SUITABILITY OF REFERENCE STANDARDS TO INTEGRATE ERGONOMICS IN ARCHITECTURE: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

Introduction: Buildings are a very important part of our lives because we spend so much time there. A primary job of an architect is to assure that the buildings we live in accommodate the human activities that take place within them. Therefore, anthropometric datasets are important tools for the architect. Unfortunately, anthropometric datasets relevant to the functions that take place in buildings are relatively scarce, even as part of the architect’s academic experience. Architects mostly depend on a few reference standards that may not fit the local population. The purpose of the research described here is to contribute to the filling of this gap with an anthropometric dataset for the Bangladeshi population that can serve as a source of data in the field of architecture. Methods: Body measurements of 130 people, 66 male and 64 female, are taken at 38 different postures. The postures are selected from the reference standards and considering the local practice. Then the measurements are examined with descriptive statistics and compared with the reference standards to check the differences. Results: This comparison indicates that the Bangladeshi people are considerably smaller; therefore, the practiced reference standards are not appropriate for Bangladesh, and presumably South Asia. Further research is required for a comprehensive anthropometric database. The presented dataset can serve as a source of data for the design of residential and other buildings in Bangladesh as well as other South Asian countries.