigate the human scale as an ensemble of individual spatial features. Through large-scale online questionnaires we first collected a rich set of spatial features that people generally use to characterize their surroundings. Second, we conducted a set of field interviews to develop a more nuanced understanding of the feature identified as most important: perceived safety. Our combined quantitative and qualitative analysis contributes to spatial understanding as a form of context information and presents a timely investigation into the perceived safety of human scale spaces. By connecting our results to the broader scientific literature, we contribute to the field of HCI spatial understanding.

Plato on Self-Motion in Laws X

In this paper, I argue that Plato conceives self-motion as non-spatial in Laws X. I demonstrate this by focusing on the textual evidence and by refuting interpretations according to which self-motion either is a specific type of spatial motion (e. g. circular motion) or is said to require space as a necessary condition for its occurrence. Moreover, I show that this non-spatial understanding differs from the identification of the soul’s motion with locomotion in the Timaeus. Consequently, I provide an explanation for this difference between the Timaeus and Laws X by considering developmentalist and contextualist viewpoints.

(a) Rangatahi Project: an exploration of architects and rangatahi collaborating in the design of spaces in order to activate youth agency

<p>Today’s rangatahi (youth) have exhibited a great capacity to address social and environmental issues and propose solutions toward the future of people and the environments we live in. Although society claims to value the wellbeing of rangatahi, there seems to be very marginal space for the voices of youth to be heard. The aim of this project is to explore design processes that redistribute power and agency between architects and rangatahi in a manner that is not extractive, but mutually beneficial. It asks how we can do this in a democratic way; moreover, it explores how to do it in the midst of unprecedented global challenges. With my co-researcher Ellie Tuckey, we concurrently explore our research agendas through our individual conceptual frameworks. My focus is on the agency of rangatahi in the design process and the evolving role that architects have to play in the awhi (care) of this agency. With an emphasis on decolonisation and agency, this thesis takes a methodology inspired by generative design research and cooperative inquiry. This is applied to collaboration with rangatahi at the front end of design processes, fostering collaborative processes that lead to collaborative outcomes. We have undertaken three real-life community ‘incubator’ projects, which explore how spatial understanding can occur earlier in the design process with the aid of immersive tools. Our approach began by first acknowledging rangatahi as experts in their own right, just as architects are experts in spatial design. This thesis explores how communication can be enriched, with a particular focus on collaboration and co-opting emerging design tools such as computer game simulations, virtual reality and video media. This multimedia body of work culminates in an individual thesis, with a collaborative contribution of A Mana ki te Mana Process - one way of engaging with rangatahi through a decolonised lens.</p>

(a) Rangatahi Project: an exploration of architects and rangatahi collaborating in the design of spaces in order to activate youth agency

<p>Today’s rangatahi (youth) have exhibited a great capacity to address social and environmental issues and propose solutions toward the future of people and the environments we live in. Although society claims to value the wellbeing of rangatahi, there seems to be very marginal space for the voices of youth to be heard. The aim of this project is to explore design processes that redistribute power and agency between architects and rangatahi in a manner that is not extractive, but mutually beneficial. It asks how we can do this in a democratic way; moreover, it explores how to do it in the midst of unprecedented global challenges. With my co-researcher Ellie Tuckey, we concurrently explore our research agendas through our individual conceptual frameworks. My focus is on the agency of rangatahi in the design process and the evolving role that architects have to play in the awhi (care) of this agency. With an emphasis on decolonisation and agency, this thesis takes a methodology inspired by generative design research and cooperative inquiry. This is applied to collaboration with rangatahi at the front end of design processes, fostering collaborative processes that lead to collaborative outcomes. We have undertaken three real-life community ‘incubator’ projects, which explore how spatial understanding can occur earlier in the design process with the aid of immersive tools. Our approach began by first acknowledging rangatahi as experts in their own right, just as architects are experts in spatial design. This thesis explores how communication can be enriched, with a particular focus on collaboration and co-opting emerging design tools such as computer game simulations, virtual reality and video media. This multimedia body of work culminates in an individual thesis, with a collaborative contribution of A Mana ki te Mana Process - one way of engaging with rangatahi through a decolonised lens.</p>

A Third Space: Architecture Through a Lens of Decolonisation

<p><b>In Aotearoa New Zealand our history of colonisation means that Western structures imbue all areas of our lives and the world in which we live is based upon Western ideologies. In its many states – buildings, space, process and theory – architecture holds an important role in society as a physical and abstract framework that structures the ways in which we live. Architects have the agency and power to represent identity in built form and this places responsibility on them to ensure that the values and worldviews of others are represented genuinely.</b></p> <p>This thesis explores how architects (particularly Pākehā) can enable Third Space in the design process. Third Space is the culmination of a theoretical framework that examines decolonisation, architecture and identity, and design process. It is a figurative environment in which contributors from different backgrounds can bring forth ideas, values and opinions to be meaningfully discussed and valued. A flexible strategy – informed by ‘a kind of Kaupapa Pākehā way’ and participatory action research methodologies – utilises immersive tools such as PC games, virtual and augmented realities to explore the catalysation of Third Space in three projects. The first two projects resulted in the development of two different PC games that aimed to aid the architect’s collaboration with Christchurch and Kiribati youth respectively. The lessons learnt from these two incubator projects were brought into the third project which explored decolonising education with Ngāti Toa rangatahi.</p> <p>This research found that for meaningful discussion and negotiation to occur in this conceptual Third Space, there needs to be a balance of power and agency between designers and community end-users. It found that high-quality relationships based on the concept of Third Space can be enabled through greater spatial understanding, something that can be supported by visuospatial languages such as computer games and immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences. This is represented in a collaboratively developed process with fellow student Mitra Homolja and called A Mana ki te Mana Process.</p>

A Third Space: Architecture Through a Lens of Decolonisation

<p><b>In Aotearoa New Zealand our history of colonisation means that Western structures imbue all areas of our lives and the world in which we live is based upon Western ideologies. In its many states – buildings, space, process and theory – architecture holds an important role in society as a physical and abstract framework that structures the ways in which we live. Architects have the agency and power to represent identity in built form and this places responsibility on them to ensure that the values and worldviews of others are represented genuinely.</b></p> <p>This thesis explores how architects (particularly Pākehā) can enable Third Space in the design process. Third Space is the culmination of a theoretical framework that examines decolonisation, architecture and identity, and design process. It is a figurative environment in which contributors from different backgrounds can bring forth ideas, values and opinions to be meaningfully discussed and valued. A flexible strategy – informed by ‘a kind of Kaupapa Pākehā way’ and participatory action research methodologies – utilises immersive tools such as PC games, virtual and augmented realities to explore the catalysation of Third Space in three projects. The first two projects resulted in the development of two different PC games that aimed to aid the architect’s collaboration with Christchurch and Kiribati youth respectively. The lessons learnt from these two incubator projects were brought into the third project which explored decolonising education with Ngāti Toa rangatahi.</p> <p>This research found that for meaningful discussion and negotiation to occur in this conceptual Third Space, there needs to be a balance of power and agency between designers and community end-users. It found that high-quality relationships based on the concept of Third Space can be enabled through greater spatial understanding, something that can be supported by visuospatial languages such as computer games and immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences. This is represented in a collaboratively developed process with fellow student Mitra Homolja and called A Mana ki te Mana Process.</p>