About the Course...

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Behavioral and Social Factors in Environmental Design - Comprehensive survey of theory, methods, research and findings from the social and behavioral sciences as they relate to architecture and interior design and regional and community planning. The application of principles to architecture and interior programs/designs and to the planning process. GOALS: There are four goals for this course:
1. 2. 3. 4. The imparting of information regarding the behavioral and social factors that influence environmental design. The comprehension of underlying ideas of the research. The synthesis of research ideas into a comprehensive theoretical framework. The application of research ideas to environmental problem solving.

OBJECTIVES: By the end of the course students should have achieved the following objectives:
1. Demonstrate an awareness of how individuals and groups respond to their environmental settings psychologically, behaviorally and physiologically. Demonstrate an understanding of theories and methods that clarify the interrelationships of human behavior and the physical environment. Demonstrate the ability to recognize environmental design solutions that are well adapted to people's needs. Demonstrate an ability to extract implications for planning and design from

2.

3. 4.

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behavioral information and criteria. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the quality and usefulness of research for the process of planning and design.

NAAB CRITERIA: This course is designed to address the following Achievement-Oriented Performance Criteria established by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

1) Verbal and Writing Skills: Ability to speak and write effectively on subject matter contained in the professional curriculum. 2) Critical Thinking Skills: Ability to make a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of a building, building complex, or urban space. 4) Research Skills: Ability to employ basic methods of data collection and analysis to inform all aspects of the programming and design process. 7) Collaborative Skills: Ability to identify and assume divergent roles that maximize individual talents, and to cooperate with other students when working as members of a design team and in other settings. 12) Human Behavior: Awareness of the theories and methods of inquiry that seek to clarify the relationship between human behavior and the physical environment. 13) Human Diversity: Awareness of the diversity of needs, values, behavioral norms, and social patterns that characterize different cultures, and implications of this diversity for societal roles and responsibilities of architects. 34) Ethics and Professional Judgment: Awareness of the ethical issues involved in the formation of professional judgments in architecture design and practice.

Click here for a link to the Course Syllabus REQUIREMENTS: Seminar Participation: The course will follow a seminar format. Discussion will center on assigned readings. To participate effectively you will need to complete reading assignments prior to the assigned day. In place of written exams, you will prepare a set of critical comments. You will pick two (i.e., one from 1) or 2) and one from 3) or 4)) of the

four potential sets of readings on which to do your critical analyses: 1) building evaluation/case studies Sept. 1, 3 & 8; or 2) the work environment Oct. 1, 6 &8; 3) housing studies Oct. 15, 27 & 29 or 4) the social meaning of architecture Nov. 5, 10 & 12. These reports (3-5 pages) are to describe the ideas you have learned and to illustrate the application of these ideas to design. Your comments should critically question the reading material and try to make connections between what you are reading and your own experience. Here are some key questions you should consider: What is significant about the readings? What key concepts are being presented? What environment-behavior issue(s) do the readings illustrate? Are there similarities or differences between the readings and other readings? What experience(s) from your own life can you draw on to relate the subject of the readings? What design implications can you draw from the readings? Most importantly, you should conclude with a list of design implications with schematic illustrations. These critical comments will be turned in for a grade on the last day of each set of readings. Twenty percent (20%) of the grade will be based on the critical comments Leading Seminar Discussion: You and another student will lead the discussion on one days readings. Leading the discussion will count as 20% of the grade. The two of you should work together to prepare for the discussion (i.e., read articles, prepare notes, generate questions). Plan your discussion to fill 60 minutes of our 1 hr. 15 min. class session. I will use the remaining 15 min. to make some final comments and preview the next readings. You are encouraged to use Powerpoint or transparencies to enhance your presentation. I (or the visiting faculty) will be available to assist you in preparation for leading the discussion. Some presentation / discussion questions you should consider: Summary: What are the readings about? Provide a brief summary that grasps the essence of the readings. Personal experience or example: What personal experience or example can you draw on to illustrate the subject of the readings? Environment-behavior relationship: What environments and what behavior do the readings cover? How are they related?

 Exercise: Can you involve the class in an exercise that will help to illustrate the design implications of the readings? Design implications: How does the physical form relate to the subject of the readings? Are there non-form aspects of the readings that can have an impact on design? Are there design implications you can draw from the readings? What recommendations for design are suggested by the readings? Most importantly, do not merely make a presentation to the class, try to engage the students in a discussion of the material. Open the class to seeing the material from different viewpoints. Term Project: The remaining sixty- percent (60%) of the grade will be based on a term project. The main focus of the term project will be environment-behavior issues related to a specific design setting - e.g., retirement communities, office environments, hospitals, churches, prisons. All term projects will be team efforts (three people per team). The project should take the form of a field research project conducted by the team. The write-up (approx. 15 pages) of the research will include a statement of the problem, a literature review, research procedures (e.g., subjects, settings, data collection techniques and data analysis, with statistical results if possible), plus a discussion and conclusions. All sources of information should be appropriately referenced in the bibliography. The use of slides, film, video or computer to aid in the documentation, analysis and presentation of the research is encouraged. Fifteen percent (15%) of the grade for the term project will be based on the interim reviews of the research project i.e., proposal, literature review and preliminary draft. Fifteen percent (15%) of the grade for the term project will be based on peer evaluations. Each team member will evaluate the performance of all other members of the team. Annotated Bibliography: Those students taking the course for graduate credit, in addition to the previously mentioned requirements, will submit an annotated bibliography (at least 15 references) of relevant journal articles which focus on a topic or area of research discussed in the course - e.g., housing for students or elderly, hospital environments, open offices, meaning in the environment, building evaluation, environmentbehavior theory, etc. Start with a brief introduction to the topic. Then, list the

citations alphabetically, with a two-paragraph summary of each article. Finally, conclude with a critical discussion about what you have learned about the topic. This is due on December 1. PROCEDURES:
1. On September 10, the instructor will facilitate a discussion/exploration of the research project: What is the subject? What is the purpose? What is the method? What is the schedule? Who are the participants?

2) A written proposal (1-2 pages) of the term project must be submitted on September 22. This proposal should answer the following questions: What is the purpose of the study? What significant prior contributions have been made to the research - i.e., cite specific studies? What do you expect to find? Who will be the subjects of your investigation? What techniques will you use for data collection? How do you plan to analyze the data? What will be the resulting product of the project? Who will be involved in the project? Who will benefit from the results of such a project? 3) A review of the pertinent literature for the term project must be submitted on October 13. This is not an annotated bibliography. This should present the key ideas that have been explored by prior researchers in the topic area. You may want to discuss the following questions. Who are the key scholars involved with the research? What data gathering techniques have they used? What analytical techniques have proven useful? What substantive findings have they made? What theoretical constructs have been used to explain the results? What type of problems have they had to deal with in doing the research? 4) The next due date for the term project will be November 10. At this time, you should have a preliminary draft of the final report ready for review - i.e., introduction, literature review, methods (subjects, materials, procedures and analysis) and results. These sections should be written as if they were the completed document. The conclusions (interpretations, recommendations and future research) sections will not be completed but

should take the form of an extended outline, utilizing a sentence structure. Dont forget to include the appropriate references. 5) The term project is due at the beginning of class on December 8. The project will be presented and discussed during one of the last two classes of the course. 6) All work submitted for this class must be double-spaced typed or printed on high-grade paper stock. The term projects become the property of the College of Architecture. Only original copies will be accepted. If you want a copy for your files, this must be done prior to submitting the paper. 7) Any deviations from the above procedures must be cleared with the instructor. COURSE POLICIES: Late Work: Assignments are due at the beginning of seminar for the day they are to be completed. Late work will be graded down one letter grade for each day it is late. Attendance: As participation is essential to your learning in a seminar, regular attendance is expected. You may have 3 absences from class for personal business, illness, automobile failure, weather, etc., without penalty. Thereafter every two absences will count off an additional letter grade. Written Work: All written work submitted must be presented in current and correct English usage. Written work, which includes multiple misspellings, poor grammar, incomplete sentences or incorrect word usage will be returned without a grade for resubmission. All written work should be word-processed. Academic (Dis)honesty: All work is to be the product of one's own effort. You must give credit where credit is due; properly identifying source material especially if it is copyrighted (photographs, illustrations, written articles, published books). Failure to properly attribute source material, or to falsely represent other's work as one's own will be grounds for a finding of academic dishonesty and the possible assignment of an F for the course. Courtesy: Please be courteous of other students and the instructor by turning off your cell phone before entering class. If your cell phone rings during class, I will ask you to leave. Likewise, laptops are not to be used in class. You are expected to be engaged in the discussion.

Service for Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the instructor for a confidential discussion of their individual needs for academic accommodation. It is the policy of the University of NebraskaLincoln to provide flexible and individualized accommodation to students with documented disabilities that may affect their ability to fully participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. To receive accommodation services, students must be registered with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office, 132 Canfield Administration, 472-3787 or TTY. GRADING CRITERIA: A-, A, A+ = 90-92.9, 93-96.9, 97-100 = Excellent performance; above and beyond the call of duty. B-, B, B+ = 80-82.9, 83-86.9, 87-89.9 = Good performance; you're really striving for excellence. C-, C, C+ = 70-72.9, 73-76.9, 77-79.9 = Adequate performance; you did the necessary work. D-, D, D+ = 60-62.9, 63-66.9, 67-69.9 = Poor performance; you did the absolute minimum. F = below 60 = Failure; your work is unresolved, unclear or incomplete. JOURNALS: The following journals publish research relevant to the behavior-environment-planning-design interface: American Journal of Sociology Environment and Planning Annals of the Association of Human Factors American Geography Journal of Applied Psychology Architectural Association Journal of Applied Sociology Quarterly Journal of Architectural Architecture & Behavior Research Architectural Design Personality and

Journal of

 Architectural Forum Psychology Architectural Psychology Social Issues

Social Journal of

Newsletter Journal of Social Psychology Architecture Review Journal of the American Architecture Science Review Planning Association Architecture Man-Environment Systems Behavioral Science Progressive Architecture Building Environment Psychological Bulletin Building Research Psychology Today DG-DRS.. Journal: Design Research Science Design Quarterly Scientific American EDRA Proceedings Social Psychology Quarterly Ekistics Sociometry Environment and Behavior ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: Aragones, J. I., Franescato, G. & Garling, T., Residential Environments: Choice, Satisfaction, and Behavior. Westport, Conn.: Bergin & Garvey, 2002. Bechtel, R., Environment & Behavior: An Introduction, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1997. Bechtel, R., Marans, R. and Michelson, W. (eds.), Methods in Environmental and Behavioral Research. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Inc., 1987.

Brebner, J., Environmental Psychology in Building Design. Essex, England: Applied Science Publishers, Ltd., 1982. Carstens, D.Y., Site Planning and Design for the Elderly: Issues, Guidelines and Alternatives. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1985 Friedmann, A., Zimring, C. and Zube, E., Environmental Design Evaluation. New York: Plenum Press, 1978. Goldsmith, S., Designing for the Disabled, Third edition. London: Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Publication, 1976. Gunter, B., Psychology of the Home, Philadelphia, PA: Whurr Publishers, 2000. Gutman, R. (ed.), People and Buildings. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1972. Hall, E.T., The Hidden Dimension. Garden City, NY: Anchor Book, 1969. Heimstra, N.W. and McFarling, L.W., Environmental Psychology. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1978. Ittelson, W.H., et.al., An Introduction to Environmental Psychology. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1974. Jones, T., Pettus, W. & Pyatok, M. Good Neighbors: Affordable Family Housing. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997. Lang, J., Creating Architectural Theory: The Role of the Behavioral Sciences in Environmental Design. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1987. Lang, R. E., & LeFurgy, J. E. Boomburbs: The Rise of Americas Accidental Cities. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institute Press, 2007. Lee, R.M., Doing Research on Sensitive Topics. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1993. Lynch, K., The Image of the City. Boston: MIT Press, 1960.

Marans, R. & Spreckelmeyer, K., Evaluating Built Environments: A Behavioral Approach. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, 1981. Michelson, W., Behavioral Research in Environmental Design. Stroudsburg, PA: Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Inc., 1975. Preiser, W.F.E. (ed.), Programming the Built Environment. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1985. Preiser, W.F.E., Rabinowitz, H.Z., and White, E.T., Post Occupancy Evaluation. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1988. Sanoff, H., Visual Research Methods in Design. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1991. Seamon, D. (ed.), Dwelling, Seeing, and Designing: Toward a Phenomenological Ecology. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1993. Sommer, Robert, Personal Space. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1969. Sprague, J.F. More than Housing: Lifeboats for Women and Children. Stoneham, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1991. Stewart, D.W. & Kamins, M.A., Secondary Research: Information Sources and Methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1993. Van der Ryn, S. and Silverstein, M., Dorms at Berkeley: An Environmental Analysis. Berkeley, CA: Center for Planning and Development Research, 1967. Van Vliet, W. (ed.), Women, Housing and Community. Aldershot, England: Avebury, 1988. Wilson, F., Graphic Survey of Perception and Behavior for the Design Professional. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1984. Yin, R.K., Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1993. Zeisel, J., Inquiry by Design: Tools for

Environment-Behavior Research. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1981. Zeisel, J. & Welch, P., Housing Designed for Families: A Summary of Research. Cambridge, MA: Joint Center for Urban Studies of MIT and Harvard University, 1981. Zube, E.H. & Moore, G.T. (eds.), Environment, Behavior and Design. Vol.1. New York: Plenum Press, 1987.

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