Spatial Design Research Articles

Spatial Design Thinking in Coastal Defence Systems: Overtopping Dikes in Southend-On-Sea

Coastal dikes have been built for millennia to protect inhabited lands from exceptional high tides and storm events. Currently, many European countries are developing specific programs to integrate the construction of new dikes (or the raising of existing ones) into the built environment to face sea level rising. Technical difficulties in succeeding in this operation are questioning the paradigm of protection for the long term, pointing out the need for alternative strategies of adaptation that are not yet fully explored. This paper elaborates on innovative models to deal with coastal flooding, presenting the results of an interdisciplinary research and design process for the case-study of Southend-on-Sea (UK). Detailed numerical simulations are used to develop a spatial strategy to accommodate water during extreme events, introducing different prototypes of dike designs that include seawalls, enhanced roughness through rock and stepped revetments, as well as vegetation. The overall goal is to push forward the traditional approach of planning water protection infrastructure within the solely field of civil engineering. It elaborates on the integration of the disciplines of spatial design and engineering and presents novel advances in terms of spatial design for the revetment of overtopping dikes.

Exploring climate-adaptive green-space designs for hot and humid climates: Lessons from Japanese dry gardens

The number of studies on green spaces’ cooling effects has significantly increased in recent years, driven by the rising occurrence and severity of heat waves. Nevertheless, our current understanding of optimal green space designs for mitigating heat stress remains limited. This study delves into the historic Japanese dry gardens to examine the design strategies employed by ancient Japanese people in addressing hot and humid climates while crafting a thermally comfortable environment for garden visitors. We selectively investigated the thermal condition and spatial design of four compact dry gardens (<1500 m2) in Kyoto, Japan as we aimed to propose design strategies for small urban green spaces which are the major urban green spaces in Japan. The results indicated that the thermal condition in all the resting areas of the gardens was dramatically ameliorated to a “warm” condition when nearby open areas were “extremely hot.” This enhancement was achieved through the provision of extensive shade, primarily in the form of roofs, covering approximately 80% and 70% of the areas within 5 and 10 m radii around the resting areas, respectively. Nonetheless, we observed spatial heterogeneity in thermal conditions among the resting areas, which were influenced by the varying degrees of greenery cover within a 20 m radius. This study demonstrates that Japanese dry gardens were designed climate accordingly and can effectively reduce summer heat stress. It highlights the value of historic gardens as urban green spaces providing regulating ecosystem services and as a strategic design reference for guiding climate-adaptive green space designs.

Developing the health effect assessment of landscape (HEAL) Tool: Assessing the health effects of community greenspace morphology design on non-communicable diseases

Neighborhood greenspace benefits health, yet few tools are available for estimating the health consequences of community greenspace design alternatives, especially prior to the implementation of a landscape design plan. Herein we present a machine learning based tool for predicting the prevalence of non-communicable diseases based on landscape design maps at the community scale. We achieve this based on data collected in five major metropolises in the United States. By using high-resolution satellite imagery and remote sensing technologies, landscape spatial design characteristics were extracted through spatial pattern analysis, allowing the measurement of verdancy, fragmentation, connectedness, aggregation, and shape of greenspaces. We established a model to estimate the prevalence of poor mental health, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and physical inactivity at the census tract level by adopting a combination of random forest decision tree algorithm and spatial Gaussian process models. Model accuracy was found to be significantly higher than ordinary regression models. The model accounted for very high levels of variance in the specified morbidities; viz., poor mental health (97%), heart disease (93%), stroke (93%), diabetes (95%), COPD (94%), and physical inactivity (98%). This tool is implemented using a freely available programming language (R), and we offer the model accessible to the public. This tool enables urban planners and landscape designers to assess and compare the health effects of different greenspace design plans prior to implementation, thus providing policymakers and designers with evidence-rich alternatives during the health-promoting greenspace planning process.

Brick classroom & Block classroom: preschoolers’ spatial and architectural design skills during constructive play

ABSTRACT Constructive play, where children manipulate materials to create and build something, is a prevalent form of play in preschool settings. Children can greatly benefit from engaging in constructive play, specifically by developing spatial and architectural skills. Therefore, the current study aim was to examine ways preschoolers used spatial and architectural design skills during constructive play. Participants were observed via the Spatial – Geometric – Architectural (SPAGAR) Coding System and included 31 preschool children aged five-year- old with 16 boys (M = 63.06, SD = 2.112) and 15 girls (M = 62.93, SD = 1.907) from two separate classrooms. While children in one classroom (brick classroom) played with plastic snap-together bricks, children in the other classroom (block classroom) played with non-interlocking wood blocks. Findings indicated that children’s construction-based designs varied. Children who played with blocks usually created designs that included line symmetry, patterning, engineering, and trabeated constructions (i.e. using horizontal beams). Whereas children who played with building bricks created designs that commonly included line and plane symmetry. Although, the types of play materials could have influenced children’s design preferences, children in both classrooms were found to engage in constructive play where various spatial and architectural design skills were practiced over the 10-day observation period.

The therapeutic efficacy of different configuration nano-polydopamine drug carrier systems with photothermal synergy against head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common malignant tumor worldwide. Considering its special anatomical site and the progressive resistance to chemotherapy drugs, the development of more effective, minimally invasive and precise treatment methods is urgently needed. Nanomaterials, given their special properties, can be used as drug carrier systems to improve the therapeutic effect and reduce the adverse effects. The drug carrier systems with photothermal effect can promote the killing of cancer cells and help overcome drug resistance through heat stress. We selected dopamine, a simple raw material, and designed and synthesized three different configurations of nano-polydopamine (nPDA) nanomaterials, including nPDA balls, nPDA plates and porous nPDA balls. In addition to the self-polymerization and self-assembly, nPDA has high photothermal conversion efficiency and can be easily modified. Moreover, we loaded cisplatin into three different configurations of nPDA, creating nPDA-cis (the nano-drug carrier system with cisplatin), and comparatively studied the properties and antitumor effects of all the nPDA and nPDA-cis materials in vitro and nPDA-cis in vivo. We found that the photothermal effect of the nPDA-cis balls drug carrier system had synergistic effect with cisplatin, resulting in excellent antitumor effect and good clinical application prospects. The comparison of the three different configurations of drug carrier systems suggested the importance of optimizing the spatial configuration design and examining the physical and chemical properties in the future development of nano-drug carrier systems. In this study, we also noted the duality and complexity of the influences of heat stress on tumors in vitro and in vivo. The specific mechanisms and the synergy with chemotherapy and immunotherapy will be an important research direction in the future.

Multimodal Quantitative Research on the Emotional Attachment Characteristics between People and the Built Environment Based on the Immersive VR Eye-Tracking Experiment

The campus landscape contributes a lot to students’ mental and physical health. Students’ emotional attachment to landscape space is an important scientific basis for landscape design. This study used immersive virtual reality eye tracking supported by HTC Vivo Pro and an emotional attachment scale to investigate the relationship between different landscape elements and students’ visual behavior and emotional attachment. ErgoLab and SPSS were used to analyze the indicators. The results showed that: (1) Artificial elements were more likely to attract students’ visual attention and continuously enhance their interest in the landscape. (2) The waterscape space was more likely to attract students’ visual attention, while the attractiveness of arbors and shrubs was related to their color and spatial location. (3) The characteristics related to nature were generally conducive to the establishment of students’ emotional attachment, including both the natural elements and artificial structures that could reflect the natural texture and time traces. (4) Three-dimensional spatial sequence design of landscape elements significantly affected students’ visual focus and emotional experience. The results further contribute to providing a clearer understanding of how students’ preference for specific landscape elements can be obtained and used in decision making for the planning and management during campus renewal and design.

Cultivating Art Inquiry Through Land-Based Thinking on Social Justice Art and Museum Praxis

Place has long been noticed, made, developed, and narrativized in favor of settler majorities’ economies and hegemonies. Disregarding Indigenous presence and land, the terror on the land continues in the form of dislocation and dispossession of Indigenous, Black, and other minoritized communities of color, along with racial segregation and alienation. Drawing on the scholarship of land-based and decolonizing education, this article provides the conceptual groundwork for a form of art education theory and practice concerned with place-based social justice and equity. Particularly, I propose land-based art inquiry as a decolonizing pedagogy that helps critically assess settler colonial ways of sharing and making place via spatial–temporal injustice and the normalization of settler colonial logics that pervade our daily lives. The art inquiry generates new and critical ways to engage with the land as a site of art and museum (educational) practice as exemplified in the three different sites—a graduate students’ collaborative art-based project, a contemporary artist’s praxis, and museum praxis. Graduate students’ site-specific installation and contemporary artist JeeYeun Lee’s mobile walking are artistic interventions to public places that critique settler narratives and re-story the place. They highlight the ways in which land-based art inquiry can help individuals (re)connect with and (un)learn the stories and politics of their relationships to the land, thus troubling the settler colonial territorial imperatives. Also, by bringing land-based art inquiry into the investigation of the museum as another settler colonial place seeks and brings understanding of contemporary Indigenous-led collaborative museum spatial design and (educational) praxis for decolonizing possibilities.

Analysis of the Effectiveness of Generative Adversarial Technology in Intelligent Buildings in terms of Design

Abstract This paper combines the training method of generative adversarial network and the robust row layout design method of building based on CGAN, and selects pix2pix model to carry out the spatial layout design of intelligent building, to explore the actual effect of intelligent building design. Using the building layout design of a generative adversarial network, different parameters and residual block numbers are set to compare the impact of building texture generation. The intelligent building using GAN technology is selected to carry out the spatial design characterization of both Light and shadow and luminance, and the SD spatial environment evaluation factor is used to refine the discussion of the spatial design experience of intelligent buildings designed using generative adversarial technology. The Light and shadow distribution of intelligent building design is mainly presented as four types, in which the light and shadow location types of reading room, hall, rest space and exhibition hall are primarily offered as horizontal division types. In a public intelligent building, the rest area is separated into 25% of the distance and 25% of the vertical division, with an improved design balance.

Dynamic Design of 3D Structures in Indoor and Outdoor Spaces by Integrating Perceptual and Behavioral Correlation Methods

Abstract Redefining the intersection of user perception and spatial design, this research introduces a sophisticated design methodology that integrates quantitative visual perception analysis with user behavior insights to optimize spatial configurations. Conducted across 15 communities in City H, the study employs a mix of questionnaires and observational tactics to identify how design elements correlate with user engagement. Findings reveal that environmental qualities, such as tranquility and clear signage, alongside the density of fitness equipment, significantly affect residents’ activity patterns, with a notable correlation (R²=0.727) between equipment density and spontaneous activity levels. This method promises enhanced space efficiency and user satisfaction by weaving user feedback into the spatial design process, offering a novel paradigm for spatial design innovation.

Digital technology-enabled non-heritage spatial landscape design in the context of rural revitalization

Abstract The development of digital technology provides new impetus and methods for rural revitalization in terms of spatial landscape design for intangible cultural heritage (ICH). Digital technology can effectively preserve and transmit cultural heritage and promote the sustainable development of local culture and economy by enhancing its experiential and interactive nature. As an essential carrier of non-heritage culture, rural areas face contradictions between tradition and modernity, conservation and development. In-depth study is needed to understand how to use digital technology to promote rural revitalization while protecting NRLs. This study explores how digital technology can assist non-heritage spatial landscape design in rural revitalization to promote cultural inheritance and regional development. This paper analyzes the landscape design of 18 digitized non-heritage spaces with local characteristics quantitatively and qualitatively. The integration of NRL spaces increased by 30% on average, while visitor satisfaction increased by 25%. At the same time, the inheritance and promotion of local culture were enhanced by 40%. Through the application of digital technology, the recognition, guidance, culture, and diversity of the NRM space have significantly improved. Digital technology enhances the design quality and experience of non-heritage spaces and promotes the development of cultural tourism and economic revitalization in rural areas. The study provides new perspectives and practical paths for protecting and utilizing non-heritage in the context of rural revitalization.

Design and Optimization of Urban Spatial Environment Based on Digital Intelligent VR Technology

With the advent of the information age, new generation information technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain have had a profound impact on urban development. It not only improves the operational efficiency of various industries, changes the operational processes of various industries, but also has an important impact on the spatial environment composition of cities by influencing the production and living patterns of residents. "Smart city" is a form of urban organization based on information technology, characterized by digitization, intelligence, and networking. This article focuses on using virtual reality (VR) technology to deeply explore the design and optimization of urban spatial environment, and analyzes in detail the application of digital intelligence technology in urban planning. Through case studies, how these technologies optimize urban spatial layout is demonstrated. Furthermore, this article points out the optimization and improvement directions of existing urban spatial environment design technologies, and evaluates the effectiveness. The specific application of intelligent VR technology in urban spatial optimization is pointed out. In terms of design cost, the traditional method requires 5 million yuan, and the VR method requires 6 million yuan; in terms of change costs, the traditional method requires 800 thousand yuan, and the VR method requires 500 thousand yuan. This article is of significant value and provides new perspectives and practical tools for future urban spatial planning and design work.

Spatial Design Research on Digital Media Technology Intervention in Immersive Art Theory Exhibition Venues

Abstract The article takes the application of digital media technology in the spatial layout design of art exhibition halls as the entry point, and utilizes Web technology and the integrated simulation platform of urban VRGIS to establish the virtual space of immersive art exhibition halls. The article obtains binocular imaging data through binocular visual imaging model and solves the three-dimensional coordinate system by using the method of polar geometric constraints, and then reconstructs the three-dimensional space through the point cloud data to realize the design of the virtual space of the immersive art exhibition hall. The article evaluates the effectiveness of the immersive art gallery virtual space from three aspects: interactivity, DPI recovery value and eye movement data visualization. It is found that users are most effective with direct interaction within an interaction depth of 1.1 m to 1.7 m. In comparison, ray interaction is more appropriate when the interaction depth exceeds 2.3 m. Applying the method of this paper, the global DPI recovery value of the immersive art gallery can reach 89.67%, and the pupil diameter of the subjects can reach about 5.79 mm in the virtual space test over 160 seconds. In this paper, digital media technology can more effectively realize the immersive presentation of art theories, to better satisfy people’s growing spiritual needs and provide more diverse cultural experiences.

Stochastic metapopulation dynamics of a threatened amphibian to improve water delivery

AbstractWater extraction and climate change are altering the availability of surface water globally, thereby contributing to amphibian population declines. The managed delivery of water to benefit environmental values (environmental watering) is a promising conservation technique that can support amphibian recruitment and maintain viable populations. Environmental water can be delivered in various spatial patterns and with different frequencies, but comparing the effectiveness of competing strategies is complicated by variable and interactive environmental processes. We built a spatially explicit, stochastic, hydroecological metapopulation model to compare the effects of five environmental‐watering scenarios on the probability of persistence of threatened southern bell frogs (Litoria raniformis) in a major river reach in southern Australia. We compared a no‐intervention control to two managed watering frequencies (moderate and frequent) delivered in two spatial designs (managed wetlands grouped or spread across the reach). More frequent water provision to intervention sites improved the reach‐wide (metapopulation) probability of persistence, and spreading intervention sites across the reach improved persistence more than grouping intervention sites together. When re‐examined under severe drought conditions, L. raniformis had a 0.04 probability of persistence without intervention, which improved to 0.56 with high watering frequency. Model‐guided environmental water provision can improve reach‐wide persistence of amphibian metapopulations by guiding spatial and temporal delivery patterns to reduce the risk of extinction.

Emotionally-oriented design in museums: a case study of the Jewish Museum Berlin.

This study examines the intricate interplay between architectural design and visitor emotional responses at the Jewish Museum Berlin, focusing on how specific spatial elements such as the Holocaust Tower, Garden of Exile, The Voids, and The Axis elicit varied affective experiences. The research aims to extend the discourse on environmental psychology and architectural empathy, particularly within the context of memorial museums. Employing a non-intrusive approach, the study gathered emotional response data using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) from 113 museum visitors, with 102 valid responses analyzed. Environmental conditions such as light, sound, and spatial design were quantitatively measured to correlate with emotional responses captured at the end of visitors' tours across the designated museum spaces. Findings revealed that architectural elements significantly influence emotional responses. High levels of negative emotions like fear and anxiety were markedly evident in the Holocaust Tower due to its minimal lighting and stark concrete structure. Conversely, the Garden of Exile induced more positive emotions through its use of natural light and greenery, emphasizing the role of biophilic design in enhancing emotional well-being. Statistical analysis supported these observations, with variations in emotional impact across different spaces demonstrating the profound effect of architectural design on visitor experiences. This study confirms that a variety of design elements and spatial strategies not only facilitate the presentation of historical narratives but also actively sculpt the emotional involvement and experiences of visitors. Our findings highlight the efficacy of emotionally-oriented architectural design in deepening the impact and engagement of museum visitors, emphasizing the transformative power of these environments in shaping visitor perceptions and interactions.

Waterways Exhibition Design: Crafting Cross-Cultural Narratives through Spatial Design

Waterways Exhibition Design: Crafting Cross-Cultural Narratives through Spatial Design

3D animation stereo space design based on digital visual communication technology

Abstract With the rapid development of science and technology, digital visual communication technology has become an important tool for 3D animation stereo space design. The study constructs a 3D animation stereo space design framework model using NURBS-based surface modeling and texture mapping algorithms. It compares it with the traditional 3D modeling algorithm to explore the authenticity and reliability of the stereo space design framework model for 3D animation. Finally, by comparing the differences in user experience between the 3D animated stereo spatial design framework model proposed in this paper and the spatial design of the traditional 3D modeling model, the user experience effect and superiority of the 3D animated stereo spatial design framework model are explored. After comparison, the detection time of the 3D stereo spatial design framework model in three-time indicators is 307ms, 324ms, and 318ms, respectively, which is significantly faster than the traditional 3D modeling algorithm. Its detection accuracy is 17% higher than that of the conventional 3D modeling algorithm, and the number of delays, scene stutters, and black screen flashes of the 3D stereo spatial design framework model and the traditional 3D modeling algorithm increase with the extension of detection time, but the former is always better than the latter. The 3D stereo spatial design framework model has a higher mean score than the traditional 3D modeling algorithm by 8.12 to 9.82 points in terms of user experience.

Research on Full-Age Public Space Design in High-Density Cities

Abstract The concept of “full-age” urban public spaces is a critical aspect of modern urbanization, enhancing the multifunctionality of contemporary urban public spaces. This paper examines the design of urban public spaces using “Little Island at Park 55 in New York” as a case study. It delves into three key aspects: spatial intensive utilization, functional agglomeration, and landscape aggregation design. By thoroughly interpreting the original topography of the island space and employing classical Chinese garden techniques, particularly “scenery supporting,” this study analyzes the design evolution and core principles of the case. It summarizes the case’s value and underscores the significance and necessity of all-age inclusive design in modern urban public spaces.

HOMOGENIZATION-BASED SPACE-TIME TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION OF TUNABLE MICROSTRUCTURES

A topology optimization framework is developed for smart materials with tunable microstructures. The framework addresses spatial and temporal design variables in a unified setting so as to deliver the optimal periodic microstructure with stimulus-sensitive constituents. The optimal topology allows the macroscopic response of the microstructure to track a time-dependent cyclic path in the tress-strain space with minimal error. The relevant homogenization-based variational analysis for the sensitivity-based optimization framework incorporates not only material variables but also the geometry information regarding the unit cell. Extensive numerical investigations demonstrate the ability of the developed approach to deliver optimal topologies for realizable target macroscopic paths. The error in optimization increases monotonically with the degree of unrealizability, yet the critical role of the microstructure in minimizing the error in comparison to a pure time optimization approach is demonstrated in all cases.

Research on Scientific Calculation Methods and Ecological Effects of Plant Configurations in Sango Landscape Designs

Abstract The basic composition of plant communities is an important part of the landscape, and good plant community design can effectively enhance the ecological benefits of the landscape. The article selects four sites in Xining City and Gerga Village of Guide County, Qinghai Province, as research objects and designs the relevant image factors of plant landscape design based on the whole life cycle of plant landscape and carbon sequestration benefits. The evaluation and analysis of plant configuration in the study area were carried out using the beauty degree evaluation method and semantic difference method, and the measurement was carried out for the ecological benefits of plant configuration. The mean value of SBE of plant configuration in the study area was around 0.05 points, and the mean values of SD scores of 12 plant landscape image factors were distributed between [0.507,1.293] points. The maximum carbon sequestration benefit of Qinghai spruce could reach 178.35kg·a−1, which was 72.82% higher than the extreme value of scrub with the lowest carbon sequestration benefit. The mean value of carbon sequestration per unit leaf area of different types of sequestering plants was 14.09g·m−2·d−1, and the mean value of oxygen release was 7.99g·m−2·d−1, respectively, and the value of ecological benefit of purifying the atmosphere produced by landscape plants in 2033 was 2.21 times higher than that in 2023 The value of ecological benefit produced by landscape plants to purify the atmosphere in 2033 was 2.21 times of that in 2023. In the landscape design of Sanxiang in Qinghai Province, it is necessary to pay attention to the spatial location design of plant configuration, and it is also necessary to fully combine trees and shrubs in order to achieve optimal ecological benefits.

Application of Genetic Algorithm to the Traditional Layout and Spatial Optimization Design of Suzhou Gardens

Application of Genetic Algorithm to the Traditional Layout and Spatial Optimization Design of Suzhou Gardens