Indoor Public Spaces Research Articles

AHP-FCE를 활용한 중국 피난안내도 최적화 설계 연구 - Chung Hua University(CHU) 도서관을 중심으로

In large indoor public spaces such as office buildings and shopping malls, the complex architectural layout and dense population increase the difficulty of emergency evacuation. In the event of a fire or other disaster, the lack of effective evacuation measures can lead to significant casualties and property loss. This paper studies fire evacuation maps in China based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE) methods, aiming to improve the cognitive efficiency and user experience of evacuation maps. The study first constructs a hierarchical index system for evacuation maps, determines the weights of various design elements, and forms a judgment matrix through evaluations by experts and users. Then, the optimized evacuation map undergoes a comprehensive evaluation analysis. The results show that clarity and functionality are the two aspects users are most concerned about, with the recognizability of signage and the accuracy of location information being particularly important. The optimized evacuation map shows significant improvements in clarity and information transmission, effectively guiding people to quickly escape in emergencies. This study validates the rationality and feasibility of the AHP-FCE method in the design of fire evacuation maps, providing new ideas and directions for further optimization of evacuation maps.

Longitudinal assessment of the impact of COVID-19 infection on mask-wearing behaviors

BackgroundWearing a mask was a crucial component in slowing the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about the intersectionality between mask usage, risk perception, and infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether risk perceptions and masking behaviors are associated with contracting SARS-CoV-2 and how contracting SARS-CoV-2 subsequently changes masking behaviors in specific situations.MethodsThis cohort study utilized survey data from the UC San Diego ZAP COVID-19 study (n = 1,230) to evaluate the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 in relation to baseline risk perceptions and masking behaviors in various situations and how contracting SARS-CoV-2 affects subsequent masking behavior.ResultsWe found that more consistent self-reported mask use in indoor public spaces (p = 0.03) and in other people’s houses (p = 0.002) was associated with remaining free of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also found that contracting SARS-CoV-2 was associated with a subsequent increase in mask use in other people’s houses (p = 0.01).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that consistent mask use is correlated with decreased infection and that contracting SARS-CoV-2 may modify mask use behaviors in high-risk situations. These findings may help inform future public health messaging for infectious disease prevention.Trial registrationThis study has not been previously registered as it is an observational study. There was no pre-registration of the analytic plan for the present study.

Historical Changes, Contemporary Characteristics, and Five Transformations of Environmental Design in China

Starting from the characteristics of modernization in three different historical stages since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, this paper analyses the internal changes in the professional name, subordinate disciplines and categories, and professional mission of the environmental design profession, and summarizes the changes in the characteristics of the environmental design profession in 10 aspects such as subordinate disciplines, design objects, design types, cultural characteristics, and aesthetic values on the basis of the results of the analysis, and explores five transformations of the environmental design profession in the process of China’s development in the future. The five transformations in the future development of China are to serve the harmony and beauty of the three major urban and rural spaces with “small and micro-renewal and reconstruction”; to serve the transmission of Chinese culture and the spread of Chinese civilization with “spatial heritage and innovation”; to serve the balance and sufficiency of the four functions of urban and rural settlements with “friendliness and equilibrium”; to serve the intelligence, wisdom, and enjoyment of indoor and outdoor living environment space with “scientific and technological achievements”; and to serve the co-construction, co-management, and sharing of indoor and outdoor public space in urban and rural areas with “public participation.”

Typology of Informal Learning Spaces (ILS) in Sustainable Academic Education: A Systematic Literature Review in Architecture and Urban Planning

Informal learning spaces (ILS) offer unique opportunities for students to interact and develop skills in a more social, resilient, and sustainable environment. However, there is a lack of a definitive typology for ILS and related design factors and outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the typology of ILS in academic education, including relevant design factors and positive outcomes from architectural and urban planning perspectives. A systematic literature review was conducted on articles published between 2004 and 2024 from four databases: Scopus, ScienceDirect, Emerald Insights, and IEEE Xplore. The included articles are in English and based on empirical data published in peer-reviewed journals, focusing on informal learning and its settings. A total of 37 full-text articles were included in the descriptive review, from which two categories and six types were identified: private indoor quiet space, semi-private/semi-public indoor space, public indoor space, public sustainable space, public outdoor space, and comprehensive space. The results also revealed seven categories of factors affecting these types of ILS: personal aspects, spatial design, physical settings, resources, social aspects, natural environment, and perceived environment. Furthermore, these ILS significantly contributed to five categories of positive outcomes: learning efficacy, socialisation, refreshment and relaxation, health outcomes, and sustainable development. Therefore, this SLR significantly contributed to the definition and typology of ILS in sustainable higher education.

Research on Spatial Design and Reconstruction Strategy of Aging Based on Visual Features

At present, our country is in the rapid development stage of aging, the pension problem has always been a problem that the whole society pays high attention to, how to create a high quality living environment for the old people becomes a new research topic. From the perspective of vision, combined with architectural design theory, geriatric psychology, color psychology and other theories, this paper explores the interior public space environment design of elderly buildings from the aspects of light, color, quality, humanity and other influencing factors. At the same time, it analyzes the living situation of the old apartment and the characteristics of the old people in our country. From the aspects of space environment, function layout and so on, this paper summarizes the renovation strategy of interior space of elderly apartment. It provides a new reference for the design of elderly apartments in China in the future, and combines the design of elderly service centers to enrich the design methods of indoor public space environment of elderly care buildings in China in the future, so as to improve the quality of life of the elderly.

Endocrine disrupting potential of total and bioaccessible extracts of dust from seven different types of indoor environment

Information on the indoor environment as a source of exposure with potential adverse health effects is mostly limited to a few pollutant groups and indoor types. This study provides a comprehensive toxicological profile of chemical mixtures associated with dust from various types of indoor environments, namely cars, houses, prefabricated apartments, kindergartens, offices, public spaces, and schools. Organic extracts of two different polarities and bioaccessible extracts mimicking the gastrointestinal conditions were prepared from two different particle size fractions of dust. These extracts were tested on a battery of human cell-based bioassays to assess endocrine disrupting potentials. Furthermore, 155 chemicals from different pollutant groups were measured and their relevance for the bioactivity was determined using concentration addition modelling. The exhaustive and bioaccessible extracts of dust from the different microenvironments interfered with aryl hydrocarbon receptor, estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, and thyroid hormone (TH) receptor signalling, and with TH transport. Noteably, bioaccessible extracts from offices and public spaces showed higher estrogenic effects than the organic solvent extracts. 114 of the 155 targeted chemicals were detectable, but the observed bioactivity could be only marginally explained by the detected chemicals. Diverse toxicity patterns across different microenvironments that people inhabit throughout their lifetime indicate potential health and developmental risks, especially for children. Limited data on the endocrine disrupting potency of relevant chemical classes, especially those deployed as replacements for legacy contaminants, requires further study.

Effect of children secondhand smoke exposure associated with GABA concentration: Influence from parents who are extremely heavy smokers in urban households

BackgroundSecondhand smoke (SHS) poses the most considerable health risk to children in urban households. However, limited evidence exists regarding the impact of children exposure to SHS on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels. This study aimed to investigate the level of cotinine and GABA and their association with variables related to children exposed to SHS. MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was conducted to assess urinary cotinine and GABA levels in respondents. The study involved 85 participants aged 2–4 years who resided with parents exhibiting heavy smoking habits in urban households in Bangkok, Thailand. Urinary cotinine and GABA concentrations were utilized as biomarkers and measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. An independent t-test was employed to compare contributing factors with urinary cotinine metabolites. Spearman's correlation test was utilized to assess the relationship between cotinine metabolites and GABA concentration. ResultsThe study found a correlation between urinary cotinine metabolites and GABA concentration among children's (r = 0.260, p-value = 0.016), particularly influenced by parents exhibiting extreme heavy smoking in urban households. Male children exhibited significantly higher urinary cotinine metabolite concentrations than females (p-value = 0.040). Moreover, significantly elevated levels of cotinine metabolites (57.37 ± 10.27 ng/ml) were observed in households where parents engaged in extreme heavy smoking. ConclusionsThis research establishes a link between urinary cotinine metabolite levels and GABA concentration among children exposed to extreme heavy smoking by their parents in urban households. Consequently, smoking might impact neurobehavioral effects, potentially leading to insomnia. The study emphasizes the importance of promoting and safeguarding non-smokers from exposure to SHS in indoor workplaces, public spaces, and households, advocating for the implementation of smoke-free public health regulations.

The Smoking Status and The Perspective on Law No. 4207 of Cafe, Coffee-House, and Restaurant Owners on The Busy Streets of Central District of Kars

Aim: Making indoor environments 100% smoke-free is the only proven way to protect people from passive smoking. This study aimed to evaluate the smoking status of café, coffeehouse, and restaurant owners and their views on Law No. 4207, which prohibits tobacco use in indoor public spaces, considering sociodemographic variables and the COVID-19 pandemic period. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study population comprised 131 café, coffeehouse, and restaurant owners located on busy streets in the central district of Kars. Results: 72 restaurants, 45 cafés, and 14 coffeehouses owners participated to the study. Among the employers don’t allow smoking in the indoor areas of their businesses is 82.4%. Among the 85 smokers, 65.9% did not feel compelled to smoke in prohibited areas, and 57.0% viewed the indoor smoking ban positively. Of the 125 business owners who reported financial loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, 61.6% cited the country's economic situation as the primary reason. In the logistic regression analysis showed that a positive view of the law was 2.69 times higher among employers with high school education or above compared to those with middle school education or lower (95% CI: 1.01-7.2, p=0.049), 3,96 times higher those who did not allow smoking indoors at their workplace compared to those who did (95% CI: 1.28-12.23, p=0.017), and 10.98 times higher among those who stated that the law did not cause financial loss compared to those who stated it did (95% CI: 3.34-36.07, p<0.001). Conclusion: Most smoking business owners view Law No. 4207 positively, this indicating that the law is also embraced by smoking employers. The business owners’s identification of the country's economic situation as the main reason for financial loss during COVID-19 suggest that this factor could diminish the gains of Law No. 4207 and indicate the need for a more comprehensive tobacco control strategy.

Indoor public spaces and the mobility of religious knowledge in late medieval Deventer and Amiens

Abstract This article will address the transfer of religious knowledge in two north-western European cities from a spatial perspective. Our starting point will be the thesis that immobile knowledge in closed places of knowledge (lieux de savoir) does not exist: (religious) knowledge only becomes functional in the dynamic encounter with users and it is disseminated through social networks. This approach, which involves the movement from closed spaces to processes and practices, also entails a questioning of outdoor and indoor spaces; of private and public spaces. The article will take its start from several case-studies of indoor public spaces, the transmission of religious knowledge and social networks, based on documentation from Deventer in the northern Low Countries and Amiens on the border of the southern Low Countries and France.

Disease Simulation in Airport Scenario Based on Individual Mobility Model

As the rapid-spreading disease COVID-19 occupies the world, most governments adopt strict control policies to alleviate the impact of the virus. These policies successfully reduced the prevalence and delayed the epidemic peak, while they are also associated with high economic and social costs. To bridge the microscopic epidemic transmission patterns and control policies, simulation systems play an important role. In this work, we propose an agent-based disease simulator for indoor public spaces, which contribute to most of the transmission in cities. As an example, we study Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, which is one of the most bustling aviation hubs in China. Specifically, we design a high-efficiency mobility generation module to reconstruct the individual trajectories considering both lingering behavior and crowd mobility, which greatly enhances the credibility of the simulated mobility and ensures real-time performance. Based on the individual trajectories, we propose a multi-path disease transmission module optimized for indoor public spaces, which includes three main transmission paths as close contact transmission, aerosol transmission, and object surface transmission. We design a novel convolution-based algorithm to mimic the diffusion process, which can leverage the high concurrent capability of the graphics processing unit to accelerate the simulation process. Leveraging our simulation paradigm, the effectiveness of common policy interventions can be quantitatively evaluated. For mobility interventions, we find that lingering control is the most effective mobility intervention with 32.35% fewer infections, while increasing social distance and increasing walking speed have a similar effect with 15.15% and 18.02% fewer infections. It demonstrates the importance of introducing crowd mobility into disease transmission simulation. For transmission processes, we find the aerosol transmission involves in 99.99% of transmission, which highlights the importance of ventilation in indoor public spaces. Our simulation also demonstrates that without strict entrance detection to identify the input infections, only performing frequent disinfection cannot achieve desirable epidemic outcomes. Based on our simulation paradigm, we can shed light on better policy designs that achieve a good balance between disease spreading control and social costs.

POSTHUMAN INTERVENTIONS TO ARCHITECTURAL SPACE BY FOOD IN PERFORMANCE ART

Posthuman studies are interdisciplinary studies that criticize the anthropocentric and dualist perspective of Western Humanist thought. In these studies, the relations between human and non-human agents are examined in the scope of subjects such as ecology, anthropocene, feminism, technology with disciplines such as medicine, sociology, law, history, art, design and architecture. At the intersection of posthuman studies within art and architecture, the concepts of time, space and body come to the fore as mostly discussed with topics such as virtuality, digitality, cyberspace, social media, metaverse, time travel, anti-aging, cryonics. The purpose of this study is to investigate the intersection of architecture and posthuman with the concepts of space and intervention in relation to performance art; and to assert a research that suggests food as an interdisciplinary art medium. Food has been used as a material in art and design, but as an artistic and architectural intervention medium it has not been investigated in the posthuman context. In this context, literature was reviewed on academic sources and applications, and these were reinterpreted to develop new suggestions with a qualitative research method. It’s observed that the post-dualist approach at the center of posthuman studies is placed in Fluxus events which problematize and criticize dualisms such as artist/audience, art/life, public/private. It was concluded that food isn’t just an art material in these performances; it's a medium that offers artists new contexts with its technical, creative and critical possibilities. Therefore as architectural interventions applied to public or private and indoor or outdoor spaces are going beyond the actions such as building, demolishing, displacing, excavating, filling, covering; and with a medium such as food challenging creativity, immaterial, intuitive and sensory interpretations of time, body and space are emphasized. In this context, it’s intended to create a contribution that offers alternative perspectives to the literature.

Development of Nano-Sized Copper-Deposited Antimicrobial Air Filters Using a Mixed Melt-Blown Process.

Air purification devices, such as air purifiers, provide fresh air by filtering out airborne pollutants, dust, and other harmful substances using various filter systems. While air filters are generally effective in filtering pollutants such as dust, they encounter a challenge when filtering harmful microorganisms such as mites, bacteria, mold, and viruses. These microorganisms, which are present in public transport and public indoor spaces, tend to proliferate on the surface of the filter media, eventually reintroducing themselves into the air or causing unpleasant odors. To address this issue, herein, copper particles were prepared as one masterbatch and deposited on polypropylene (PP) pellets through plasma vacuum deposition to effectively filter dust and microorganisms and prevent their growth on the surface of the filter media. After adding 3-10 wt.% of the masterbatch to conventional PP pellets to fabricate a filter media, the distribution of copper on the surface of the filter media was observed through a scanning electron microscope. To verify the safety and effectiveness of the antimicrobial material, the filter media containing antimicrobial particles was tested using Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus through a filter emission test.

Retracted: Photocatalyst and Decoration Design in Indoor Public Spaces Based on the Photocatalytic Function of Nanometer Titanium Dioxide

Retracted: Photocatalyst and Decoration Design in Indoor Public Spaces Based on the Photocatalytic Function of Nanometer Titanium Dioxide

Methods for infection prevention in the built environment—a mini-review

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that infection prevention actions need to be more efficient in public indoor environments. In addition to SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, many pathogens, including other infectious viruses, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and premise plumbing pathogens, are an invisible threat, especially in public indoor spaces. The indoor hygiene concept for comprehensive infection prevention in built environments highlights that the indoor environment should be considered as a whole when aiming to create buildings with increased infection prevention capacity. Within indoor environments, infections can indirectly spread through surfaces, air, and water systems. Many methods, such as antimicrobial technologies and engineering solutions, targeting these indoor elements are available, which aim to increase the hygiene level in indoor environments. The architectural design itself lays a foundation for more efficient infection prevention in public buildings. Touchless solutions and antimicrobial coatings can be applied to frequently touched surfaces to prevent indirect contact infection. Special ventilation solutions and air purification systems should be considered to prevent airborne infection transmissions. Proper design and use of water supply systems combined with water treatment devices, if necessary, are important in controlling premise plumbing pathogens. This article gives a concise review of the functional and available hygiene-increasing methods—concentrating on indoor surfaces, indoor air, and water systems—to help the professionals, such as designers, engineers, and maintenance personnel, involved in the different stages of a building’s lifecycle, to increase the infection prevention capacity of public buildings.

Re-Functioning of a Dead Shopping Mall As a University

In Istanbul, which is one of the cities with the highest population growth in Turkey, changes have occurred in socio-economic conditions, public space requirements and supply-demand balance due to this increase. In the last 20 years, Shopping Malls and Life Centers (AVM) that provide socialization, culture-art activities and shopping opportunities are the most functional spaces that meet the public indoor space requirements on an urban scale in Istanbul to a certain extent. However, the recent construction of shopping mall investments, especially in a way that will create a surplus of demand regionally, has caused some shopping malls to turn into structures that lose their function and cannot meet the changing requirements. These idle buildings, which lost their function but continued their structural life, brought the concept of “Dead Shopping Mall” to the architectural literature. This study aims to get investors and decision-makers to think about the re-functioning of dead shopping malls in the public interest. The structural functions of dead AVMs that they are compatible with in terms of functional transformation due to reasons such as their location, structural and physical properties, dimensions are limited. According to the research carried out within the scope of this study, it has been determined that the number of examples of many dead shopping malls converted by foundation universities is gradually increasing. Although there are publications in the existing domestic literature on the transformation of dead shopping malls into various commercial functions, there have been no sources examining their transformation for universities. The study interprets this transformation with the method of a foundation university that pioneers the public transformation of dead shopping malls, the flow chart of original design steps with designer experiences, stain studies of floor plans of old and new functions, comparison of old-new interior and exterior building visuals and aims to contribute to the domestic literature in this sense.

Early Estimates of Bivalent mRNA Vaccine Effectiveness in Preventing COVID-19-Associated Emergency Department or Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Immunocompetent Adults - VISION Network, Nine States, September-November 2022.

During June-October 2022, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5 sublineage accounted for most of the sequenced viral genomes in the United States, with further Omicron sublineage diversification through November 2022.* Bivalent mRNA vaccines contain an ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain component plus an updated component of the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 sublineages. On September 1, 2022, a single bivalent booster dose was recommended for adults who had completed a primary vaccination series (with or without subsequent booster doses), with the last dose administered ≥2 months earlier (1). During September 13-November 18, the VISION Network evaluated vaccine effectiveness (VE) of a bivalent mRNA booster dose (after 2, 3, or 4 monovalent doses) compared with 1) no previous vaccination and 2) previous receipt of 2, 3, or 4 monovalent-only mRNA vaccine doses, among immunocompetent adults aged ≥18 years with an emergency department/urgent care (ED/UC) encounter or hospitalization for a COVID-19-like illness.† VE of a bivalent booster dose (after 2, 3, or 4 monovalent doses) against COVID-19-associated ED/UC encounters was 56% compared with no vaccination, 32% compared with monovalent vaccination only with last dose 2-4 months earlier, and 50% compared with monovalent vaccination only with last dose ≥11 months earlier. VE of a bivalent booster dose (after 2, 3, or 4 monovalent doses) against COVID-19-associated hospitalizations was 59% compared with no vaccination, 42% compared with monovalent vaccination only with last dose 5-7 months earlier, and 48% compared with monovalent vaccination only with last dose ≥11 months earlier. Bivalent vaccines administered after 2, 3, or 4 monovalent doses were effective in preventing medically attended COVID-19 compared with no vaccination and provided additional protection compared with past monovalent vaccination only, with relative protection increasing with time since receipt of the last monovalent dose. All eligible persons should stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, including receiving a bivalent booster dose. Persons should also consider taking additional precautions to avoid respiratory illness this winter season, such as masking in public indoor spaces, especially in areas where COVID-19 community levels are high.

A corpus-based approach to define Turkish soundscapes attributes

Considering the challenges of translating soundscape attributes, this study aims to identify soundscape attributes in Turkish. To conduct this study, an online questionnaire with two parts was prepared and sent to 200 native Turkish bilingual speakers from all around Turkey. In the first part, the participants were asked to translate the eight soundscape attributes in ISO 12913-2:2018 from English to Turkish. In addition to direct translations, the participants were asked to describe the acoustic environment they were present in with five perceptual adjectives in their own words. The adjectives from direct translations and the open-ended question were combined to form a pool of 196 adjectives. Through a two-step elimination process by six soundscape experts, a total of 80 attributes were obtained. Twenty-four binaural sound recordings, using a 3Dio binaural microphone and Zoom H4N recorder, were collected from indoor and outdoor public spaces with different functions (e.g., concert hall, masjid, design studio, cafe). Each participant was asked to listen to six 30s-long sound recordings one at a time and rate the 80 attributes on a five-point scale for each recording individually. The results show that the opposite adjectives with similar perceptual meanings were placed together in two main clusters.

Corrigendum to “Psychological Impact of the Hospital Indoor Public Spaces on Patients’ Health, Assessment, and Analysis”

Corrigendum to “Psychological Impact of the Hospital Indoor Public Spaces on Patients’ Health, Assessment, and Analysis”

Principle dimensions of perceptual attributes in indoor public spaces

This study aims to analyze the principal dimensions of perceptual attributes in indoor public spaces. Healthcare, working, cultural, educational, leisure, worship, and transportation spaces (e.g., bus, train, metro stations, and airports) were chosen as public spaces. Three members of the research team independently listened to all 70 binaural recordings, taken from indoor spaces, and for each recording identified whether human-generated sounds (e.g., conversation, laughter, footsteps, and coughing), technology-related sounds (e.g., mechanical and electronic sounds) and/or environmental sounds dominated. University students (n=120) performed a listening test to assess 70 binaural recordings of indoor soundscapes on users' attribute scale. Principal component analysis shows that there are two prominent groups: pleasantness and eventfulness. Perceived sound environments dominated by technology-related sounds were found to be unpleasant, while the acoustic environments dominated by human-generated sounds were eventful.

Preliminary Study on the Indoor Public Activity Space of Community Day Care Center for the Elderly

With the increasingly obvious trend of population aging, “how to provide for the elderly” has become a major problem faced by the government and the whole society. As one of the elderly care institutions in China, the community day care center for the elderly has received constant attention in recent years. By analyzing the psychological and physiological needs of the elderly in the indoor public activity space, this paper clarifies the basic design principles of the public activity space in the day care center and summarizes the public activity space strategies of the elderly in the day care center to create a safe and appropriate public activity space for the elderly.