The architecture of prediction user influence in building design

THE ARCHITECTURE OF PREDICTION User Influence in Building Design Dissertation Submission AC3

Lauren Di Pietro 33308831

LAUREN DI PIETRO BA (Hons) Architecture

The Architecture of Prediction – User Influence in Building Design

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

p.4

Introduction

p.6

The History of User Movement and the Influence on the Built Environment p.7

Spatial Syntax – Theories on Predictive Movement

p.10

The SMART Crowd Flow Model

p.13

Case studies in People Movement

p.14

The Implications of People Movement in Future Building Design

p.21

Conclusion

p.26

Bibliography

p.27

List of Illustrations

Fig1 Harappa artist interpretation

p.7

Fig2. A Plan of Harappa.

p.7

Fig 3 Saltaire model village plan

p.9

Fig 4 Example of an Axial map, Chioggia, Venice.

p.10

Fig 5 Example of a Node map, Chioggia, Venice.

p.11

Fig 6 Example of a Convex map, Chioggia, Venice.

p.11

Fig 7 Example of an Open Spaces map, Chioggia, Venice. p.11 Fig 8 Example of an Building Use map, Chioggia, Venice. p.12 Fig 9 Movement mapping in a kitchen

p.14

Fig 10 A typical kitchen design

p.14

Fig 11 Section through London City Airport

p.15

Fig 12 Masterplan for London City Airport

p.15

Fig 13&14 Plans for London City Airport

p.16

Fig 15 Thomas Deacon Academy

p.17

Fig 16 Site plan of Thomas Deacon Academy

p.17

Fig 17 Elevation of Thomas Deacon Academy

p.17

Fig 18 Ground floor plan of Thomas Deacon Academy p.17 Fig 19 First floor plan of Thomas Deacon Academy

p.18

Fig 20 University of Exeter master plan concept image

p.19

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Fig 21 University of Exeter master plan elevation

p.19

Fig 22 University of Exeter master plan elevation

p.19

Fig 23 University of Exeter master plan sketch

p.19

Fig 24 University of Exeter master plan site plan

p.20

Fig 25 Central stadium for winter Olympics 2014

p.21

Fig 26 Central stadium master plan for winter Olympics 2014 p.21 Fig 27 Concept image for the California Roll House

p.22

Fig 28 Ground floor plan for the California Roll House

p.22

Fig 29 First floor plan for the California Roll House

p.23

Fig 30 Cross Section of the California Roll House

p.23

Fig 31 Long Section of the California Roll House

p.23

Fig 32 Image of Suite Vollard

p.24

Fig 33 Image of control system within Suite Vollard Fig 34 Concept image of Suite Vollard

p.24

p.24

Fig 35 Floor plan of typical floor in Suite Vollard

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p.25

The Architecture of Prediction – User Influence in Building Design.

“Architecture structures the system of space in which we live and move.” (Hillier 1984:2) This study aims to explore the built environment on a variety of scales, and through a sequence of time in order to understand how spaces may be designed, developed and constructed in response to societal behaviour factors. I aim to discuss how the predictive measures of people movement can be collected and analysed; the implication of these measures on the influence of the built environment, and ultimately how buildings may become reactive to these measures independent of designer intervention.

The study will analyse how landscapes and buildings respond and are altered by social behaviour both proactively and reactively, and evaluate the importance of this field in the future design of architectural space.

As an architect or an urban planner it is important to have a wide understanding of social interaction and a cultural conception in order to determine the type of urban intervention for a potential site, and to appreciate and predict how people may interact with design proposals. The built environment begins to structure how social spaces may sit in the landscape, and thus how people may begin to interact inside buildings and move around them.

People movement and spatial patterns are significantly influential factors in the design process at the initial design stage of a building.

People movement can identify problems of urban planning, such as areas of high crowd congestion, and look to find solutions optimising buildings and minimising risks, leading to saving costs, reducing rework, improving design and increasing confidence in building. Crowd control studies also have implications in health and safety of the built environment providing analysis of evacuation strategies and safety of the public in crowded social areas. An architect’s job consists of mitigating risks and ultimately complying with law and regulation requirements.

One of the most important factors for building design is fire safety and evacuation of a building. Architects and designers therefore collaborate with consultants through the design process performing detailed analysis of technical systems within the building. For fire safety in particular, local and regional statistics are researched along with event tree methods, imposing this data into simulations for fire, smoke movement, detection and suppression techniques. It is also crucial to understand human behaviour and movement patterns in order to design for the most efficient evacuation process.

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The History of User Movement and the Influence on the Built Environment.

Fig1 Harappa artist interpretation

Fig2. A Plan of Harappa.

Mapping and studies of people movement primarily began in the form of urban planning to shape landscapes and cities. As these areas began to take shape, planners questioned if urban planning was about the physical design and form, or if it were about making things easier for the people and society who inhabit the spaces. The built form is typically constructed in response to demand, whether industrial, commercial, or residential demand, and therefore aims to act in response to user requirements, forcing this importance and analysis of the study of people movement and use of spatial areas.

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The earliest examples of deliberately planned or managed cities stems from the third millennium BC; a city called Harappa [Fig1.], located in North-East Pakistan.

The infrastructure and street design were paved and laid in a right angle grid pattern across the city, in order for easier access through and around the town.

Houses were arranged to protect from noise and enhance residential privacy. The hierarchy of streets follows a major boulevard leading to smaller residential alleys.

[Shown through the plan in Fig 2.]

The street layout begins to differentiate public and

private spaces. A main boulevard indicates a wide street running through the city suggesting that it will provide for the most pedestrian access with most people using this access point. Smaller residential alleys are planned as much narrower streets forcing less people to walk along, in order to protect the privacy of the residents. All of these considerations have stemmed from the study of how people will live and move in the area and therefore the design of urban plan has acted in response to how users may interact with it, influencing the form of the built environment.

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Fig 3 Saltaire model village plan

The industrial revolution saw a key turning point in the study of people movement. As new technologies began to emerge, the urban environment had to adapt to progression. Model villages were planned, locating workers next to the factories and mills. Saltaire [Fig3.], sited around a textile mill located in the City of Bradford metropolitan district in the UK, built in1851, was planned on the basis that the mill was the central point of work for the villagers, and residential housing surrounded this for the workers. Sir Titus Salt, founder of Saltaire, planned the urban environment so that the workers had everything they would need as a selfcontained community. Access routes through the village allowed a main road to function as a divide between work and living, but allowing narrow residential streets to transect this in order to maintain the privacy of the habitants of the village, much like the records seen in the urban planning of Harappa.

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Spatial Syntax – Theories on Predictive Movement “Spatial forms [that] can be represented in a rule based ‘language.” (Paddison 2001:48) Spatial syntax is an architectural theory and set of techniques that analyse spatial configurations and simulate likely effects of human activity. The implication of spatial syntax in urban planning and design can predict correlations of spatial layout in respect to social effects of spaces, such as predicting crime or traffic flow.

The theory was created by Bill Hillier, a professor of Architectural and Urban Morphology in the University of London, in the 1970’s. Analysis of spatial configurations is extracted and presented through a series of maps and graph diagrams. Spatial syntax looks particularly at the analysis of human choice regarding which route to take, distance depth, and spatial integration. This idea of choice comes through environmental psychology of choosing routes, orientation and segregation of public and private spaces. Spatial syntax aims to predict pedestrian routes, thus concluding the easier the route is to navigate, the more people that will use it for access. For example a long straight path that may interact with more minor paths, such as Oxford Street in central London, will contain more pedestrian access than a winding narrow path. Spatial syntax can also identify areas of a design with spatial segregation and helps designers create more interactive cultures.

Spatial syntax theory works on a basis of mapping exercises of a specific area, and then a mathematical analysis of the data shown by the maps. There are five main maps used to analyse spatial syntax theories.

Fig 4 Example of an Axial map, Chioggia, Venice.

An Axial map[Fig 4] shows all of the axial spaces of an area. These are the possible routes through and around a space. This is arguably the most important and well used map within the theory if spatial syntax in order to extrapolate data about people movement around the built environment. Poor access and axial routes inevitably means that users of the area may find it difficult to navigate around the obstacles of the buildings, whereas using people movement analysis and incorporating this into the built environment, it can allow for easier movement and therefore a better user experience.

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Fig 5 Example of a Node map, Chioggia, Venice.

A Node map[Fig 5] indicates where two axial points meet. Nodes aim to identify the integration of an area, and possible social meeting places and interaction.

Fig 6 Example of a Convex map, Chioggia, Venice.

A Convex map[Fig 6] highlights all areas of occupiable voids within the built environment. These are mainly open public spaces, possibly used for socialising, gathering and meeting.

Fig 7 Example of an Open Spaces map, Chioggia, Venice.

An Open Spaces map[Fig 7] can be seen as similar to a convex map, however this more easily identifies the relationship of open space to the buildings which define them. This type of data analysis can also show the proportion of open space in relation to closed space; also seen as positive and negative space.

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Fig 8 Example of an Building Use map, Chioggia, Venice.

A Building Use map [Fig 8] segregates public and civic buildings from private residential buildings in order to suggest how people may use the built environment, and possible areas of public interaction and congregation.

The best urban plan for integration with the context and the community is the least number of routes, or axial paths, taken to reach each large open space, or a convex space, and the most number of nodal points to create user interaction. “Design is the use of scientific principles, technical information and imagination in the definition of a system to perform specific functions with maximum economy and efficiency.� (Archer 1966:11-12) Mathematical calculations can be made on the series of maps and data collected from spatial syntax theories in order to reach and evaluate concise conclusions of people movement and social characteristics. Spatial syntax analysis within design can aid people movement, analysing the social flow between nodes of the built environment.

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The SMART Crowd Flow Model Buro Happold, international engineering consultants, have implemented people movement techniques into the built environment aiding architects, planners and urban designers in order to understand and optimise space layout; designing and managing a comfortable, safe and efficient environment for people and crowd movement. Although it is impossible to cater for all clients, people movement strategies can give a wider understanding of how people may move or use a space.

Architects can then design to accommodate the best plan for the built environment. Buro Happold provides a specialist service of a SMART crowd flow solution. This is an extensive database of behavioural information consisting of field surveys and questionnaires to identify critical scenarios and forecast appropriate solutions. Crowd flow modelling expresses how a built or urban space may be used or how it will operate looking specifically at how people may move through the design and how people utilise the spaces.

Within the use of Buro Happold’s SMART crowd flow solution, 3D CAD packages such as Rhino, are beginning to be implemented to create rapid testing and space realistic analysis, using the data of people movement and user experience to allow architects to plan and design not just based on the predictions, but also incorporate controls for the spaces required.

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Case studies in People Movement

Fig 9 Movement mapping in a kitchen

An understanding of work and leisure habits of building users can be identified through movement and area diagrams collected around the spaces. The kitchen space in a typical dwelling is one example of how these have been implemented effectively. Movement patterns [Fig 9.] and the incorporation of production zones has since allowed designers to create the best space possible for this particular room in the house, allowing for uninterrupted movement paths between the preparation area, the serving area and the cleaning area, all identified as the principle spaces within a kitchen [Fig 10.]. Storage cabinets have also been organised into PASSIVE-storage, cabinets that are rarely used; and ACTIVE-storage, cabinets that are used daily. This has allowed designers to use space effectively with designed dimensioned storage placed in the most appropriate space for use.

Fig 10 A typical kitchen design

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Fig 11 Section through London City Airport

Fig 12 Masterplan for London City Airport

The redevelopment of London City Airport [Fig 11&12] incorporates crowd and baggage flow investigation that is analysed with the use of passenger flow modelling to create new arrival and departure areas. Detailed assessments of transport related parameters, such as model splits, rail expansion plans, and design parameters, including automatic check-in stations and operational restrictions, allow for the optimisation of locating immigration desks, baggage halls and central search facilities. A comprehensive data capture survey of the existing operations was executed and applied into the new scheme for the airport, as well as detailed dynamic micro simulation of arrivals and departure scenarios. Simulations of these particular circumstances allowed designers of the new schemes to create a series of ‘what-if’ scenarios and improve overall terminal performance for the users of the space.

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Fig 13&14 Plans for London City Airport

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Fig 15 Thomas Deacon Academy

Fig 16 Site plan of Thomas Deacon Academy

Fig 17 Elevation of Thomas Deacon Academy

Fig 18 Ground floor plan of Thomas Deacon Academy

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Fig 19 First floor plan of Thomas Deacon Academy

The Thomas Deacon Academy [Fig 15.] designed by Foster and Partners, begins to employ people movement tactics to create a safe space for the 2200 students that it houses. The span of the roof encloses expansive internal spaces to provide a well-lit and flexible environment creating an inspirational feeling for the users. A people flow model was produced to predict circulation patterns and areas that may be likely to become congested in order to design in measures for safe people movement. It was important for the concept of the scheme to understand how students would move around the space and ensure a safe and secure environment for all users, and this could only be achieved through people flow data collection.

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Fig 20 University of Exeter master plan concept image

Fig 21 University of Exeter master plan elevation

Fig 22 University of Exeter master plan elevation

Fig 23 University of Exeter master plan sketch

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Fig 24 University of Exeter master plan site plan

Through the planning and design of a university campus it is crucial to understand how students and people will move and use the space. A campus master plan must follow a set of design principles such as designing for university life; defining a relationship with staff and faculties; defining a relationship with the community; creating open social spaces for user interaction; generating collaboration with the city; developing the university profile; as well as catering for student life. A student community is one of integration of academic learning, community experience as well as social aspects, and the plan of a university campus must accommodate for each of these attributes. As part of a development for Exeter University Campus [Fig 20.], architects Wilkinson Eyre have collaborated with a team of consultants to aid their design proposal, integrating people movement techniques as part of the master plan scheme. The theme and concept of the project is of assembly and open space, and it is therefore crucial to have a thorough understanding of how the students will inhabit and use the spaces created. Renovation of one area of the campus has consequently allowed facilities within the university to be connected under one grid shell roof structure, creating an enclosed street that links all of these areas through the implication of the people movement data collected within the campus.

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The Implications of People Movement in Future Building Design

Fig 25 Central stadium for winter Olympics 2014

Fig 26 Central stadium master plan for winter Olympics 2014

Currently in planning stage, the central Stadium for the Winter Olympics 2014 [Fig 25.] by architects Populous, has begun to implement people movement and crowd control techniques in the early stages of design. Specialist lighting has been implemented to create the ultimate viewing experience and highest quality of environment for all users.

Buildings are also beginning to form around social aspects, such as experience of space and user comfort. Many architects have implemented control systems within existing buildings to adapt to changing environments and social interaction, such as; automatic lighting, activated by motion sensors that switch off when a room is not in use; air vents that mechanically adjust to changing solar patterns, to maximise solar gain into the building; and automatic heating and cooling methods to adapt to changing external conditions.

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Fig 27 Concept image for the California Roll House

Fig 28 Ground floor plan for the California Roll House

Some building designs have started to implement control systems into a building to adapt to social situation. For example, the California Roll [Fig 27] building (not yet built) designed by Christopher Daniel, changes shape in accordance with the location and environment where it is placed. The modular design of the prefabricated building is designed to be sited almost anywhere and adapt to any environment, whilst maximising user comfort. The energy efficient carbon fibre truss frame is enclosed within a homogeneous exterior which deflects sunlight maintaining a climate controlled space. Hydraulic powered automatic doors interflow with the exterior facade, maintaining privacy, and opens in two sections, overhead and onto ground level, for easy access and egress for the user. Skylights and glass windows allow the space to be flooded with natural daylight, and can be electronically operated by the building user, changing the transparency of the glazing to control interior spaces.

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Fig 29 First floor plan for the California Roll House

Fig 30 Cross Section of the California Roll House

Fig 31 Long Section of the California Roll House

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Fig 32 Image of Suite Vollard

Fig 33 Image of control system within Suite Vollard Fig 34 Concept image of Suite Vollard

Suite Vollard [Fig 32] is a futuristic residential and commercial building built in 2001 in Brazil, by architect Bruno De Franco. The building rotates clockwise and counter-clockwise to provide 360 degree views of the surrounding context.

Structurally each floor is based on the concept of a metallic disk rotating around a fixed concrete core. This concrete core allows each room to be positioned around internal fixtures and fittings as the user requires. For example, a home cinema can be mounted to the core wall, and viewed from every room within the apartment, suitable to user need. The glass walls of the exterior facade rotate together, allowing the movement to be viewed both internally and externally, and gives the best visual appeal for all users. The 50m high building contains 11 floors, each rotating independently from one another with its own controls and timings. The time to complete one 360 degree rotation solely depends on the user needs and desires, however the fastest speed allows one full rotation in one hour, as this was designed as the maximum speed considered comfortable, analysed through user studies. This building begins to employ ideas of adaptation to social situations, creating views related to the users of the building.

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Fig 35 Floor plan of typical floor in Suite Vollard

“Design is directed toward the goal of fulfilling human needs.� (M. Asimau 1962) The future of building design can begin to implement techniques of social analysis and people movement to allow a building to automatically adapt to user requirements; not just to maximise user comfort, but also to maximise user experience.

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Conclusion Arguably, it is impossible to design and construct the build environment without a factor of social and cultural knowledge and understanding of the people who will inhabit the spaces. Architecture develops places, acting as a symbol of culture within a city. The concept of people movement and investigations into how spaces are used represent parts of these cultures, making all architecture particularly site and socially specific. Architecture is not just a building with walls and foundations; architecture creates an experience. Architects have previously designed buildings in response to the predictions of people movement from methods of collecting and analysing the information, such as the spatial syntax theory. This is a reactive method of designing a building to cater for the people movement predictions.

However, it is evident through contemporary case studies that user movement prediction is a way for architects to begin to control the way in which people move.

The future of people movement through proactive building design begins to look at buildings independently changing to social situations; effectively cutting out the process of mapping people movement and making the role of the architect obsolete. It may begin to be possible to design buildings that react to changing social moods automatically, as well as just movement patterns.

The first studies of people movement began looking at crowd control and mapping how users interact with space on an urban scale. However as people movement mapping has evolved through changing trends and new technologies it is evident to see how this is now implied through individual building design. In order to continue development, people movement mapping must now be applied on an individual human level; creating buildings and spaces which automatically and independently adapt to user movement and social situations. “The relation between spatial organisation and social life is the chief obstacle to better design.�

(Hillier 1984:2)

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dynamicarchitecture . (2008). Suite Vollard. Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUUT0Wnh3nY. Last accessed 30th Nov 2012. dynamic-architecture . (2008). Suite Vollard Floor Plan. Available: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24091178@N06/2287772150/in/photostream.

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Books Haridimus Tsoukas (1994). New thinking in organizational behaviour: from social engineering to reflective action. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann ltd.

Ronan Paddison (2001). Handbook of Urban Studies. London: SAGE Publications ltd.

Bela H Banathy (1996). Designing Social Systems in a Changing World. New York: Plenum Press.

Bill Hillier + Julienne Hanson (1984). The Social Logic of Space. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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