Evaluation of a natural workspace intervention with active design features on movement, interaction and health

BACKGROUND: There is increasing focus on designing workspaces that promote less sitting, more movement and interaction to improve physical and mental health. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates a natural intervention of a new workplace with active design features and its relocation to a greener and open space. METHODS: An ecological model was used to understand how organisations implement change. Pre and post survey data from 221 matched cases of workers and accelerometery data (n = 50) were analysed. RESULTS: Results show a decrease in occupational sitting (-20.65 mins/workday, p = 0.001) and an increase in workplace walking (+5.61 mins/workday, p = 0.001) using survey data, and accelerometery data (occupational sitting time: –31.0 mins/workday, p = 0.035, standing time: +22.0 mins/workday, p = 0.022, stepping time: +11.0 mins/workday, p = 0.001). Improvements in interaction, musculoskeletal pain and mental health were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Application of the ecological model shows that the organisation understands how to target the built environment and social/cultural environment but not how to target behaviour change at the individual level.

Wellington's Lost Streams: ecosystem regeneration supporting urban agriculture using architecture

<p>Wellington's piped streams and harbour are both heavily polluted by land-based activities. Riparian zones around urban streams are almost non-existent, and native ecosystems are suffering or have been completely removed. These issues are to be engaged through architectural design focusing on ecosystem regeneration, cross-programmed with public infrastructure, and urban agriculture. Natural habitat in Aotearoa has dramatically diminished since European colonisation and continues to suffer significantly from the expansion of the built environment and farmland. The ideas that this design-based research explores is the incorporation of living-systems to aid in regeneration of native species and habitat, and prevent water pollution within urban contexts. The addition of permaculture practices will also be explored for its role in supporting civic life alongside public interaction through socially active design. Through these ideas, the goal is to create a network of architectural interventions that define a model of living which is regenerative to the environment. This would work towards people and nature coexisting in symbiotic relationships within urban centres.</p>

Wellington's Lost Streams: ecosystem regeneration supporting urban agriculture using architecture

<p>Wellington's piped streams and harbour are both heavily polluted by land-based activities. Riparian zones around urban streams are almost non-existent, and native ecosystems are suffering or have been completely removed. These issues are to be engaged through architectural design focusing on ecosystem regeneration, cross-programmed with public infrastructure, and urban agriculture. Natural habitat in Aotearoa has dramatically diminished since European colonisation and continues to suffer significantly from the expansion of the built environment and farmland. The ideas that this design-based research explores is the incorporation of living-systems to aid in regeneration of native species and habitat, and prevent water pollution within urban contexts. The addition of permaculture practices will also be explored for its role in supporting civic life alongside public interaction through socially active design. Through these ideas, the goal is to create a network of architectural interventions that define a model of living which is regenerative to the environment. This would work towards people and nature coexisting in symbiotic relationships within urban centres.</p>

Visual Tea: EVES: Vision as Touch

<p><b>It could be said that the eye plays a relatively passive role in the creation of a design. Our fingers and hands are more capable of drawing, and our voice can be used to communicate our ideas or expressions. Our eyes, however, are a consuming function. They absorb light and allow us to understand, but they do not play an active role. This body of work aims to challenge this conception through a body of design research and self-testing.</b></p> <p>By incorporating eye-tracking deeper within these methods, we can begin to discern this technology’s possibilities as a method that encompasses the visual experience as an active input. This thesis is segmented into the two areas of eye tracking utilisation within VR and the design process; passive and active. The passive investigations act as an intermediate phase to understand the extents of eye-tracking as a technology. In comparison, the active investigations act as the culmination and embodiment of this thesis as a whole.</p> <p>The research will explore the Eye-tracking Voxel Environment Sculptor’s (EVES) development that incorporates eye-tracking as an active design actor. Through the development of EVES, the extent to which eye-tracking can be implemented as an active design medium is investigated. The eye-tracking data garnered from the designer within EVES is directly utilised as an input within a modelling environment to manipulate and sculpt voxels. In addition to modelling input, eye-tracking is also explored in its usability in the Virtual Reality User Interface. Eyetracking is implemented within EVES to this extent to test the limits and possibilities of eye-tracking and the Human-Computer Interface within the realm of Virtual Reality Aided Design.</p>

Visual Tea: EVES: Vision as Touch

<p><b>It could be said that the eye plays a relatively passive role in the creation of a design. Our fingers and hands are more capable of drawing, and our voice can be used to communicate our ideas or expressions. Our eyes, however, are a consuming function. They absorb light and allow us to understand, but they do not play an active role. This body of work aims to challenge this conception through a body of design research and self-testing.</b></p> <p>By incorporating eye-tracking deeper within these methods, we can begin to discern this technology’s possibilities as a method that encompasses the visual experience as an active input. This thesis is segmented into the two areas of eye tracking utilisation within VR and the design process; passive and active. The passive investigations act as an intermediate phase to understand the extents of eye-tracking as a technology. In comparison, the active investigations act as the culmination and embodiment of this thesis as a whole.</p> <p>The research will explore the Eye-tracking Voxel Environment Sculptor’s (EVES) development that incorporates eye-tracking as an active design actor. Through the development of EVES, the extent to which eye-tracking can be implemented as an active design medium is investigated. The eye-tracking data garnered from the designer within EVES is directly utilised as an input within a modelling environment to manipulate and sculpt voxels. In addition to modelling input, eye-tracking is also explored in its usability in the Virtual Reality User Interface. Eyetracking is implemented within EVES to this extent to test the limits and possibilities of eye-tracking and the Human-Computer Interface within the realm of Virtual Reality Aided Design.</p>

Managing the handling–comfort contradiction of a quarter-car system using Kalman filter

This article introduces a new approach to manage the “handling–comfort” contradiction of a vehicle suspension system. The idea is based on determining a specific time constant that reflects the percentage of suspension damping. This time constant is defined using the measurement of the sprung mass acceleration and the suspension deflection. A distinction is made between the control unit design for a semi-active suspension system and the control unit design for an active suspension system. The semi-active design is based on two sensors and a Kalman filter (KF), while the active design is based on three sensors and a dual-estimation KF. For active suspension, a third sensor was added to measure the acceleration of the unsprung mass. Simulation is carried out in Simulink and Simscape environments. The results of the proposed approach were compared with the results achieved by the hybrid-hook system. Simulation results showed a better efficiency of the proposed approach in driving safety during a “comfort” situation.

Does Active Design Influence Activity, Sitting, Wellbeing and Productivity in the Workplace? A Systematic Review

Active design is an emerging concept to incorporate physical activity into daily life through thoughtful design, and is often implemented in new building designs. It is, however, not known what evidence base there is to support the claims. Through this systematic review, the current evidence for active design was investigated. Seven databases were searched. A range of search terms relating to active design, physical activity, sitting, performance and wellbeing were used. After title and abstract screening of 1174 papers and full-text screening, 17 were selected for inclusion. The papers provided promising evidence of active design aiding a reduction in sitting and increase in standing time. Limited evidence was found for physical activity; a few studies reported an increase in step counts. Musculoskeletal effects were investigated in few studies, but there is some evidence of benefits to lower back pain. There was consistent evidence for better light and air quality, but no evidence for other features of the workplace environment. No conclusive evidence was found on associations between active design features and work performance. There is hence some evidence to support the benefit of active design on physical health; however, the dearth and heterogeneity of the study designs, measures and findings warrant further research.