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Article
Publication date: 27 September 2019

Azadeh Lak, Mina Ramezani and Reihaneh Aghamolaei

The fast development of urban movement infrastructures has created neglected urban places in cities. This study aims to provide users’ preferences for designing lost spaces that…

Abstract

Purpose

The fast development of urban movement infrastructures has created neglected urban places in cities. This study aims to provide users’ preferences for designing lost spaces that are a by-product of elevated urban highways (UHs) and bridges to develop a conceptual model for better environmental design.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is conducted by a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods. In the first phase, to explore the citizen’s environmental preferences based on the Q-sort technique and in-depth interviews, the ideas of 50 users were considered up to data saturation. The preferences of people for designs under urban bridges were extracted by content analysis in the qualitative phase. In the quantitative phase, to validate these preferences, the extracted themes and sub-themes were examined by 144 experts in design studies using the web-based questionnaire based on the first phase outcomes. The validity of the model was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis in SPSS22 and Lisrel software.

Findings

The findings show that users’ preferences emphasize design strategies such as safety and security, physical coherence, visibility, vitality, richness, a sense of belonging and comfort to the design of lost spaces. Overall, this study highlights an empirical study into user’s needs and expectations of lost urban spaces.

Originality/value

The findings show that users’ preferences emphasize design strategies such as safety and security, physical coherence, visibility, vitality, richness, a sense of belonging and comfort to the design of lost spaces. Overall, this study highlights an empirical study into user’s needs and expectations of lost urban spaces.

Details

Journal of Place Management and Development, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 November 2020

Gul Kacmaz Erk and Tevfik Balcioglu

Bringing product design and architectural design together, this article looks into the extraordinary use of everyday objects in urban and suburban spaces in The Lost Room

Abstract

Purpose

Bringing product design and architectural design together, this article looks into the extraordinary use of everyday objects in urban and suburban spaces in The Lost Room mini-television series (2006). The study questions the accepted meanings of products and spaces in relation to their physicality, perception and use. Through multi-layered analysis of the relationship between objects, (architectural and suburban/urban) spaces and their users, the article opens up a discussion about the purpose, meaning and influence of designed products and places.

Design/methodology/approach

In this context, this qualitative research makes use of moving images (as representations of products and spaces) to propose a critique of contemporary design via (sub-)urban design practices.

Findings

Using irony and metaphor to question the habit of object possession, accumulation and fetishism, the series challenges blind loyalty to contemporary beliefs. The Lost Room is not concerned with new forms or new designs. Instead, it forces the audience to consider the meaning of both objects and spaces in relation to one another. By transforming our understanding of space, the series also reveals humans' spatial limitations. The Lost Room is a unique small screen “product” in which people's relationship to the designed world is interrogated by having mass-produced objects and the built environment constantly in the foreground.

Originality/value

Film analysis from a design perspective is not new; however, this is the first time The Lost Room is brought to the attention of architects and designers via scholarly work. Film theorists and cinemagoers may also benefit from the unique design perspective outlined in the article.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2012

Christine Mady

Amidst the debates on the death or resurgence of public spaces emerges a significant question: how could public spaces that function at different urban scales and cater for…

Abstract

Amidst the debates on the death or resurgence of public spaces emerges a significant question: how could public spaces that function at different urban scales and cater for diverse collective needs be provided? This article explores the roles and potentials of temporary public spaces in meeting diverse challenges related to the supply and use of urban open spaces. Positioning temporary public spaces within the literature on non-conventional public spaces is conducted with the purpose of identifying those spaces' characteristics. The proposed definition of temporary public spaces is based on their dynamic status of use-rights. Moreover, a conceptual framework based on urban land economics and bid rent theory is used to explain how such spaces transform under the exchange of temporary use-rights to activate vacant urban lots for public activities. This conceptual framework is applied in the case of a grass root approach to the supply of temporary public spaces. The context is Beirut, a city that has lost its public spaces due to wars and is trying to reintroduce them through different supply mechanisms. The examples illustrate how homogeneous urban spaces are identified over time and converted into heterogeneous and lively temporary public spaces. These contribute towards conviviality in a highly fragmented and multi-cultural society and animate everyday urban life.

Details

Open House International, vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 October 2022

Mohammed M. Alnaim and Emad Noaime

The general concept of public space in Saudi Arabia is relatively recent; it is the result of an attempt to modernize several conservative traditions and norms, as well as the…

Abstract

Purpose

The general concept of public space in Saudi Arabia is relatively recent; it is the result of an attempt to modernize several conservative traditions and norms, as well as the ambitious vision of 2030, which reprioritized Saudi cities' public spaces by implementing a quality-of-life improvement program. This study aims to investigate the relationship between mosque location and surrounding urban context as a significant urban design issue in order to comprehend the potential for transforming such an element into a multifunctional public space destination in a dense urban fabric.

Design/methodology/approach

The study's objectives are divided into two areas: a spatial configuration analysis to examine the urban context and an urban analysis of the mosque site with a study area boundary of a 400-m buffer zone. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were utilized; in addition, a user feedback survey was conducted in which several key insights were compiled, such as the importance of safety urban element factors, aesthetic elements and green areas in the built environment in making mosques places that are active public spaces.

Findings

The study’s main finding encourages governmental institutions to change their mindset from “open space around the mosque” to “the mosque as an element within public space,” which will have a significant impact on how the authors approach, improve and redevelop existing mosque locations. Several concepts were presented that should be reconsidered and redeveloped in order to align with the most recent sustainable urban design tools; the mosque to be overlooked as a community gathering place rather than just a place for religious rituals.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to sacred mosque sites primarily found in Islamic countries; it focuses on Saudi Arabian urban and planning practices in relation to sociocultural norms. The authors believe that increasing the number of study samples or broadening the scope of the study to include other Saudi regions or other Middle Eastern countries could yield new findings and insights.

Originality/value

The study offers a conceptual design model based on survey results and qualitative analysis and recommending strategies that planners, designers and policymakers can use to design successful mosque places and pedestrian-oriented developments.

Details

Open House International, vol. 48 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 February 2022

Sarah Aboualy, Yasser Mansour and Sherif El-Fiki

The paper aims to study the applicability of Lefebvre's everyday life theory “production of space” in Sheraton's in-between spaces upon local residents' daily practices. Space as…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to study the applicability of Lefebvre's everyday life theory “production of space” in Sheraton's in-between spaces upon local residents' daily practices. Space as Lefebvre said is a result and cause, product and producer. Sheraton District, Cairo comprises lots of underutilized spaces between buildings. The in-between spaces have great potentials for accommodating diverse activities. The present study addresses the phenomenon of in-between spaces in this district. It is argued that in-between spaces can be developed to realize better functional and symbolic values, as the users attach special meanings based on users' everyday living.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a qualitative approach to investigate the above relationship on the mentioned district. The study devises direct observation to investigate people's behavioral patterns in such appropriated areas to analyze them in the light of preceding literature.

Findings

The study concludes that people's everyday practices could re-invent the in-between spaces by realizing new functions and meanings in dynamic and creative ways. That experience can apply to other underutilized spaces in the district and the city toward improving the built environment and the quality of residents' life.

Research limitations/implications

Finally, it is important to note that the findings of the study are limited to the studied context. Undertaking similar studies to other in-between spaces in Cairo, in other Egyptian cities or other countries may yield different findings. It may be equally interesting to study the means of adaptation in other underutilized urban spaces, such as those found underneath bridges, underneath buildings and on the rooftops.

Originality/value

The main aim of the present study is to examine the impact of everyday practices on the appropriation of a transformed in-between space in the aforementioned district, and the extent to which that may improve in-between spaces' role toward the local community, in order to promote such approach for developing many underutilized in-between spaces in the area. Toward realizing this goal, the study begins with a theoretical background about everyday life. Then, the paper addresses the theory of space appropriation. The outcome is then empirically investigated in relation to one transformed in-between space in Sheraton District, Cairo.

Details

Open House International, vol. 48 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2023

Sally Helen Stone and Laura Sanderson

This paper considers the exhibition: UnDoing. This research-through-curation project examined interactions within existing spaces and situations. This established links between…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper considers the exhibition: UnDoing. This research-through-curation project examined interactions within existing spaces and situations. This established links between the selected exhibits, the gallery, the city and with the continuum of the previous exhibition.

Design/methodology/approach

Carefully selected architects, designers and artists were invited to contribute—those who pursued a contextual approach; whose practice explored the way buildings, places and artefacts are reused, reinterpreted and remembered.

Findings

Through the act of curation, this research uncovered a series of different approaches to constructed sites and existing buildings, from layered juxtaposition, the refusal to undo, to interventions of new elements within architectural works.

Research limitations/implications

Curation offered the opportunity to consider works of architecture and of art through the same lens, for direct comparisons to be made and the influence of one upon the other to be comprehended.

Practical implications

The examination processes the architect employs is similar to that of the artist; the development of an understanding of place, and from this synthesis, creative interpretation. However, despite the similarities in the starting position, the elucidation developed by the artist can be vastly different to that of the architect.

Social implications

The juxtaposition and new classifications created by the exhibition encouraged visitors to look at art, architecture and the city in a different way; to grasp the direct link between the different subjects; and the possibilities created.

Originality/value

The two driving factors for UnDoing were places of previous occupation and the city of Manchester. The qualities of surrounding constructed environment combined were combined with attitudes towards existing structures and places.

Details

Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-1266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1930

B.N. Wallis

THERE are two outstanding principles which underlie all airship design, two criteria by which everything undertaken may bo judged. The first is that the body produced shall offer…

Abstract

THERE are two outstanding principles which underlie all airship design, two criteria by which everything undertaken may bo judged. The first is that the body produced shall offer a minimum of resistance to propulsion through the air; the second is that, having shaped a body in that way, it shall give a maximum of disposable lift for a given volume. An airship also, at the present time at least, must be produced for a minimum of cost. For this reason every effort must be made to design the structure as cheaply, as economically, and as quickly as possible.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

Article
Publication date: 15 September 2021

Christian Koranteng, David Nyame-Tawiah, Kwabena Abrokwa Gyimah and Barbara Simons

As the global population keeps increasing with its associated urbanisation and climate change issues being experienced in various degrees worldwide, there is the need to find…

Abstract

Purpose

As the global population keeps increasing with its associated urbanisation and climate change issues being experienced in various degrees worldwide, there is the need to find mitigating measures to improve thermal conditions within spaces. The study aimed to evaluate green roofs to determine whether they could provide thermal comfort within residential buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

Forty-two-year weather data were retrieved from the Kumasi weather station to establish the pattern of the climatic variables. Furthermore, an experiment was conducted by constructing test cells to determine the potential of vegetation/green roofs on temperature development within spaces. This approach led to a simulation-based exploration of the thermal performance of the test cells to probe variables that could lead to the reduction in temperature after the models in the software (design-builder) had been validated.

Findings

The results on the 42 years (1976–2018) weather data showed a significant (p = 0.05) mean temperature increment of 2.0 °C. The constructed test cell with Setcreasea purpurea (Purple Heart) vegetation showed an annual mean temperature reduction of 0.4 °C (p = 0.05). In addition, the exploration using the simulation application showed combinations of various soil depth (70–500 mm) and leaf area indices (leaf area index of 2–5) having a potential to lower indoor temperature by 1.5 °C and its associated reduction in energy use. The option of green roofs as a valuable alternative to conventional roofs, given their potential in mitigating climate change, must be encouraged. A survey of occupants in six selected neighbourhoods in Kumasi showed varying subjective perceptions of several green issues (24–98%) and increases in temperature values because of the loss of greenery in the city.

Originality/value

Empirical data that point to the significant reduction of indoor temperature values and a subsequent reduction in energy use have been unearthed. Therefore, built environment professionals together with city authorities could invest in these sustainable measures to help humanity.

Details

Open House International, vol. 47 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1977

IT is astonishing that so many British business people still do not realise how to use the Common Market to their advantage. They fall into two categories: those who, regretting…

Abstract

IT is astonishing that so many British business people still do not realise how to use the Common Market to their advantage. They fall into two categories: those who, regretting that we did not enter from the start, feel that we have missed the boat for good so it is little use trying; and those who never wanted to go in and still feel we would be better off outside the Community. The reason behind its formation seems to have eluded them.

Details

Work Study, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0043-8022

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2000

Katarzyna Turaj Kalinsk

Explores the relationship between motherhood and creativity. Looks at what the writer’s daughter has taught the writer about art. States that she has been influenced in three…

Abstract

Explores the relationship between motherhood and creativity. Looks at what the writer’s daughter has taught the writer about art. States that she has been influenced in three ways, practically, spiritually and mentally. Suggests that there is no love stronger than a mother’s love and that an artist and mother are permanent fighters against death.

Details

Equal Opportunities International, vol. 19 no. 2/3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0261-0159

Keywords

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