Color preference cool versus warm in nursing homes depends on the expected activity for interior spaces

This study explores the color preferences of elderly residents of nursing homes based on the expected activities for different rooms, activity rooms, and bedrooms and compares the results with the arousal level induced by each color. Two experiments were conducted, one with elderly people living in nursing homes in the Valencian Community, and the other in a laboratory with virtual reality and physiological markers (i.e., heart rate variability). Individuals assessed six colors in two groups of warm and cool. Results demonstrate that preferences for warm and cool colors depend on the room type. For the activity room, warm colors were preferred over the cool colors by both genders, fitting the higher arousal levels induced by warm versus cool colors. For the bedrooms, cool colors were preferred by both genders, fitting the lower arousal levels induced by cool colors in females and the other models that suggest a U-shaped relation between the arousal level and the visible spectra of colors. Therefore, the color preferences for interior spaces in nursing homes depend on the room type and are related to the arousal level for the expected activity in them.     

Light conditions for older adults in the nursing home: Assessment of environmental illuminances and colour temperature

Over 40% of nursing home residents in the Netherlands are estimated to have visual impairments. In this study, light conditions in Dutch nursing homes were assessed in terms of horizontal and vertical illuminances and colour temperature. Results showed that in the seven nursing homes vertical illuminances in common rooms fell significantly below the 750 lx reference value in at least 65% of the measurements. Horizontal illuminance measurements in common rooms showed a similar pattern. At least 55% of the measurements were below the 750 lx threshold. The number of measurements at the window zone was significantly higher than the threshold level of 750 lx. Illuminances in the corridors fell significantly below the 200 lx threshold in at least three quarters of the measurements in six of the seven nursing homes. The colour temperature of light fell significantly below the reference value for daylight of 5000 K with median scores of 3400 to 4500 K. A significant difference in colour temperature was found between recently constructed nursing homes and some older homes. Lighting conditions of the examined nursing homes were poor. With these data, nursing home staff have the means to improve the lighting conditions, for instance, by encouraging residents to be seated next to a window when performing a task or during meals.     

Locating air-conditioners and furniture inside residential flats to obtain good thermal comfort

Majority of residential apartments in Hong Kong may be equipped with up to three window-type air-conditioners that operate during 7 months of hot and humid weather. The units are placed in the living rooms and bedrooms. The positions of these units and furniture inside these small rooms are directed in some extent by the architectural design, however, residents have possibility to decide about their actual position. The occupants should locate their air-conditioner with respect to the room furniture to avoid the cold air re-circulation and draft, and to obtain good thermal comfort for residents. To accomplish this, flat manufacturers should give some recommendations to the occupants, and architects should include such concerns in their design. For three positions of an air-conditioner unit and one position of a bed and a cupboard in a typical Hong Kong residential bedroom, the air velocities, temperatures, and air diffusion performance index are determined by using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software FLOVENT. The cases with the maximum benefit and maximum consequences in terms of thermal comfort in the bedroom are identified.     

浅谈住宅电气设计中如何布置插座

根据现代住宅电气设计安装的实际情况,就客厅、卧室、书房、厨房、餐厅、洗涤间、卫生间插座的布置、安装高度及容量选择进行了具体阐述,并提出相关建议,以期为将来向智能型住宅方向发展打下基础。     

Ventilation rates in the bedrooms of 500 Danish children

The ongoing “Indoor Environment and Children’s Health” (IECH) study investigates the environmental risk factors in homes and their association with asthma and allergy among children aged 1–5 years. As part of the study, the homes of 500 children between 3 and 5 years of age were inspected. The selected children included 200 symptomatic children (cases) and 300 randomly selected children (bases). As part of the inspection, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the bedrooms of the children was continuously measured over an average of 2.5 days. The ventilation rates in the rooms during the nights when the children were sleeping in the room were calculated using a single-zone mass balance for the occupant-generated CO₂. The calculated air change rates were log-normally distributed (R² > 0.98). The geometric mean of the air change rates in both the case and the base group was 0.46 air changes per hour (h⁻¹; geom. SD = 2.08 and 2.13, respectively). Approximately 57% of both cases and bases slept at a lower ventilation rate than the minimum required ventilation rate of 0.5 h⁻¹ in new Danish dwellings. Only 32% of the bedrooms had an average CO₂ concentration below 1000 ppm during the measured nights. Twenty-three percent of the rooms experienced at least a 20-minute period during the night when the CO₂ concentration was above 2000 ppm and 6% of the rooms experienced concentrations above 3000 ppm. The average air change rate was higher with more people sleeping in the room. The air change rate did not change with the increasing outdoor temperature over the 10-week experimental period. The calculation method provides an estimate of the total airflow into the bedroom, including airflows both from outdoors and from adjacent spaces. To study the accuracy of the calculated air change rates and their deviation from the true outside air change rates, we calculated CO₂ concentrations at different given air change rates using an indoor air quality and ventilation model (Contam). Subsequently we applied our calculation procedure to the obtained data. The air change rate calculated from the generated CO₂ concentrations was found to be between 0% and 51% lower than the total air change rate defined in the input variables for the model. It was, however, higher than the true outside air change rate. The relative error depended on the position of the room in relation to the adjacent rooms, occupancy in the adjacent room, the nominal air change rate and room-to-room airflows.     

养老院室内空间一体化设计策略探究——以兰州市半山养老院为例

随着我国老龄化趋势日益加深,养老设施已无法满足当前现状,养老院环境问题作为养老设施中的重要环节,亟待解决。基于养老院老年人特征以及对空间环境的需求,以空间的整体性、关联性、情感功效性为原则,对养老院室内空间装饰环境构成因素进行系统化整合,提出适用于养老院的室内空间一体化设计策略。以兰州市半山养老院为例进行养老院室内空间一体化设计,以期为西北地区养老院室内设计提供理论依据。     

Monitoring residential quality for the elderly using a geographical information system

The population in Europe, and even more so in The Netherlands, is ageing rapidly. Concurrently, in the light of severe budget deficits, the Dutch government's elderly care service policy has reduced the number and the capacity of elderly care services, such as old people's homes and nursing homes. The consequence of this national policy, with regard to housing for the elderly, is that the elderly need to remain independent in their own residential neighbourhood for more years than they did in the past. However, in urban and suburban areas, the elderly who live independently face an increasing number and range of problems, such as poor quality of dwellings, disappearance of neighbourhood facilities, increasing fear of crime, etc. In order to maintain the quality of the daily living environment of the elderly, urban planners and policy makers need to have access to proper information about processes and developments in the residential environment of the elderly. This information is related to physical and social characteristics of the residential area and its inhabitants. The use of modern information technologies to handle the associated multidimensional data, information and knowledge is therefore necessary. The objective of this paper is to discuss some critical topics related to the development of a computer‐based system for public policy making concerning the quality of the residential environment for the elderly. Successful implementation of this system depends on a careful preliminary assessment of the type of system required to meet the demands of the end‐user(s). The creation of an accurate functional design is essential and should be discussed in both the context of the technical requirements and the context of the end‐user(s). Therefore, perspectives of different people involved should be taken into account for the development of public policy analysis systems. This has resulted in a new information tool. In the paper, this tool, coined RELEVANT (REsidential Location Evaluation and ANalysis Tool), a GIS‐based system for public policy analysis in the field of residential monitoring in the city of Amsterdam, is presented. The essential components of this policy support system—data, models and user interface—will be outlined in more detail. The added value of the GIS‐like functions in this system is assessed as well with a particular view to transferability of the method used.     

养老设施中不同身心特护老人的行为特征与场所偏好研究——以杭州市J设施为例

针对养老设施中情况不同的特护老人被均一化对待的问题,本研究以身心状态作为依据对特护老人进行分类,考察他们在混居的生活环境中不同的行为特征和场所偏好,以及行为和空间选择之间的内在联系,提出对养老设施设计和管理的建议。     

老年认知症的绿色照料农场模式分析及 对我国的借鉴

绿色照料农场是近年来兴起于欧洲的一种新型护理 设施,相比传统护理机构,老年认知症患者的生活质量与人性 尊严都得到更好保证。首先阐述了绿色照料农场的概念产生与 发展脉络;其次分析了认知症环境干预手段和患者空间诉求, 在此基础上对绿色照料农场环境特点进行比对,得出具有丰富 环境属性、提升生活质量和维护人性尊严三方面属性;再次结 合3个实际案例进一步分析其空间设计与护理理念;最后提出 此模式对中国养老环境建设的借鉴与建议     

Meanings of housing qualities in suburbia: empirical evidence from Auckland, New Zealand

Housing research has mostly addressed notions of housing qualities either from a quantitative approach or through the provision and availability of housing. The literature has predominantly focused on physical structures, often neglecting residents’ experiences of the built environment. Including individuals’ perceptions of their dwelling environment can add insights valuable to planning and design efforts which are aimed at providing good ‘quality’ and need to be taken into account in concepts of housing quality. The present study considers the housing qualities of a suburban built environment as psychological and socio-cultural aspects that are experienced by residents. Owner-occupants’ perceptions of housing quality are illustrated through the use of ‘tag clouds’ that represent visual dwelling-quality profiles. They highlight which attributes of the occupants’ living environment are meaningful to them and how they achieve a greater sense of belonging in the dwelling as well as in the neighbourhood. This paper draws on results from in-depth interviews and brainstorming about housing qualities with 19 owner-occupants in the suburb of Farm Cove in Manukau City in the Auckland Region, New Zealand. Two predominant age groups were identified in this case study: the elderly long-term residents who moved to the area in the 1970s during the time of suburbanization; and families in their thirties and early forties who moved to the area in recent years. The paper reveals a shift in experienced housing qualities from tangible among the younger cohort towards more intangible qualities among the elderly. An assessment of the findings suggests a need for future planning which caters for more heterogeneous housing qualities.     

Meta-analysis of indoor temperatures in new-build housing

ABSTRACT

Despite growing concerns about overheating, a lack of evidence exists on the scale of the problem, particularly in contemporary UK housing. This paper presents the results of a meta-analysis of indoor temperatures in selected low-energy housing. Temperature data recorded at five-minute intervals in 60 dwellings across 19 demonstration projects (2012–14) were collated and analysed to investigate the prevalence of overheating. Findings evidence high summertime temperatures, with 27% of living rooms exceeding 28°C during August. Based on the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) threshold of 5% annual occupied hours > 25°C, 57% of bedrooms and 75% of living rooms were classified as having overheated. Overall, 30% of living rooms exceeded the adaptive comfort threshold of > 3% occupied hours ΔT?≥?1?K. The results suggest a fundamental relationship between ventilation and indoor temperatures. The higher minimum and average summertime temperatures observed in mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) homes (p?<?0.05) and lower temperature range (p?<?0.001) suggest the need for greater attention to adequate summertime ventilation provision in airtight homes. The results demonstrate a high prevalence of overheating in exemplary housing, indicating the need for greater efforts to ensure the effective implementation of strategies to minimize overheating and improve ventilation in low-energy homes.     

中式风格在居住空间中的语意营造

对中式风格和中式文化的概念进行了介绍,结合中式风格在居住空间中的设计原则,分别阐述了中式风格在玄关、客厅、电视墙、餐厅、卧室、书房等不同居住空间中的语意表达方法,以期指导实践。     

胶东半岛农村居家养老住宅绿色技术适应性改造设计

在中国农村老龄化人数剧增背景下,养老住宅被给予了很大的关注。通过对典型胶东农宅调研、分析,对农宅的实际改造过程进行跟踪记录,从老年人的生活需求出发提出了建筑功能空间适老性、绿色建筑技术节能型改造方案。利用低技策略提高老年人的居住质量,使农村老人在较低的生活成本下享受舒适的生活环境,为胶东地区农村居家养老节能改造进行新的探索。     

The short-term effects of a fire safety education program for the elderly

The high risk of fire dieath and injury among elderly people is well documented. To be effective, fire safety education must reach older adults in the settings in which they reside: nursing homes and other long-term care institutions, board and care homes, and independent living facilities including the person's own home. Training must also be targeted at the people who are responsible for fire safety. In the case of the nursing home or board and care home, the responsible people are the staff and owners. In the case of the majority of older adults who live independently in their homes, it is either the individual or family members. These programs must also be comprehensive.A fire safety education curriculum was developed by a group of experts in a variety of related fields including fire safety, gerontology, health care industry, developmental disabilities, research, and instructional design. Older adults were included in each planning session. Based on that curriculum, workshops and workshop materials were developed for each of the three target populations: staff of health care facilities, staff and owners of board and care homes, and elderly people living independently in their homes. Materials included both print and audiovisuals. A pilot test of each workshop was conducted to test the short-term effects of the programs.Results indicated significant gains in knowledge for all groups and a significant improvement in positive attitudes toward fire safety for most participants. Measures of effects of the programs on intentions to change fire safety practices indicated a potential for change. Results also showed that the measured traits, knowledge of fire safety and attitudes toward fire safety, were relatively stable.     

Co-visibility and pedagogy: innovation and challenge at the High Museum of Art

Museum space is arranged not only to present but also to help understand displays. Patterns of visitor movement and the co-visibility of displays act as pedagogical media. This paper traces the recent history of the interior of the High Museum of Art, in Atlanta, and identifies radical transformations in the interaction between architectural setting, exhibition design and curatorial intention. The original 1983 second-floor layout, designed by Meier, created ‘rooms within rooms’, privileged cross views and provided a web of vistas cutting through spatial layers of displays and meandering paths of movement, even as the structural grid notated an abstract overall order. Thus, it supported comparisons and a multiplicity of points of view rather than a rigid classificatory scheme. Also, it challenged focused frontal viewing and hence traditional curatorial approaches.

The 1997 second-floor layout, by Scogin and Elam, masterfully deployed a formal exhibition language that resonated with Meier's architecture in order to implement a different curatorial programme, based on well-defined sequences of movement and controlled visual frames. The aim was not to impose an historical or stylistic classification, but rather to confront visitors with orchestrated assemblies of displays linking art to themes such as life, faith, the human figure or the city. In 2003, Lord Aeck and Sargent designed a new layout which reproduced the original ‘rooms within rooms’ implemented by Meier, whilst reducing the intricacy of internal subdivision and promoting less complex vistas. The evolution of interiors in Meier's original building stands in contrast to the simpler layout of Piano's 2005 extension for the High where architecture assumes the rôle of a more neutral and elegant background to the art works. These contrasts, their programmatic generators and their experiential consequences are documented and analysed as a case study in the pedagogical functions of museum space.     

The shape of warmth: temperature profiles in living rooms

The most commonly used family of models in representing the UK building stock, BREDEM (the Building Research Establishment Domestic Energy Models), assume that all homes exhibit the same heating pattern and hence can be expected to have similar temperature profiles over the course of a day. The presented research shows that homes differ significantly in their respective temperature profile over the course of the day. A cluster analysis performed on temperature data from 275 living rooms in English homes over three winter months resulted in four different clusters of temperature profiles. The clusters differ significantly in their shape, as revealed by visual inspection, and supported by significant differences in minimum and maximum temperatures and temperature variability across the day. About 40% of homes showed a bimodal temperature pattern as assumed under BREDEM. However, the remaining 60% showed very different profiles. These findings challenge the assumption that one standard pattern fits all homes. Different temperature demand profiles have important implications for future peak power demands, particularly if domestic space heating is switched to electricity. It is also helpful for relating occupant demographics to appropriate forms of fabric retrofit.     

Domestic ventilation with heat recovery to improve indoor air quality

Recently in the U.K., and particularly in Scotland, domestic ventilation systems have been considered as means of reducing condensation in existing housing stock. A simple ventilation model which is suitable for ventilation systems with a heat recovery unit is presented. Using field data of temperature and relative humidity, air supply and extract rates for individual rooms are estimated by applying this model. Unlike conventional systems, extract from bedrooms is considered necessary for the type of dwellings considered to reduce surface condensation.     

Affective Experience Measurement in Outdoor Environment via Machine Visual Cognition

Outdoor environments with quality landscapes can benefit people’s physical and mental health. Real-time assessment on individuals’ environmental affective experience can improve the scientism in measuring the quality of outdoor environments. Existing measurement methods are often insufficient for the cases of a larger site area or sample size. The machine visual cognition of Artificial Intelligence can realize the recognition of facial expressions and the changes in video images, which supports high-precision and long-cycle measurements on individuals’ affective experience in outdoor environments. Taking an urban community square as the study site, this research simultaneously collects participants’ facial data from video images and their electrodermal activity data, wherein Convolutional Neural Network algorithm model is trained with a deep learning algorithm, i.e. codec–SVM optimized model, whose reliability is tested through an additional experiment. The research reveals that: 1) The accuracy rate of the main and additional experiments in measuring individuals’ affective experience is 82.01% and 65.08%, respectively; 2) The additional experiment verifies the application potential of the codec–SVM optimized model; And 3) the model works more effective for outdoor scenarios with varying usage behaviors and open views. Therefore, machine visual cognition can be used for emotion measurement in a larger site area or sample size and contributes to the effectiveness of landscape optimization efforts, especially as an instrumental tool to study the affective experience of the ones who have communication or reading disability. The findings also demonstrate the model’s great potential in building Smart Cities with refined public services.     

居家老年慢性病患者生命质量与社区护理需求的关系

目的 了解居家老年慢性病患者生命质量及其对社区护理服务需求的情况,分析它们之间的关系及影响因素,为改进该人群社区护理内容和方式提供依据.方法 利用中文版SF-36量表及自制的社区护理需求调查问卷,采用随机整群抽样的方法,对抽取的2个社区1 856例符合调查标准的居家老年慢性病患者（慢性病组）和1 110 例健康老年人群（对照组）进行调查.结果 慢性病组SF-36量表的8个维度及生理健康和心理健康综合评分均显著低于对照组（P＜0.05）;控制人口学因素后,各维度评分慢性病组均显著低于对照组（P＜0.01）;年龄、婚姻状况、文化程度、月收入与该人群生命质量存在关联.居家老年慢性病患者选择到社区医疗中心就诊占41.8%;对社区护理服务各项需求率均低于50%.影响社区护理需求的主要因素是婚姻状况、职业、医疗支付形式、月收入、患慢性病种数及生活自理能力.除GH维度与定期体检领域外,居家老年慢性病患者生命质量各维度与社区护理各领域需求呈负相关（P＜0.05）.结论 该社区居家老年慢性病患者生命质量较健康老年人群低,对社区护理服务需求利用度不高,其生命质量和社区护理需求之间呈负相关,应针对性地提供相应的社区护理项目,以提高老年慢性病患者的生命质量.