Design Logics: A Diagrammatic Approach to Research and Representation of Health Pathways in the Built Environment

Abstract

Frameworks to conceptualize and evaluate programs in public health can be adapted as tools to guide research and contribute to the visual culture of architecture. One such framework is a logic model, a graphic tool that details specific components of an intervention and the proposed short and long-term outcomes. The logic model is a cornerstone of program planning and evaluation, a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using data to examine the effective¬ness of a specific program and to understand why it may or may not be working as planned. The tool has been used to assess the health outcomes of plans, policies, and projects in urban planning through a methodology called Health Impact Assessment (HIA). The collaborative research process to develop a logic model has the potential to play a more generative role in architectural design. In this paper, I explore methods to bring the logic modeling process into design pedagogy and to promote potential applications in integrative design practices. Three examples are examined: 1) a logic model used in a comprehensive HIA of a community development project, 2) visualization of scientific research, and 3) a logic model representing a solution for an intergenerational health center in a design competition. Logic models can play a significant role in the design, evaluation, and monitoring of health outcomes in architectural projects at any scale and level of complexity. The work will demonstrate the potential of using logic models to conceptualize projects from the earliest stage of development to support integrative and collaborative research methods in design.